About Eastern Re-Evangelization Center [Chaldean] · Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
The Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center (ECRC) is a lay-led Catholic evangelization center in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operated as an institution of the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle (an Eastern Catholic eparchy in communion with Rome). Founded to respond to the late Pope John Paul II's call to re-evangelize the world through the Catholic Church, ECRC runs retreats, conferences, marriage preparation, faith-formation programs, and a calendar of devotional events for Catholics across Metro Detroit. It shares its Maple Road campus with St. Ephrem Chaldean Catholic Church and serves as the formation-and-discipleship arm of the diocese, complementing the parishes with Bible studies, young-adult and youth ministries, and healing and family-life ministries.
- Established
- 2001
- Diocese
- Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle (Southfield, MI), under the Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon
Why belong here
ECRC is the place the Chaldean Diocese points Catholics toward when they want to go deeper — silent and Kairos retreats, the annual men's and women's conferences, the Stride for Seminarians walkathon, and year-round Bible studies, marriage prep, and family-life programs like Waiting in Hope (infertility support) and Little Saints (pregnancy and infant-loss support). Because it sits alongside St. Ephrem Chaldean Catholic Church on Maple Road, visitors can attend Mass and then walk over to a Tuesday-evening Bible study, a War Room apologetics night, or a healing-ministry meeting — making it a one-stop hub for re-evangelization in Metro Detroit's Chaldean community.
Mass times at Eastern Re-Evangelization Center [Chaldean]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- During Masses
- Thursdays 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM at St. Thomas Church (West Bloomfield)
Adoration times
- Weekdays 5:30 PM followed by Holy Mass at 6:30 PM (per the 2014–15 diocesan Faith & Hope calendar)
About ECRC
The Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center (ECRC) is the formation-and-discipleship arm of the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle. It exists to 're-evangelize' — to call Catholics, especially Chaldean Catholics in Metro Detroit, into a deeper, more deliberate relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. The center designs and runs the diocese-wide retreats, conferences, Bible studies, marriage-preparation programs, and family-life ministries that the twelve parishes of the diocese rely on for adult faith formation.
- Founded by laity to answer Pope John Paul II's call to re-evangelize
- Operates under the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle (Southfield, MI)
- Located at 4875 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, on the St. Ephrem Center campus
- Lay-led with two staff administrators (Eva Jajjo and Candice Mansour) and priest support from the diocese
History & Identity
ECRC was founded in 2001 as a volunteer lay response to Pope John Paul II's call for a 'new evangelization.' It grew alongside the rapid expansion of the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle in Metro Detroit — a community that grew from roughly 20,000 U.S. Chaldeans in the early 1980s to more than 200,000 today. By the mid-2010s the center was already running the diocesan calendar of Bible studies, healing services, young-adult retreats, and a daily Arabic-language Bible program on AM 690 radio.
- Founded 2001 as a lay-volunteer organization
- Rooted in Pope John Paul II's call to re-evangelize
- Diocesan institution of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle
- Evolved into the central hub for retreats, conferences, and formation across the diocese's twelve parishes
Baptism & Weddings
Saturday baptisms at 12:30 PM have traditionally been celebrated by Fr. Jirjis Abraham (1st, 3rd, and 4th Saturdays) and Fr. Frank Kallabat (2nd Saturdays) per the historic diocesan Faith & Hope calendar. Weddings are scheduled through the ECRC Marriage Ministry in coordination with the parishes. The Anointing of the Sick is offered the first Friday of each month at ECRC and on request through St. Thomas Church.
- Baptism: Saturdays at 12:30 PM (historically by Fr. Jirjis Abraham / Fr. Frank Kallabat)
- Anointing of the Sick: 1st Friday of the month
- Weddings: coordinated via the ECRC Marriage Ministry
Retreats
Retreats are the heart of ECRC's ministry. The Kairos Young Adult Retreats run separately for men and women; Two Foundations is a boys' retreat; and the Silent Retreat — held at the Mar Eliya Retreat Center in Oxford, MI — gives attendees a weekend of guided meditation, adoration, one-on-one spiritual direction, Mass, and confession with sisters, priests, seminarians, and lay leaders.
