Our original stone building was built in 1924 as part of the William Scripps farm. We are happy to be part of Lake Orion’s history and look forward to a long and happy future in our community.
St. Mary’s In-The-Hills was founded in 1952 as a Mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, in connection with All Saints’, Pontiac, and we were received as a Parish of Diocese in 1956. In the early 1950s much of the area around Lake Orion was farmland. In fact, the original part of the St. Mary’s building was a building erected by the Scripps family as a schoolhouse for their extensive farms. By the late 1940s, there was considerable interest in planting an Episcopal church in Lake Orion, and through the faithful vision and practical wisdom of a dedicated community, St. Mary’s settled into its current location, and has remained a faithful witness, worshiping in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition for over seventy years.
Of course Lake Orion has changed a great deal since then, but the vision of a community shaped by prayer and a fellowship of mutual support remains the core of our church. We continue to ask where God is taking us and how God hopes to use us to heal a hurting world, while staying grounded in prayer.
One of our parishioners has written a fuller history of how our parish was formed. Please follow the link below to learn more.