About National Shrine of the Little Flower · Royal Oak, Michigan
The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica is a Catholic parish church located at 2100 West Twelve Mile Road in Royal Oak, Michigan, belonging to the Archdiocese of Detroit. Founded in 1926 and named for St. Thérèse of Lisieux ("the Little Flower"), the parish serves more than 4,000 families and is recognized as one of only a handful of National Shrines in the United States, having received the designation from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1998. On January 31, 2015, Pope Francis elevated the church to the rank of Minor Basilica, making it the 82nd basilica in the United States. The present building is celebrated as a landmark of zig-zag Art Deco architecture, designed by Henry J. McGill and built in two stages between 1931 and 1936. The parish operates a preschool through grade 12 Catholic school system (Shrine Catholic Schools) and is a center of devotion to St. Thérèse and the "Little Way."
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the Little Flower)
- Rector
- Rev. John Bettin (Rector / Priest In Solidum)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (Metropolitan Archdiocese); currently part of South Oakland Vicariate Family 4 of Parishes (in solidum team) together with St. Justin-St. Mary Magdalen (Hazel Park), St. Mary (Royal Oak), and St. Vincent Ferrer (Madison Heights).
Why belong here
Shrine offers the rare combination of an architecturally and historically extraordinary house of worship with the daily rhythm of an active parish life: weekday Mass twice daily, a Sunday schedule of six Masses (including a 3:30 PM Mass in Spanish), a 24/7 Perpetual Adoration Chapel, a full K-12 Catholic education system (preschool through high school), an active youth ministry, family catechesis, and parish schools that explicitly weave devotion to St. Thérèse and her 'little way' of doing small things with great love into the life of every student. As one of only about five National Shrines in the United States and a Minor Basilica with a closer tie to the Holy Father, it welcomes thousands of pilgrims each year — including, in 2025, the major relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux themselves — and serves more than 4,000 families across Royal Oak and the broader South Oakland Vicariate.
Mass times at National Shrine of the Little Flower
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: Immediately after the 6:30 AM Mass until the last confession is heard, and no later than 8:00 AM
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (in the Basilica)
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
- Christmas and New Year's: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Adoration times
- 24/7 Perpetual Adoration Chapel — located off Heritage Hall, accessible daily at all hours
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (in the Basilica, coinciding with weekly Confession)
History of the Basilica
The National Shrine of the Little Flower has been operating as a parish in Royal Oak since 1926, named in honor of St. Thérèse de Lisieux. Detroit Bishop Michael Gallagher assigned Father Charles Coughlin the task of founding the parish; under his leadership the parish built a small frame church, a radio ministry, and ultimately the present lavishly modernistic Art Deco church and tower. The charity Crucifixion Tower (1931) and main octagonal sanctuary (1936) were funded by donations from every U.S. state, prompted by Coughlin's nationally syndicated broadcasts. After being silenced in 1942 by the Archbishop and subjected to an FBI raid, Coughlin continued as pastor until retiring in 1966. In 1998 the parish became a National Shrine, and on January 31, 2015 Pope Francis granted it the title of Minor Basilica. As Archbishop Vigneron noted at the time, 'By honoring the National Shrine of the Little Flower with the designation as a Minor Basilica, Pope Francis has blessed all of us in the Archdiocese of Detroit.'
- Founded 1926 (incorporated 1925) — first parish in the U.S. named after St. Thérèse
- Charity Crucifixion Tower completed 1931; main octagonal church completed 1936
- National Shrine designation by the USCCB — 1998
- Minor Basilica designation by Pope Francis — January 31, 2015 (82nd in the U.S.)
Architecture & Art
Architect Henry J. McGill of the New York firm Hamlin and McGill designed the Art Deco complex to fit on the wedge-shaped lot at Twelve Mile and Woodward. Exterior walls are rough-cut granite from Weymouth, Massachusetts, trimmed with smooth Indiana limestone; a tentlike dome clad in copper and nickel-steel crowns an octagonal nave seating 3,000 on two levels, with a freestanding central altar — one of the first churches in metro Detroit to use the round sanctuary arrangement. The Charity Crucifixion Tower carries Rene Paul Chambellan's 28-ft carving of Christ on the cross (executed by Enrico 'Harry' Liva of the Ingalls Stone Company). Corrado Parducci supplied the bronze lectern and Stations of the Cross; Beatrice Wilczynski painted the interior murals; Robert Rambusch and Mario Agustin Locsin y Montenegro designed the octagonal granite baptismal font.
