About Cathedral of Our Lady of Chaldeans, Mother of God [Chaldean] · Southfield, Michigan
Mother of God Cathedral, popularly known as Our Lady of Chaldeans Cathedral, is the mother church (cathedral) of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit, located at 25585 Berg Road in Southfield, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. Founded in 1948 as the first Chaldean Catholic parish in Michigan, it became the cathedral of the newly created U.S. Chaldean apostolic exarchate (later eparchy) in 1982. The parish serves one of the largest concentrations of Chaldean-Iraqi Catholics in the United States and offers Masses in English, Arabic, and the Chaldean (Surath) liturgical tradition, alongside a 24/7 adoration chapel.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary — Mother of God / Our Lady of Chaldeans
- Rector
- Rev. Pierre Konja (Rector)
- Diocese
- Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit
Why belong here
Mother of God is the spiritual home of one of the largest Chaldean-Iraqi Catholic communities in the United States and the mother church of the entire U.S. Chaldean diocese. It welcomes worshippers with a rare trilingual liturgical life: the Chaldean (Surath) Mass tradition, Arabic Masses, and English Masses every Sunday, plus a perpetual-adoration chapel open 24/7. Visitors can experience Eastern-rite liturgy in the Byzantine Revival cathedral, pray for the community through the parish's Prayer Ministry, and connect with both an ancient Iraqi Christian heritage and a vibrant, multi-generational immigrant parish in metro Detroit.
Mass times at Cathedral of Our Lady of Chaldeans, Mother of God [Chaldean]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
- Sunday: 10:30 am – 11:30 am and 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- 1st Sunday of the month: during 8:30 am Arabic Mass and 12:30 pm Chaldean Mass
- First Saturday of the month: 9:30 am – 10:00 am
Adoration times
- St. Joseph Adoration Chapel: open 24 hours / 7 days (perpetual adoration; access code 2533#)
- Wednesday: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm (in church, before Mass)
- Sunday: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm (in church, before evening Mass)
History of Mother of God Cathedral
Mother of God was founded on January 9, 1948, when Detroit's Chaldean Catholic community purchased its first church building, and was consecrated on August 15, 1948, under Fr. Toma Bidawid. Originally on Euclid and Hamilton Streets in Detroit, the parish relocated to Hamilton Road (re-consecrated 1956) before acquiring its present Berg Road property in Southfield in 1964. The parish hall and rectory were built in 1972, the present church was begun in 1979 and consecrated in 1980 by Patriarch Mar Paulus II Cheikho. With Pope John Paul II's creation of the U.S. Chaldean apostolic exarchate on January 11, 1982, Mother of God became the cathedral; it has served in that role ever since.
- 1948: Parish founded in Detroit
- 1956: Hamilton Road location re-consecrated
- 1964: Berg Road, Southfield property acquired
- 1972: Parish hall and rectory built
- 1980: Present Byzantine Revival church consecrated
- 1982: Designated cathedral of the new U.S. Chaldean exarchate
- 1985: Diocese elevated to an eparchy
- Feb 29, 2024: 75th anniversary celebrated
Architecture and Interior
The cathedral is built in the Byzantine Revival style, characteristic of Eastern-rite Catholic churches. Its dome, stained-glass program, and rich iconographic decoration make it one of the most recognizable Chaldean churches in North America.
- Style: Byzantine Revival (completed 1980)
- Dome stained-glass: Sts. Peter & Paul; St. Joseph; BVM; St. Thomas; Sts. Addai & Mari
- Altar reredos: The Last Supper
- Side altars: Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Stations of the Cross beneath Gospel-scene windows
- Vestibule statues: St. Joseph, St. Rita, St. Anthony, St. Padre Pio
- Outdoor statues: Holy Family and Blessed Virgin Mary in the courtyard
Parish Ministries and Prayer Life
Beyond the Sunday and weekday Masses, Mother of God supports a Prayer Ministry that receives online prayer requests and prays for them continuously. The parish hall, built in 1972, hosts community, cultural, and educational gatherings for the Chaldean community. Liturgical lay ministries serve the trilingual Masses, and the parish office coordinates faith formation and sacramental preparation.
- Mother of God Prayer Ministry (online prayer-request ministry)
- Liturgical lay ministries (English, Arabic, Chaldean)
- Faith formation / catechism for children (Chaldean-rite)
- Community and cultural events for the Chaldean-Iraqi community
- Educational and social programs in the parish hall
Clergy and Diocesan Leadership
The cathedral is led by its rector, Rev. Pierre Konja, with parochial vicars assisting, under the spiritual authority of His Excellency Francis Y. Kalabat, the current Eparch of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit. He succeeded Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim, the first Chaldean bishop in the United States, who was installed at Mother of God on April 18, 1982.
- Rector: Rev. Pierre Konja
- Parochial Vicars (see parish website)
- Eparch: Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat (since 2014)
- Eparch Emeritus: Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim (1982–2014)
Visiting and Contact
The parish office is open Monday–Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. The St. Joseph Adoration Chapel welcomes visitors around the clock using an access code from the office. The parish can be reached by phone at (248) 356-0565 or by email at [email protected].
- Address: 25585 Berg Rd., Southfield, MI 48033
- Phone: (248) 356-0565
- Fax: (248) 356-5235
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: M–F 8 am–5 pm; Sat 9 am–1 pm
- Website: http://mogccc.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Toma Bidawid1948 (founding pastor)
Chaldean priest who consecrated the first Mother of God church on Aug 15, 1948; later became Chaldean Catholic Patriarch.
- Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim1982–2014
First exarch (1982) and first eparch (1985) of the Chaldean diocese; installed at Mother of God Cathedral on April 18, 1982.
- Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat2014–present
Current Eparch of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Detroit; presided at the cathedral's 75th anniversary Mass on Feb 29, 2024.
![Cathedral of Our Lady of Chaldeans, Mother of God [Chaldean] in Southfield, Michigan — photo 1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mother_of_God_Cathedral_(Southfield,_Michigan).jpg "Cathedral of Our Lady of Chaldeans, Mother of God [Chaldean]")