Saint Joseph [Chaldean]

About St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church

St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic (Chaldean Rite) parish of the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle, located at 2442 E. Big Beaver Road in Troy, Michigan. Its mission is to serve the Chaldean Catholic faithful of metro Detroit through the celebration of the Chaldean liturgy in Sureth, Arabic, and English, ongoing faith formation, and active youth ministry. The parish maintains an around-the-clock Eucharistic Adoration chapel and broadcasts Masses via livestream for homebound parishioners.

History of the Parish

The parish has been on Big Beaver Road in Troy for approximately 30 years (as of 2012), placing its establishment on this site in the early 1980s — a period of rapid growth for Chaldean Catholic parishes in the Detroit metropolitan area following large-scale Iraqi-Chaldean immigration. In March 2012 the church was targeted with an orange-spray-painted hate message, which was investigated by the Troy Police Department; then-pastor Fr. Rudy Zoma publicly noted it was the first such act in the parish's three decades on Big Beaver Road, and the parish subsequently strengthened its security arrangements. Today the parish continues to minister under the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle and is staffed by three priests.

• On Big Beaver Road for ~30 years as of 2012 (i.e., founded on the site circa early 1980s)
• Subject of a 2012 hate-message vandalism investigated by Troy Police
• Fr. Rudy Zoma served as pastor at the time of the 2012 incident
• Part of the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle (the U.S. Eastern-Catholic eparchy)

Clergy and Pastoral Staff

St. Joseph is staffed by three priests. Rev. Sameem Balius currently serves as pastor, with Rev. Patrick Setto and Rev. Fadie Gorgies serving as parochial vicars assisting him. (Both the parish's own 'Parish Info / Priests' page and the diocesan directory list this configuration.)

• Rev. Sameem Balius — Pastor
• Rev. Patrick Setto — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Fadie Gorgies — Parochial Vicar

Youth Ministry: LITE, Little Flowers, and CLC

The parish runs three age-specific weekly youth groups, all of which meet on campus and are built around talks, small-group discussion, Eucharistic Adoration, and fellowship. LITE ('Living in Truth Everyday') is the middle-school boys' group, meeting Wednesdays 6:00–8:30 pm in All Saints Hall. Little Flowers is the middle-school girls' group, meeting Wednesdays 6:00–8:30 pm in John Paul II Hall and modeled on St. Thérèse of Lisieux. CLC ('Chaldeans Loving Christ') is the high-school co-ed group, meeting Thursdays 6:00–8:30 pm in John Paul II Hall.

• LITE — middle-school boys, Wed 6:00–8:30 pm, All Saints Hall
• Little Flowers — middle-school girls, Wed 6:00–8:30 pm, John Paul II Hall (patron: St. Thérèse of Lisieux)
• CLC (Chaldeans Loving Christ) — high schoolers, Thu 6:00–8:30 pm, John Paul II Hall
• Each night includes talks, small group, Adoration, and fellowship

Faith Formation: Catechism and First Holy Communion

The parish offers ongoing catechesis for children through its Catechism (religious-education) program and a dedicated First Holy Communion preparation track. Both currently run online registration through the parish website, with a separate sign-up for First Communion posted on the homepage alongside the Catechism registration link.

• Catechism program with online registration
• First Holy Communion preparation program with online registration
• Both run annually by the parish

Sacraments — Baptism, Marriage, Confirmation, Anointing

The parish provides the full sacramental life of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Its website features dedicated pages for Baptism and Marriage, with teaching paragraphs drawn from Scripture (e.g., Matthew 28:19 for Baptism; Ephesians 5:25 for Marriage) and explanations of each sacrament's meaning. Couples contact the parish office to arrange marriage preparation; parents likewise contact the parish to set a date for infant Baptism and choose godparents who will speak on the child's behalf to reject sin and profess the Faith.

• Baptism — infant and child preparation, godparent sponsorship
• Marriage — couples prepare with the parish; 'a union between a man and wife, but a union to Christ's love'
• Confirmation — listed among parish sacramental resources
• Anointing of the Sick — listed among parish sacramental resources
• First Holy Communion — see Faith Formation section

Vocations and Volunteer Engagement

The parish actively promotes priestly and religious vocations through dedicated 'Are You Called To Be A Priest?' and 'Are You Called To Religious Life?' pages on its website. Parishioners are invited to volunteer for the work of the parish through an online Church Volunteer Form linked from the homepage, and the parish runs an online donation / stewardship program to support its mission.

• 'Are You Called To Be A Priest?' vocation page on parish website
• 'Are You Called To Religious Life?' vocation page on parish website
• Online Church Volunteer Form
• Online donation / Mass-book / parish-information resources

Contact, Location, and Staying Connected

Parish offices are at 2442 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, MI 48083, between John R and Dequindre Roads. The office can be reached by phone at (248) 528-3676 or by email at [email protected]; fax is (248) 524-1957. The parish publishes a mobile app for news and event updates and offers livestreamed Mass via its website for parishioners who cannot attend in person.

• Address: 2442 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, MI 48083
• Phone: (248) 528-3676
• Email: [email protected]
• Fax: (248) 524-1957
• Website: https://stjosephccc.com
• Parish mobile app for news/events
• Mass livestream via parish website