- Architect — Henry J. McGill (Hamlin and McGill, New York)
- Sculptor — Rene Paul Chambellan (tower); Corrado Parducci (interior)
- Painter — Beatrice Wilczynski (Chicago murals)
- Font designers — Robert Rambusch and Mario Agustin Locsin y Montenegro
- Carving — Enrico (Harry) Liva, chief carver, Ingalls Stone Company, Bedford, IN
- Materials — rough-cut Weymouth granite, smooth Indiana limestone, copper and nickel-steel dome
Clergy & Staff
The parish is pastored as part of the South Oakland Vicariate Family 4 of Parishes. Rev. John Bettin was appointed by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron to serve as Rector / Priest In Solidum of the team, effective July 1, 2023, primarily at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica. The team includes Rev. Zaid Chabaan, Rev. Michael Bruno Selvaraj, Rev. Adam Nowak, Rev. Jude Inweregbu, Rev. Dave Tomaszycki and Rev. Paul Snyder as weekend priest support, and deacons Dave Casnovsky and Benjamin Schroder. Lay staff includes a Business Manager, Office Manager, Director of Music Ministry (James Mio) and Associate, Director of Religious Education (Janie Lynch), Director of Maintenance, Communications Associate, Receptionist / Gift Shop Manager (Paula Dixon), and Coordinator of Hispanic Ministries (Suzy Bonilla). Shrine Catholic Schools staff are listed separately on the parish website.
- Rector / Priest In Solidum — Rev. John Bettin
- Priests In Solidum — Rev. Zaid Chabaan, Rev. Michael Bruno Selvaraj, Rev. Adam Nowak, Rev. Jude Inweregbu
- Weekend Priest Support — Rev. Dave Tomaszycki, Rev. Paul Snyder
- Deacons — Dcn. Dave Casnovsky; Rev. Mr. Benjamin Schroder (ordained June 7, 2025)
- Lay staff — Business Manager, Office Manager, DRE (Janie Lynch), Music Ministry (James Mio, Director), Hispanic Ministries (Suzy Bonilla), Gift Shop / Reception (Paula Dixon), Communications, Maintenance
Sacraments & Religious Formation
Religious formation at Shrine is centered on Family Catechesis for grades K–8, meeting 9:30–11:00 AM two Sundays per month from September through May at the Shrine Catholic Grade School. Two years of preparation are required before a child receives First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion (ordinarily in second grade); special-needs students are accommodated on Wednesday evenings. Youth Ministry covers Grades 7–12 and is led by Brennan McHugh (Instagram @Shrine_Ym). The parish offers preparation for the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) as well as Matrimony (couples should contact the parish office at least six months in advance), Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders discernment.
- Family Catechesis — Sundays 9:30–11:00 AM, two Sundays/month, Sept.–May
- Special-needs sessions — Wednesdays 6:00–7:00 PM, Oct.–May
- First Reconciliation / First Communion — two years' preparation required
- Confirmation — Grades 7–12 cohort
- Hispanic Ministry — Spanish Mass Sundays 3:30 PM, plus outreach (Suzy Bonilla)
- RCIA for adults — contact the parish office
Shrine Catholic Schools
Founded in the early years of the parish 'in the firm belief that a Christian atmosphere afforded the most complete and effective climate for educating and developing the youth of any generation,' Shrine Catholic Schools today incorporate preschool through twelfth grade on the parish campus. The system includes the Early Childhood Center (preschool for ages 2½ through Junior Kindergarten), the Grade School for K–5 (Katie Fotiu, principal), the Academy (middle school), and Shrine Catholic High School. In May 2019 the parish blessed a new connector hallway physically joining the 1934 grade school building to the 2017 Early Childhood Center, reinforcing Shrine's identity as a single pre-K through 12 Catholic education community. A signature mural of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, painted by Shrine music teacher Michelle Hurley, was unveiled as part of the dedication; the school's patroness is invoked daily through her saying 'Do small things with great love.'
