About Our Lady of the Scapular · Wyandotte, Michigan
Our Lady of the Scapular is a Roman Catholic Polish Personal Parish in Wyandotte, Michigan, belonging to the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is the historic successor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish (which the Polish founders called Matki Boskiej Skaplerzniej, meaning 'Our Lady of the Scapular') and today spiritually serves three reunited Polish Catholic communities of Wyandotte: St. Helena, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and St. Stanislaus Kostka. The parish is pastored by Pallottine (S.A.C.) priests, currently Fr. Brendan McCarrick, and offers bilingual English-Polish Sunday worship with a strong devotional life centered on the Scapular tradition, the rosary, and Polish heritage.
- Established
- 1899
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Scapular (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)
- Rector
- Rev. Brendan McCarrick, S.A.C.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Scapular welcomes anyone drawn to a bilingual English-and-Polish Catholic community with deep roots in the Downriver area of metro Detroit. It is the spiritual home of three historic Polish parishes now reunited into one family, preserving devotional traditions like the Rosary, the Brown Scapular, the Fatima Holy Hour, and Polish heritage crafts and cuisine. Active ministries span liturgical service (lectors, altar servers, ushers, choir), social outreach (St. Vincent de Paul, food pantries, homebound visits), and fellowship societies for men, women, and youth — all supported by a daily Mass, perpetual adoration chapel, and parish school of religion run jointly with neighboring St. Vincent Pallotti.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Scapular
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of the Scapular Parish
- Saturday at 3:00 PM at St. Joseph's Church, 334 Elm St., Wyandotte
Adoration times
- Adoration Chapel open every day, 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Parish History — From 37 Pioneers to a ReUnited Community
Polish Catholic life in Wyandotte began in 1870, when Anthony Leszczynski gathered 37 Polish men into the St. Stanislaus Kostka Society. Within 29 years those families grew large enough to form the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1899, laid cornerstone in the Glenwood neighborhood that year, and completed the present church building in 1915. As Wyandotte's Polonia expanded, two more Polish parishes were born: St. Stanislaus Kostka (1914, Ford City, Fr. Alexander Konus) and St. Helena (south Wyandotte, Fr. Albert Mrowka). Each ran its own parish school. The Archdiocese of Detroit later reunited the three communities into today's Our Lady of the Scapular Polish Personal Parish, fulfilling the founders' original dream of one worshiping community around the altar and the Eucharist.
- 1870 — 37 Polish men form the St. Stanislaus Kostka Society under Anthony Leszczynski
- 1899 — Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel founded; cornerstone laid in Glenwood (northwest Wyandotte); first pastor Fr. Bernard Zmijiewski
- 1914 — St. Stanislaus Kostka parish founded in Ford City; first pastor Fr. Alexander Konus
- 1915 — Present Our Lady of the Scapular church building completed
- 1925 — St. Helena parish founded on south side of Wyandotte; first pastor Fr. Albert Mrowka
- Today — Three parishes reunited by the Archdiocese of Detroit into one Polish Personal Parish, Our Lady of the Scapular
Clergy & Parish Staff
Our Lady of the Scapular is staffed by the Pallottine Fathers (Society of the Catholic Apostolate, S.A.C.) as part of the Downriver Vicariate Family 2. Fr. Brendan McCarrick, S.A.C., serves as Pastor and Moderator of the family of parishes; Fr. Stephen Mutie, S.A.C., serves as Associate Pastor; and Fr. Mark A. Borkowski serves as Pastoral Minister. Two permanent deacons assist the parish: Deacon Richard Bloomfield and Deacon Charles Dault. Lay staff include Office Manager Mrs. Esther Huerta, Bulletin Editor & Secretary Ms. Carol Zakrzewski, Wedding Coordinator Mrs. Mary Jo Harling, Bookkeeper, and Maintenance staff.
- Rev. Brendan McCarrick, S.A.C. — Pastor (appointed 2021)
- Rev. Stephen Mutie, S.A.C. — Associate Pastor
- Rev. Mark A. Borkowski — Pastoral Minister
- Deacon Richard Bloomfield
- Deacon Charles Dault
- Mrs. Esther Huerta — Office Manager
- Ms. Carol Zakrzewski — Bulletin Editor & Secretary ([email protected])
- Mrs. Mary Jo Harling — Wedding Coordinator ([email protected])
- Mrs. Patricia Baringer — Bookkeeper / Maintenance
Devotions & Spiritual Life
Devotional life centers on Marian traditions dear to Polish Catholicism: the Brown Scapular (the parish's namesake devotion), the Rosary, and the Fatima message. The Rosary Society gathers at 7:00 PM before all parish social gatherings. On the 13th of each month from May through October, the parish hosts a Fatima Holy Hour in answer to Our Lady's request at Fatima. The parish is also active in the Fr. Solanus Casey Guild, promoting the cause of the Detroit-area Capuchin whose beatification was supported by this parish.