- Kairos Young Adult Retreat — Male
- Kairos Young Adult Retreat — Female
- Two Foundations Boys Retreat
- ECRC Silent Retreat (at Mar Eliya Retreat Center, Oxford, MI)
Conferences & Annual Events
Each year ECRC anchors two flagship conferences — the Men's Conference and the Women's Conference — usually hosted at one of the Chaldean parishes in metro Detroit. The Men's Conference has featured national Catholic speakers such as Jessie Romero and Pete Burak, with Mass celebrated by Bishop Francis Kalabat and opportunities for confession and adoration. Other annual events include the Stride for Seminarians walkathon, the Chaldean Youth Camp, the Chaldean Church Sports League, and recurring 'Be Healed' healing events.
- Annual Men's Conference (with Bishop Francis Kalabat; past speakers Jessie Romero, Pete Burak)
- Annual Women's Conference
- Stride for Seminarians (fundraiser walkathon)
- Chaldean Youth Camp (summer)
- Be Healed healing events
Marriage & Family-Life Ministries
ECRC runs the diocesan Marriage Ministry, which prepares engaged couples for the sacrament and supports married couples through enrichment and Natural Family Planning education. Two healing ministries — Waiting in Hope (for couples experiencing infertility) and Little Saints (for parents who have suffered miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss) — host support meetings at the ECRC campus in Bloomfield Hills.
- Marriage preparation & enrichment
- Natural Family Planning education
- Waiting in Hope Healing Ministry (infertility)
- Little Saints Healing Ministry (pregnancy & infant loss)
- Support groups for the grieving and divorced
Bible Study & Ongoing Formation
Tuesday-evening Bible Study at ECRC has been a staple for years, complemented by a daily 1:00–2:00 PM Arabic Bible program on AM 690 radio. The War Room apologetics program, led by Fr. Bryan Kassa, is an 18+ 'judgment-free' space where Catholics learn to defend and explain their faith.
- Bible Study — Tuesdays 6:30 PM at ECRC
- ECRC Radio Bible Program — 1:00–2:00 PM in Arabic on AM 690
- War Room apologetics — presented by Fr. Bryan Kassa (ages 18+)
Youth & Young Adult Ministries
ECRC partners with St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church (West Bloomfield) and Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church (Southfield) to run the diocese's age-group faith formation: Conquest for junior-high boys, Challenge for junior-high girls, CLC for high-schoolers, and LIGHT for young adults. The Chaldean Youth Camp in the summer and the Chaldean Church Sports League round out the calendar.
- Conquest — Junior High Boys (at St. Thomas, 6:30 PM)
- Challenge — Junior High Girls (at St. Thomas, 6:30 PM)
- CLC — High School Group (at St. Thomas, 6:30 PM)
- LIGHT — Young Adults (Mondays 6:00–9:30 PM at Mother of God)
- Chaldean Youth Camp (summer)
- Chaldean Church Sports League
Staff & Leadership
ECRC is administered by Eva Jajjo and Candice Mansour, with priestly support from the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle. Fr. Bryan Kassa — also the diocesan Director of Seminarians — is the priest most closely associated with ECRC programming, including the War Room apologetics series.
- Eva Jajjo — Administrator
- Candice Mansour — Administrator
- Rev. Bryan Kassa — supporting priest / Director of Seminarians, diocesan-wide
- Phone: (248) 538-9903 — Email: [email protected]
Diocesan Context
ECRC is one of several institutions of the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle, alongside the Mar Eliya Retreat Center in Oxford, the Our Lady of the Fields Camp in Brighton, St. Thomas Montessori in West Bloomfield, the Chaldean Manor and Chaldean Home elder-care facilities, the Chaldean Voice Radio Program, the Mar Ibrahim Library, and the diocese's twelve parishes — ten in Michigan and two in Illinois. The diocese is led by Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat (since 2014), with Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim as Bishop Emeritus, and serves roughly 200,000 Chaldean Catholics in the eastern United States.
- Diocese: Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle
- Bishop: Most Rev. Francis Y. Kalabat
- Bishop Emeritus: Most Rev. Ibrahim N. Ibrahim
- Other diocesan institutions: Mar Eliya Retreat Center, Our Lady of the Fields Camp, St. Thomas Montessori, Chaldean Manor, Chaldean Home of Sterling Heights, Chaldean Voice Radio, Mar Ibrahim Library
Visit & Contact
Visitors are welcome at the ECRC campus on W. Maple Road in Bloomfield Hills, where they can attend Mass, join a Bible study, sign up for a retreat, or speak with the Marriage Ministry team. The office is open during regular weekday hours and reachable by phone or email.
- Address: 4875 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
- Phone: (248) 538-9903
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.ecrc.us/
- Facebook: facebook.com/ECRC2001