About Holy Family · Detroit, Michigan
Holy Family Parish (La Chiesa Della Sacra Famiglia) is a Roman Catholic parish in downtown Detroit, Michigan, founded in 1908 as the first Italian Catholic parish in the city and the mother church of Detroit's Italian-American community. Today it remains a small but vibrant congregation celebrated for its rich Italian and Latin liturgical tradition, its historic Italian Baroque-style church built in 1909–1910 on the Chrysler Freeway near Greektown, and its roster of Sicilian and Italian devotional societies. The parish continues to welcome both Italian-Americans tracing generations of attachment to the church and new visitors drawn by its distinctive art, music, and devotion.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- The Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Paul Ward (current pastor per Archdiocese of Detroit directory); previously administered by Fr. Wayne Epperley, C.S.Sp. (effective July 1, 2019). Fr. Giuseppe 'Padre Pino' Licciardi (Diocese of Monreale, Sicily) served as pastor from circa 2011 until June 30, 2019.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (Central Region, Renaissance Vicariate; Family of Parishes: Central Renaissance 3)
Why belong here
Holy Family is a living link to Detroit's Italian Catholic heritage — one of only two parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit with a regularly scheduled Mass in Italian — yet it warmly welcomes non-Italians who love the traditional Latin liturgy, sacred music, and Sicilian devotional culture. The parish offers an intimate, historic worship space (a Michigan Historic Site) with daily Latin Mass, Sunday Italian Mass, Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays, and an active calendar of Italian and Sicilian feast-day celebrations, plus a youth pilgrimage apostolate (Trailblazers) and parish-wide gatherings like the monthly first-Sunday breakfast and Faith & Culture lectures.
Mass times at Holy Family
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday — 9:00 AM (before the 9:30 Latin Mass)
- Monday — 11:30 AM (before the 12:00 Mass)
- Wednesday — 11:30 AM (before the 12:00 Mass)
- Friday — 11:30 AM (before the 12:00 Mass)
Adoration times
- Friday — approximately 12:45 PM to 1:15 PM (30 minutes of Eucharistic Adoration after the 12:00 Latin Mass)
- During Lent — Stations of the Cross followed by Adoration on Fridays
Welcome & Parish Identity
Holy Family describes itself as a parish rich in Italian tradition, founded in 1909 (parish statement; diocesan records date the canonical establishment to 1908). The parish continues both the 'Italian' — through a Sunday Italian Mass and interaction with Italian clubs — and the 'tradition', especially by celebrating the new liturgy in Latin. While Italians are at the heart of the parish community, many non-Italians love it and participate as well. The building itself is celebrated for its art and architecture.
- Founded 1908 (canonical) / construction 1909–1910
- Italian Baroque architecture
- Latin and Italian liturgical tradition
- Open to non-Italian visitors
Clubs & Societies (Italian Devotional Life)
Holy Family maintains several parish societies that keep Sicilian and Italian devotional traditions alive — some of them older than the building itself. Members process around the block in downtown Detroit on feast days and gather for special Italian Masses.
- Società di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph Society) — founded 1907, the same year as the parish's lay founding committee
- Società di Santa Fara — celebrates the Feast of Santa Fara di Cinisi with procession and Italian Mass (commemorating the 2022 canonization of St. Maria di Gesù Santocanale, a Palermo-born saint who died in Cinisi)
- Trailblazers — youth pilgrimage apostolate for ages 16–22; camping, hiking, canoeing trips and World Youth Days
Parish Calendar & Special Events
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, the parish publishes a busy calendar of Italian and Sicilian feast-day celebrations, formation events, and parish fellowships. The first Sunday of each month features a cooked breakfast after the 9:30 AM Latin Mass, with a free-will donation.
