Six German families living in the vicinity of Grand Rapids organized themselves, in 1848, to provide for the construction of their own church. Along the present, so-called Baumhof Road lay three acres owned by John Umlor, and these he gave for a building site. Peter Thorne gave two more acres to be used as a cemetery. Things really got under way in 1852 when the zealous Franciscan friar, the Rev. Julian Majewski, O.F.M., took charge of the mission and completed the chapel which he had found under construction.

The Bishop of Detroit, the Most Rev. Peter Paul Lefevre, blessed the church in 1852 and presented the congregation with a beautiful silver ciborium. Two years later a regular church committee was formed having as members Peter Hoover, Caspar Cordes, Baltazar Schaeffer and John Schnieder.

By 1854, the Bishop found awaiting him a confirmation class of no less than thirty young people. This was the first time this Sacrament had been administered in the new parish.

On the Feast of the Holy Trinity in 1854, Father Van Erp of Cannonsburg, blessed the church cemetery.

The first site soon proved inadequate for the rapidly growing congregation. In 1882, Eberhard Cordes donated four acres along the Alpine Church Road, where the present parish buildings are located. The following year the church was erected at a cost of about $4,000.

Seventeen years later a new rectory was added and on November 6, 1901, came the installation of the first resident pastor, Fr. Francis Beerhorst.

The following are the devoted priests who served the church before they received a resident pastor: the Reverend Fathers, Marco, Allgeyer, Beerhorst, Rhode, Tihle, Strauss, Ehrenstrasser, Stauss, Bruch, Schaffer, Hyssen, Weisteiner.

In 1911, Father Leukert took the place of Father Beerhorst and he was followed in 1919 by Fr. Theis. The Rev. Charles T. Bolte was installed as pastor, July of 1923. He was named a Domestic Prelate in 1948.

A two-story school was erected in 1934 where four Sisters of St. Dominic teach the parish children and in 1939, a new house for the pastor was erected.

Some of the early names at Holy Trinity were:

Caspar Cordes Eberhard Cordes

William Cordes A. Henze

F. Hammerschmidt Ferdinand Scheidel

John Platte B. Schlich

Michael Thome Mr. Schneider

Peter Thome Adam Umlor

Theobald Umlor John Vollpert

Joseph Hippler B. Schaefer

Anton Sauer