About Madonna University Chapel · Livonia, Michigan
Madonna University Chapel is the Catholic worship heart of Madonna University, a private Catholic university in Livonia, Michigan founded in 1937 by the Felician Sisters. Worship takes place in two connected spaces on the Schoolcraft Road campus: the University Chapel (used for daily noon Mass during the academic year) and the historic Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel at the Felician Sisters' Convent (home of Sunday Mass at 9:30 a.m.). The campus ministry is rooted in the Felician Franciscan spirituality of the university's founders and welcomes students, faculty, staff, and the wider community of all faiths to grow in faith through Mass, retreats, mission trips, and community service.
- Established
- 1937
- Patron
- Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
Madonna University Chapel offers the campus community a faithful, Franciscan-rooted rhythm of daily and Sunday Mass, with weekday noon liturgies in the University Chapel and a 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass in the historic Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel at the Felician Sisters' Convent. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors of all faiths are invited to deepen their spiritual life through retreats, mission trips, Franciscan Days of Service, and interfaith dialogue — all coordinated through the Campus Ministry office. For anyone seeking a Catholic worship community anchored in Felician Franciscan values of dignity, peace, justice, and care for the disadvantaged, the Madonna chapels are an open and welcoming home during the academic year.
Mass times at Madonna University Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
About Madonna University Chapel
Madonna University Chapel refers to the Catholic worship life of Madonna University, a private Catholic university in Livonia, Michigan in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Two chapels anchor the campus's liturgical life: the University Chapel (the main weekday worship space) and the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel at the Felician Sisters' Convent, which serves as the Sunday worship home and was recently named a Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage site. Campus Ministry coordinates the spiritual life of the entire Madonna community — students, faculty, and staff — under the leadership of Director Paula Soter.
Felician Franciscan Heritage
The university and its chapels are rooted in the spirituality of the founding Felician Franciscan Sisters. Campus Ministry welcomes persons of all faiths while encouraging ecumenism and interfaith relationships, and embraces the Franciscan values that have shaped Madonna since 1937. The order traces back to 1855 in Warsaw, Poland, when Sophia Truszkowska founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Felix of Cantalice (CSSF); five sisters came to America in 1874, expanded into Michigan by 1880, and ultimately settled on a 320-acre Livonia campus in the 1930s.
- Faith formation rooted in Felician Franciscan spirituality
- Ecumenical and interfaith welcome
- Connection to the Felician Sisters' broader ministries on the Livonia campus
History of Madonna University
Madonna University was founded in 1937 as the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Junior College by Mother Mary DeSales Tocka and her Felician council, with an initial enrollment of 18 Sisters. It became Madonna College in 1947 when the first lay women were admitted, admitted its first male students in 1972 under President Sr. M. Danatha Suchyta, introduced master's programs in 1982, and became Madonna University in 1991 under its sixth and longest-serving president, Sr. M. Franciline Van de Vyver. The College of Nursing and Health launched the Doctor of Nursing Practice program in 2009, the university's first doctorate.
- 1937 — Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Junior College founded (18 Sisters)
- 1947 — renamed Madonna College; first lay women admitted
- 1961 — Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel completed
- 1972 — first male students admitted
- 1982 — master's-level programs introduced
- 1991 — became Madonna University
- 2009 — Doctor of Nursing Practice program launched
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel is the spiritual heart of the Felician Sisters of North America's Livonia campus. Although the convent was completed in 1936, the chapel itself was not finished until 1961, following the original northern Italian monastic design of architect Norman Lombard. It was named one of 12 Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimage sites by the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2025.
- Italian monastic architectural style
- Calvary cross floor plan
- Stained-glass windows
- Main double altar of onyx Moroccan marble
- Windowed dome over the central sanctuary
- Portico above the altar with a Holy Spirit mosaic
- Hidden winding staircase to the top of the dome
Campus Ministry Staff
Campus Ministry is staffed and led from the Administration Building, Room 1115. The Director of Campus Ministry coordinates liturgical and faith-formation programming across the university and is supported by Felician Sisters and campus minister colleagues.
- Paula Soter — Director of Campus Ministry (734-432-5839, [email protected], Administration Building 1115)
- Sister Anita — RST Instructor and Campus Minister
- Sister Nancy Marie Jamroz — Center for Catholic Studies and Interfaith Dialogue
Retreat Programs
Retreats are offered as meaningful breaks from the daily routine, providing moments of prayer, reflection, and activities that inspire faith and build lasting relationships. Students of all faiths are encouraged to participate; specific upcoming retreat dates are announced by Campus Ministry throughout the year.
- Prayer and reflection experiences
- On- and off-campus retreat opportunities
- Open to students of all faiths
Community Service & Franciscan Days of Service
Living out Felician Franciscan values and the call to serve others, Campus Ministry provides on- and off-campus service opportunities year-round, especially through the signature Franciscan Days of Service. Past projects have included cards for veterans, festive placemats for residents of Marywood Nursing Center, and weed removal at Lafayette Playlot with Urban Neighborhood Initiatives. The work echoes the words of St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel at all times and, when necessary, use words."
- Franciscan Days of Service for first-year students
- Mission and Heritage Week (with service projects)
- Service to Felician-sponsored ministries and the greater Livonia and Detroit communities
Reflective Spaces
Beyond the two chapels, Madonna University provides several quiet spaces on campus for prayer and reflection, including dedicated rooms in the Administration Building and the wooded, path-lined grounds surrounding the university.
- University Chapel
- Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel (Felician Sisters' Convent)
- Prayer Room (Administration Building)
- Interfaith Prayer Room (Administration Building)
- Wooded and path-lined outdoor grounds
Franciscan Values
The spiritual and educational mission of Madonna University Campus Ministry is grounded in a defined set of Franciscan values drawn from the heritage of the founding Felician Sisters.
- Respect for the dignity of each person
- Appreciation of diversity
- Concern for disadvantaged and oppressed people
- Respect for life
- Healing and reconciliation
- Conflict resolution and peacemaking
- Peace and justice
Visiting & Getting Involved
Visitors and prospective students are warmly welcomed. Anyone wishing to attend Mass, tour the chapels, or learn more can contact Campus Ministry directly or stop by the office in the Administration Building, Room 1115. Sunday worshippers join the Felician Sisters in the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel; Jubilee Year pilgrims are also welcomed Monday–Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. or by appointment.
- Office: Administration Building, Room 1115
- Phone: (734) 432-5839
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 36600 Schoolcraft, Livonia, MI 48150
- Liturgical roles open: readers, singers, musicians