- Mother's Day — May Crowning after the 9:30 AM Mass
- First Communion Sundays (e.g., May 2024)
- Feast of Società di Santa Fara di Cinisi — May procession and 11:30 AM Italian Mass
- Feast of San Giuseppe — March visit by the St. Joseph Society
- First-Sunday-of-the-month breakfast
- Faith & Culture Conference lectures (e.g., Dr. John Damiani on Artificial Intelligence)
- Annual summer brick repair and tuck-pointing volunteer projects
The Building — Architecture & Historic Status
Designed by Detroit architect Edward A. Schilling (with Edward C. Van Leyen), Holy Family is a small but art-rich Italian Baroque basilica. The brick exterior — originally painted gray, now taupe with white trim — is dominated by a segmented-pediment entrance pavilion framing a limestone medallion, a triangular pediment, and a rounded-arched belfry. The interior, following a classic basilican plan, has a half dome over the apse, ceiling paintings of saints and scenes of the Holy Family, original 1910 aisle windows showing Catholic scenes and Italian saints, and 1980 clerestory windows depicting the life of Christ. The church contains five altars, four of them depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary with the symbols of Sicilian towns.
- Architects: Edward A. Schilling & Edward C. Van Leyen
- Style: 17th-century Italian Baroque basilica
- Modeled after Santa Susanna (Rome) and San Marco (Florence)
- Michigan Historic Site P25140 (listed Feb. 16, 1989)
- Michigan Historical Marker erected Oct. 22, 1990
History of the Parish
Holy Family was born of Detroit's first substantial Italian migration. After worshipping at Sts. Peter and Paul, the Italian community — led by Fr. Giovanni Boschi and a committee of thirty laymen — founded the parish on December 7, 1907, at the same meeting that created the Fraternal Order of San Giuseppe. Bishop John S. Foley canonized the parish in 1908 under the name La Chiesa Della Sacra Famiglia, construction began in 1909, and the first Mass was celebrated November 13, 1910. The parish was entrusted for 76 years to the Benedictine Sylvestrine Fathers (c. 1929–2005). After the order's withdrawal and the death of the pastor in 2011, parishioners recruited Fr. Giuseppe Licciardi ('Padre Pino') from the Diocese of Monreale in Sicily; he concluded his pastorate on June 30, 2019. Fr. Wayne Epperley, C.S.Sp., was appointed administrator effective July 1, 2019, with PIME missionaries providing sacramental coverage.
- 1907 — Fr. Giovanni Boschi arrives; lay committee of 30 forms Dec. 7
- 1908 — Bishop John S. Foley canonizes the parish
- 1909 — Construction begins on Hastings Street
- 1910 — First Mass, Nov. 13
- 1989 — Michigan Historic Site listing (P25140)
- 1990 — Michigan Historical Marker erected
- 2005 — Benedictine Sylvestrine Fathers withdraw
- 2011 — Fr. Giuseppe Licciardi ('Padre Pino') arrives from Sicily
- 2019 — Fr. Wayne Epperley, C.S.Sp., named administrator
Visiting & Getting Involved
Because the parish is small and traditionally Italian, new visitors are warmly welcomed at any Mass. The Italian Mass in particular is recommended for visitors with Italian heritage or interest, and the Latin Mass draws traditionalists from across metro Detroit. Membership and stewardship are supported through the first-Sunday breakfast, club activities, the Trailblazers youth pilgrimages, and seasonal volunteer projects (such as recent brick repair and tuck-pointing work).
- Visit any Mass — Latin or Italian
- Attend a Sunday Italian Mass and explore the historic interior
- Join a devotional society (San Giuseppe, Santa Fara)
- Send youth on a Trailblazers pilgrimage
- Support through prayer, attendance, and stewardship
- Contact the parish office at (313) 963-2046
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Giovanni Boschi1907–
Italian priest who arrived in Detroit in 1907 and led the founding committee of thirty laymen (Dec. 7, 1907) that established the new parish; built the original church on Hastings Street (completed 1910).
- Benedictine Sylvestrine Fathers (Order)c. 1929–2005
Religious order entrusted with the parish for 76 years; withdrew in 2005.
- Fr. Giuseppe 'Padre Pino' Licciardi2011–2019
Palermo-born priest of the Diocese of Monreale, Sicily, recruited from Italy by parishioners in 2011; arrived speaking little English and revived parish life with Italian/Latin liturgy; concluded pastorate June 30, 2019 to seek senior status.
- Fr. Wayne Epperley, C.S.Sp.2019–
Appointed administrator effective July 1, 2019, while continuing as pastor of St. Mary Parish (Greektown); PIME priests provide sacramental coverage.
- Fr. Paul Ward
Listed as current pastor in the Archdiocese of Detroit directory.