- Brown Scapular devotion
- Rosary Society — 7:00 PM before parish social gatherings
- Fatima Holy Hour — 13th of each month, May through October
- Fr. Solanus Casey Guild — prayer and fellowship for his canonization cause
- Holy Name Society — men's devotion to the Sacred Names
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish maintains a rich variety of ministries spanning liturgical service, social outreach, heritage preservation, and fellowship. Women run the Rosary Society, the Altar Society, the Orchard Lake Ladies Auxiliary (supporting the Polish seminary), and the Polish Heritage Group (Polish cooking and craft classes). Men are active in the Holy Name Society, the Ushers Club, and the Knights of Columbus. Liturgical ministries include Lectors (English and Polish), Altar Servers (boys grade 4 and up), and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist. Outreach includes the St. Vincent de Paul Society, food pantry volunteering, and visiting the homebound. Youth ministry and an annual parish bazaar round out parish life.
- Rosary Society
- Altar Society
- Fr. Solanus Guild
- Polish Heritage Group
- Fatima Society (Fatima Holy Hour)
- Orchard Lake Ladies Auxiliary
- Holy Name Society
- Ushers Club
- Lectors (English & Polish)
- Altar Servers (boys grade 4+)
- Knights of Columbus
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Choir / Music ministry
- Youth Ministry
- Homebound visits
- Food pantry volunteers
- Annual Parish Bazaar
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education for children is coordinated jointly with neighboring St. Vincent Pallotti Parish. The Director of Religious Education, Julie, is based at St. Vincent Pallotti (734-285-9840 x102, [email protected]). The parish also points adult parishioners to RCIA/OCIA (Becoming Catholic) as part of the Downriver Vicariate Family 2 collaborative.
- Religious Education for children — contact Julie, DRE, at St. Vincent Pallotti (734-285-9840 x102, [email protected])
- RCIA / OCIA (Becoming Catholic) — coordinated within Downriver Vicariate Family 2
Sacraments — Weddings, Baptism, Anointing, RCIA
Weddings are coordinated through the parish office and Wedding Coordinator Mrs. Mary Jo Harling ([email protected]); a written Wedding Policy is available on the parish website. Baptism, Anointing of the Sick, and other pastoral sacraments are arranged through the parish office. Those preparing to become Catholic are invited to inquire about RCIA/OCIA.
- Wedding Coordinator: Mrs. Mary Jo Harling
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — through the Pastoral Minister
- RCIA / OCIA — Becoming Catholic
Parish Office, Contact & Visiting
The parish office is located at 976 Pope John Paul II Avenue, Wyandotte, MI 48192, and is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM (closed Wednesday). The office phone is 734-284-9135 and the email is [email protected]. The bulletin is edited by Ms. Carol Zakrzewski ([email protected]). Live-streamed Sunday Masses are available on the parish's YouTube channel, and the parish maintains a Facebook presence linked from the homepage.
- Address: 976 Pope John Paul II Avenue, Wyandotte, MI 48192
- Phone: 734-284-9135
- Email: [email protected]
- Bulletin email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 8:00 AM–1:00 PM (closed Wednesday)
- Sunday Mass live-streamed on the parish YouTube channel
- Facebook page linked from the website
Part of the Downriver Vicariate Family 2
Our Lady of the Scapular is part of the Archdiocese of Detroit's Downriver Vicariate, South Region, and is grouped into 'South Downriver 2' along with Christ the Good Shepherd Parish (Lincoln Park), St. Pius X Parish (Southgate), and its closest partner parish, St. Vincent Pallotti Parish (Wyandotte). The Pallottine Fathers (S.A.C.) staff the parishes in this family, with Fr. Brendan McCarrick, S.A.C., serving as Moderator since July 1, 2021. Religious education, sacramental preparation, and certain Masses are shared across these parishes.
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Detroit
- Vicariate: Downriver Vicariate, South Region
- Family of Parishes: South Downriver 2
- Sister parishes: Christ the Good Shepherd (Lincoln Park), St. Vincent Pallotti (Wyandotte), St. Pius X (Southgate)
- Moderator: Rev. Brendan McCarrick, S.A.C. (since July 1, 2021)
- Pastoral congregation: Pallottine Fathers (S.A.C.)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bernard Zmijiewski1899–
First pastor of the original Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish (called Our Lady of the Scapular in Polish).
- Fr. Alexander Konus1914–
First pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka parish (Ford City).
- Fr. Albert Mrowka1925–
First pastor of St. Helena parish (south Wyandotte).
- Rev. Brendan McCarrick, S.A.C.2021–
Appointed Temporary Family-Administrator / Moderator of Downriver Vicariate Family 2 (which includes Our Lady of the Scapular) effective July 1, 2021; also Administrator of St. Vincent Pallotti Parish.