About Latvian Apostolate · Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Latvian Apostolate, also known by its devotional name Our Lady of Aglona, is a small ethnic Catholic pastoral center in Grand Rapids, Michigan that served the city's Latvian immigrant and refugee community. Founded in 1951 by approximately 200 Latvian refugees — many displaced by the Soviet and German occupations of their homeland during World War II — the apostolate is part of the Diocese of Grand Rapids and gathers for worship in the Latvian language alongside English. After losing its historic Broadway Avenue church building to highway expansion and later redevelopment, the community has worshipped at St. Alphonsus Parish and at the Latvian Community Center (Latvian Hall) on Grand Avenue NE. The apostolate was permanently closed on December 31, 2024.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- Our Lady of Aglona (Latvian: Aglonas Dievmāte) — the Black Madonna of Aglona, national Marian shrine of Latvia
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Why belong here
The Latvian Apostolate was a uniquely personal gathering for West Michigan's Latvian Catholics and those connected to Latvian heritage — a place to hear Mass in Latvian, to venerate Our Lady of Aglona, and to keep alive the devotional, cultural, and linguistic traditions brought from the homeland by post-WWII refugees and their descendants. The community supplemented worship with fellowship events such as the annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Market, an international bake sale with Latvian breads, piragi, and piparkukas, and a clothing-and-food pantry ministry. (Note: the apostolate was permanently closed on December 31, 2024.)
Mass times at Latvian Apostolate
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Wednesday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
- Friday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (concludes with 7:00 PM Benediction)
Origins: A Latvian Refugee Parish (1951)
Our Lady of Aglona — the Latvian Apostolate of Grand Rapids — was formed in 1951 by some 200 Latvian refugees, most of them displaced persons who had fled the Soviet and German occupations of Latvia during World War II. They settled in the Grand Rapids area and gathered under the patronage of Our Lady of Aglona, the Black Madonna venerated at the great basilica in Aglona, eastern Latvia. The Diocese of Grand Rapids' official list of churches records the apostolate as established in 1951.
- Founded 1951
- Approximately 200 founding members — Latvian WWII refugees
- Dedicated to Our Lady of Aglona (Latvian: Aglonas Dievmāte)
Church Buildings on Broadway Avenue
The community's first church was lost when the property was sold to clear land for Interstate 196. In 1961 the congregation moved into a red-brick and stone building at 507 Broadway Avenue NW that had originally been built in 1896 by a Swedish congregation later known as the Evangelical Covenant Church. For decades this was the home of Latvian-language and English Mass in Grand Rapids.
- First church sold for I-196 expansion
- Second (Broadway Avenue) building acquired 1961, originally 1896 Swedish Covenant church
- Demolished c. 2006 and replaced by condominiums
End of an Era: Closure of the Broadway Church
By the 2000s the congregation's average age was reported to be between 65 and 70, and maintenance costs had become unsustainable. Diocesan Bishop Walter Hurley, with the blessing of parish administrator Dr. Zigfrids Zadvinskis, accepted an offer from developers. The 110-year-old building was demolished, and the parcel at First and Second Streets, Broadway and Alabama was redeveloped as condominiums. Worship was thereafter hosted by St. Alphonsus Parish on Carrier Street NE.
- Demolition approved c. 2006
- Diocesan administrator Dr. Zigfrids Zadvinskis oversaw the transition
- Worship moved to St. Alphonsus Parish, 224 Carrier St NE
Permanent Closure (2024)
After more than seven decades of ministry to West Michigan's Latvian Catholics, the Latvian Apostolate was permanently closed on December 31, 2024, according to directory listings of the parish.
- Closed December 31, 2024
- Listed in Diocese of Grand Rapids as a closed chapel/pastoral center
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
While active, the Latvian Apostolate offered a full weekly schedule including a Sunday Mass, a Saturday Vigil Mass, weekday Masses on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, regularly scheduled Confession, and a weekly Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration closing with Benediction. Mass was celebrated in Latvian and English.
- Sunday 9:00 AM
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM
- Tuesday 5:30 PM; Wednesday and Friday 12:15 PM
- Tuesday Confession 4:30–5:15 PM and 6:00–6:30 PM; Wednesday 4:30–5:15 PM; Friday 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
- Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration 6:00–7:00 PM with Benediction at 7:00 PM
Community Life at the Latvian Hall
Alongside its liturgical life, the apostolate ran a food and clothing pantry and an active program of cultural events, the most prominent being the annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Market held at the Latvian Hall, 504 Grand Avenue NE. The market featured original paintings by Pauline Zadvinskis, amber imported from Lithuania, Latvian graphic items, and an international bake sale with Latvian breads, piragi, and piparkukas from Rockin' Bake Shop and Julianna's Kitchen.
- Food and clothing pantry ministry
- Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Market at Latvian Hall, 504 Grand Ave NE
- Bake sale: Latvian breads, piragi, piparkukas
- Cultural-heritage fellowship
Location and Contact
Liturgical services were hosted at St. Alphonsus Parish, 224 Carrier St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505, in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Community and fundraising events were held at the Latvian Community Center (Latvian Hall), 504 Grand Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The parish phone line was (616) 774-8609.
- Worship address: 224 Carrier St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505 (St. Alphonsus)
- Community address: 504 Grand Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (Latvian Hall)
- Phone: (616) 774-8609
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Dr. Zigfrids (Zig) Zadvinskisc. 2006
Administrator of Our Lady of Aglona / Latvian Apostolate at the time the Broadway Avenue church was sold to developers and demolished.