- Early Childhood Center — preschool and Junior Kindergarten programs (opened 2017)
- Shrine Catholic Grade School — K–5, principal Katie Fotiu
- Shrine Academy — middle school
- Shrine Catholic High School
- Signature devotion to St. Thérèse — 'Do small things with great love'
Devotions & Pilgrimage
The Shrine draws its spiritual identity from St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the 'Little Flower,' whose relics (and those of her parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin) are housed in the basilica year-round. From October 1–8, 2025, the Shrine hosted the only Michigan stop on the national tour of the major reliquary of St. Thérèse, attracting an estimated 50,000 pilgrims and featuring Masses with Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger and the archbishop-emeritus Allen H. Vigneron. A 24/7 Perpetual Adoration Chapel, off Heritage Hall, is open every hour of the day and night for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. A depiction of the Last Supper is mounted outside the Adoration Chapel, and a statue of St. Thérèse stands nearby with the Parducci Stations of the Cross.
- Year-round veneration of relics of St. Thérèse, St. Louis Martin and St. Zélie Martin
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (24/7 chapel off Heritage Hall)
- Host of the 2025 national tour of the major relics of St. Thérèse — sole Michigan stop
Music & Liturgy
The Music Ministry at Shrine is led by Director James Mio with Associate Director Brennan McHugh, supporting the church's notably active liturgical life — including an original Kilgen organ installed at the 1936 dedication and celebrated choir, cantors, and congregational singing at daily and Sunday liturgies, weddings, and major feasts. The parish livestreams daily and weekend Masses on Facebook and YouTube, allowing Shrine to extend its 'already-active liturgical life' (in Archbishop Vigneron's words) to the homebound and a national online audience.
- Director of Music Ministry — James Mio
- Associate Director of Music — Brennan McHugh
- Original 1936 Kilgen organ
- Livestreamed daily Masses (Mon–Fri 6:30 AM; Sat Vigil 4:30 PM) on Facebook and YouTube
Visit, Tours & Facilities
Guided tours of the basilica and Charity Crucifixion Tower are available by appointment; the parish website has a 'Schedule a Tour' link. Public visitors can also self-tour the major devotional and architectural points of interest — Heritage Hall, the Adoration Chapel, the octagonal nave, the Parducci Stations of the Cross, the Wilczynski murals, the Rambusch baptismal font and the state-flower granite exterior. The complex includes the parish offices, parish school (Early Childhood Center, Grade School, Academy, and High School) and a gift shop staffed by parish reception.
- Tour appointments via the parish website
- Heritage Hall — historical displays about the parish
- Gift shop — managed by the Receptionist / Gift Shop Manager (Paula Dixon)
- School facilities — preschool through 12 on the parish campus
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles E. Coughlin1926–1966
Founder; the original pastor assigned by Bishop Michael Gallagher to establish the parish in Royal Oak. Built the parish over four decades and funded the Shrine through the proceeds of his national radio ministry (broadcast from the tower). Silenced in 1942 by the Archbishop of Detroit (Archbishop Mooney) and subjected to an FBI raid; retired 1966.
- Rev. James L. Hayes1966–1974
Succeeded Father Coughlin following his retirement.
- Rev. Edward A. Belczak1975–1980
Co-Pastor with Fr. Edward J. Prus.
- Rev. Edward J. Prus1975–1980
Co-Pastor with Fr. Edward A. Belczak.
- Rev. Edward J. Prus1980–1986/1987
Continued as sole pastor after the co-pastorate ended.
- Rev. Edward Haggerty1987–1989/1990
Per parish history page, 1987–1989; per Wikipedia 1987–1990.
- Msgr. John Gordon1990–1991
Monsignor; served briefly.
- Msgr. Alexander Joseph Brunett1991–1993/1994
Later appointed Bishop of Helena and then Archbishop of Seattle.
- Msgr. John Nienstedt1993/1994–1995/1996
Later Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
- Msgr. William Easton1996–2013
Monsignor; served 17–19 years. Led the years-long effort (with Fr. Robert Fisher) to build the case for the Minor Basilica title; died unexpectedly in 2013.
- Rev. Robert J. Fisher2014–2016
Appointed rector/pastor in early 2014; subsequently appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit.
- Msgr. Robert J. McClory2017–2019/2020
Pastor at time of 2015 Minor Basilica designation ceremony and the blessing of the connector between the grade school and early childhood center (May 6, 2019). Later appointed Bishop of Gary, Indiana.
- Rev. Joseph Horn2020–2023
Interim/rector; subsequently reassigned July 1, 2023 to St. Andrew Parish, Rochester, as Priest in solidum.
- Rev. John Bettin2023–present
Appointed Rector / Priest In Solidum of the in-solidum team for the South Oakland Vicariate Family 4, effective July 1, 2023. Serves primarily at National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica.