About Our Lady of Guadalupe/ Our Lady Queen of Angels · Detroit, Michigan
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in southwest Detroit is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Detroit that serves the historic Mexicantown neighborhood. It was formed in early 2014 through the merger of Our Lady Queen of Angels (est. 1915, originally a Polish Conventual Franciscan parish) and St. Stephen – Mary, Mother of the Church, and today operates worship at both former church buildings — Our Lady Queen of Angels (4200 Martin St.) and St. Stephen / Mary, Mother of the Church (4329 Central Ave.) — which sit about half a mile apart. The parish carries on two intertwined heritages: a 20th-century Polish immigrant community that built a stone church in 1952, and Detroit's first Mexican Catholic church (the original Our Lady of Guadalupe of 1923 on Roosevelt Street), continuing a long-standing ministry to Latino Catholics in southwest Detroit.
- Established
- 1915
- Patron
- Our Lady Queen of Angels (Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish)
- Rector
- Fr. Adalberto Espinoza (Family-Pastor, In Solidum team, Southwest Vicariate Family 1, effective July 1, 2021); Fr. Bernardo Cruz also serves on the In Solidum team
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish welcomes English- and Spanish-speaking Catholics in southwest Detroit's Mexicantown with two active worship sites — Our Lady Queen of Angels on Martin Street and St. Stephen / Mary, Mother of the Church on Central Avenue — about half a mile apart, so Mass, confession, Eucharistic adoration, and devotions are easily accessible throughout the week. The parish carries more than a century of Catholic life in this neighborhood, from its 1915 founding by Conventual Franciscans for Polish immigrants to its current identity as a bilingual Latino community in the spiritual heir of Detroit's first Mexican Catholic church (1923). With weekday Spanish Masses, First Friday devotions, regular confession and adoration, and a live-streamed liturgy, it is a parish shaped both by its immigrant roots and its present-day ministry.
Mass times at Our Lady of Guadalupe/ Our Lady Queen of Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 6:30 PM–6:45 PM (Spanish) — at St. Stephen / Mary, Mother of the Church
- Monday 6:30 PM–6:45 PM (Spanish) — at St. Stephen / Mary, Mother of the Church
- Sunday 9:15 AM — at Our Lady Queen of Angels
- Thursday 6:00 PM — at Our Lady Queen Angels
- Wednesday 6:30 PM — Reconciliation
Adoration times
- Monday 6:30 PM–6:50 PM — at St. Stephen / Mary, Mother of the Church (Office Chapel)
- Tuesday 6:00 PM–7:00 PM — Eucharistic Adoration before 7:00 PM Tuesday Mass at St. Stephen / Mary, Mother of the Church
- Thursday 10:30 AM–12:00 PM — Adoration for Vocations, Office Chapel at St. Stephen / Mary, Mother of the Church
Parish History
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish was formed in early 2014 when Our Lady Queen of Angels (a 1915 Conventual Franciscan parish founded for Detroit's Polish community on Martin Street, one block south of Michigan Avenue) merged with St. Stephen – Mary, Mother of the Church. Both former worship buildings, about half a mile apart, remain active. The parish also carries the legacy of the original Our Lady of Guadalupe, established in 1923 at Roosevelt and Kirby as the first Mexican Catholic church in the Midwest, which served as the religious and social anchor of what became Mexicantown.
- First Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels: December 8, 1915 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)
- Founding pastor: Fr. Raymond Marciniec, O.F.M. Conv., from St. Hedwig Parish
- Present stone church built 1950–1953 under Fr. Paul Czubaj
- Cornerstone laid October 26, 1952 by Msgr. Tobias Morin
- Church dedicated by Cardinal Mooney on March 8, 1953
- Altars consecrated by Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Zaleski on March 6, 1953
- Original Our Lady of Guadalupe founded 1923 at Roosevelt & Kirby (first Mexican Catholic church in the Midwest)
- 2014 merger formed today's bilingual parish
Architecture & Art
The current Our Lady Queen of Angels church is a stone building with rectory, school, and landscaped parking lot built during Fr. Paul Czubaj's pastorate (1948–1957). The interior was decorated by the prominent Polish artist Karol Malczyk, and the apse prominently features the crossed arms of Jesus and St. Anthony — the traditional symbol of the Conventual Franciscans. In 1959 Fr. Sigmund Grochowski added an outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Fatima, and the original 1915 basement church/school was refaced and continues in use as the parish hall.
- Stone church and rectory, southwest Detroit
- Interior decoration by Polish artist Karol Malczyk
- Crossed arms of Jesus and St. Anthony in the apse (Conventual Franciscan symbol)
- Outdoor Our Lady of Fatima shrine (1959)
- Original 1915 church repurposed as parish hall
Worship Sites
The parish worships at two locations about half a mile apart in southwest Detroit's Mexicantown neighborhood.
- Our Lady Queen of Angels — 4200 Martin St., Detroit, MI 48210 (Sunday 10:00 AM English; Sunday 12:00 PM Spanish; Thursday 7:00 PM Spanish)
- St. Stephen – Mary, Mother of the Church — 4329 Central Ave, Detroit, MI 48210 (Saturday Vigil 7:00 PM Spanish; Sunday 11:00 AM Spanish; Monday 7:00 PM Spanish; First Friday 7:00 PM Spanish)
Clergy & Leadership
The parish is led through the Archdiocese of Detroit's In Solidum pastoral model. Fr. Adalberto Espinoza and Fr. Bernardo Cruz were appointed Family-Pastors on the team serving Southwest Vicariate Family 1 effective July 1, 2021. Fr. Marie-Elie Haby served as pastor at the time of the 2014 merger and also as Regional Vocation Coordinator for the Central Region.
- Fr. Adalberto Espinoza — Family-Pastor (In Solidum team, 2021)
- Fr. Bernardo Cruz — Family-Pastor (In Solidum team, 2021)
- Fr. Marie-Elie Haby — pastor at 2014 merger; Regional Vocation Coordinator, Central Region
Vicariate & Archdiocese
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Detroit and, since 2021, is part of Southwest Vicariate Family 1 — a collaborative cluster of parishes including Holy Cross (Hungarian), Most Holy Redeemer, Most Holy Trinity, Basilica of Ste. Anne, St. Francis d'Assisi–St. Hedwig, and St. Gabriel parishes.
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or by attending either of the two worship sites. A live-streamed Mass is available on the parish website.
- Parish office / St. Stephen – Mary, Mother of the Church: 4329 Central Ave, Detroit, MI 48210
- Phone: (313) 841-0783
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: olgdetroit.com
- Live-stream Mass link on the parish homepage
Heritage: The Original Our Lady of Guadalupe (1923)
Though the original 1923 Our Lady of Guadalupe at the corner of Roosevelt and Kirby no longer stands, its legacy lives on in the parish named for it today. Established by the Archdiocese of Detroit to serve Mexican Catholic immigrants excluded from the area's predominantly Eastern European parishes, it was the first Mexican Catholic church in the Midwest and became the social and religious anchor of Mexicantown. Federal deportation programs of the 1930s devastated the surrounding community, and the building itself has not survived.
- Founded 1923 at Roosevelt & Kirby
- First Mexican Catholic church in the Midwest
- Anchor of southwest Detroit's Mexicantown
- Provided refuge during the Cristero Revolution (1926–1929) and a social network for Mexican immigrants
- Site is now an empty lot (Clio historical marker)
Heritage: Polish Roots of Our Lady Queen of Angels
Our Lady Queen of Angels was founded in 1915 by the Conventual Franciscan Fathers at the request of Bishop Foley to serve Detroit's growing Polish community near Michigan Avenue and Edward Street. Through most of the 20th century it was a strongly Polish-American parish; in 1985 it was still 70% of Polish descent, ran a school staffed by the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, and celebrated the annual Angel Polka Days festival the first weekend of August.
- Founded 1915 by Conventual Franciscans for Polish immigrants
- First pastor: Fr. Raymond Marciniec, O.F.M. Conv.
- Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph taught at the school (e.g., principal Sr. Mary Alice, 1985)
- Annual 'Angel Polka Days' festival, first weekend of August
- School building later reopened as César Chavez Academy
Live-Stream & Online
Mass is also broadcast live via the parish website for those unable to attend in person. The site provides a welcome message in English and Spanish, Mass and confession schedules for both worship sites, and contact information for the parish office.
- Live-stream link on olgdetroit.com homepage
- Bilingual welcome message
- Schedules listed for both worship sites
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Raymond Marciniec, O.F.M. Conv.1915–1920
First pastor; Conventual Franciscan from St. Hedwig; built the original basement church blessed December 8, 1915; returned as pastor 1929–1942 and celebrated the parish's Silver Jubilee in 1940.
- Fr. Venantius Szulc, O.F.M. Conv.1920–1929
Built the sisters' permanent convent in 1926.
- Fr. Eustace Bartoszewicz, O.F.M. Conv.1942–1945
Former Provincial and pastor of St. Hedwig.
- Fr. Pius Kaluzny, O.F.M. Conv.1945–1948
- Fr. Paul Czubaj, O.F.M. Conv.1948–1957
Built the present stone church and rectory, the new school, and a landscaped parking lot; cornerstone 1952; altars consecrated 1953; church dedicated by Cardinal Mooney March 8, 1953.
- Fr. Sigmund Grochowski, O.F.M. Conv.1957–1960
Built the outdoor grotto of Our Lady of Fatima; refaced the old church-school facade.
- Fr. Callistus Winiarz, O.F.M. Conv.1960–
Had the church decorated by Polish artist Karol Malczyk.
- Fr. Edgar Misiolekby 1985
Pastor circa 1985.
- Fr. Marie-Elie Haby2010–2014+
Administrator by 2010; pastor at the 2014 merger; also served as Regional Vocation Coordinator for the Central Region.
- Fr. Bernardo Cruz2014+
Associate pastor at the 2014 merger; appointed Family-Pastor on the In Solidum team in 2021.
- Fr. Adalberto Espinozaappointed 2021
Appointed Family-Pastor to the In Solidum team serving the newly formed Southwest Vicariate Family 1, effective July 1, 2021.