About Saint Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church · Southfield, Michigan
St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a Syro-Malabar Rite parish serving the Kerala Catholic community in Southfield, Michigan, in the Detroit metropolitan area. The parish celebrates the Holy Qurbana (Mass) in Malayalam and falls under the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago, while its physical location lies within the territorial boundaries of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. According to the parish, it was founded in 1995 and its mission is to meet the spiritual and social needs of the Kerala Catholic faithful through daily Malayalam Qurbana, catechism, the sacraments, retreats and an annual church feast celebration.
- Established
- 1995
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Justin Puthushery
- Diocese
- Syro-Malabar Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago
Why belong here
If you are a Syro-Malabar Catholic in the Detroit area, St. Thomas offers the rare gift of daily Malayalam Holy Qurbana, an active catechism program for the faith formation of children, regular reception of the sacraments, parish retreats and a solemn annual church feast. The parish welcomes people from all walks of life into its Kerala-Catholic fellowship and provides a home where families can worship together in their own language and Syro-Malabar rite tradition.
Mass times at Saint Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Adoration times
- Saturday 8:00 AM (Adoration and Holy Rosary, before 9:00 AM Qurbana)
- Sunday 9:00 AM (Adoration and Holy Rosary, before 10:00 AM Qurbana)
- First Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
About the Parish
St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church serves the Syro-Malabar Catholic faithful of the Detroit metropolitan area from Southfield, Michigan. The parish was founded in 1995 to meet the spiritual and social needs of the Kerala Catholic community in southeast Michigan. According to its mission statement, the parish offers daily Malayalam Qurbana, catechism for children, the administration of sacraments, retreats, and a solemn celebration of the church feast each year. It welcomes people of all backgrounds into a fellowship grounded in deep-rooted Christian values.
Syro-Malabar Identity
St. Thomas is one of only two Syro-Malabar churches in the entire state of Michigan, both under the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago. The Syro-Malabar Church is an East Syriac tradition (in full communion with Rome) whose members trace their origins to the evangelisation of South India by St. Thomas the Apostle. For Detroit-area Keralites, this parish is a primary place to worship in their own rite, language and devotional style.
History of the Parish
The parish was founded in 1995 to gather the Syro-Malabar Catholic families of metropolitan Detroit for worship, catechism and mutual support. It has grown alongside the broader Kerala Catholic diaspora in southeast Michigan and today provides daily Holy Qurbana (uncommon for a U.S. Syro-Malabar mission) along with retreats and an annual feast day celebration.
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Fr. Justin Puthushery, listed on the parish website as Vicar/Pastor. He can be reached through the parish office at (248) 552-6620 or by email at [email protected].
- Fr. Justin Puthushery – Pastor/Vicar, [email protected]
Holy Qurbana (Mass) Times
St. Thomas offers an unusually rich weekly schedule of Malayalam-language Holy Qurbana, with both weekday and weekend celebrations. On Saturdays and Sundays the parish begins each liturgy with Adoration and the Holy Rosary, followed by the Syro-Malabar Rite Qurbana. Daily Mass (Tuesday through Friday) is celebrated in the evening on weekdays, except First Friday, which is in the evening, while other Fridays have an 8:00 AM Qurbana.
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday – 7:00 PM Malayalam Qurbana
- First Friday – 7:00 PM Malayalam Qurbana
- Other Fridays – 8:00 AM Malayalam Qurbana
- Saturday – 8:00 AM Adoration & Holy Rosary; 9:00 AM Syro-Malabar Rite Malayalam Qurbana
- Sunday – 9:00 AM Adoration & Holy Rosary; 10:00 AM Syro-Malabar Rite Malayalam Qurbana
Sacraments & Devotions
The parish administers the sacraments and offers the traditional Syro-Malabar devotions of adoration and the Holy Rosary before each weekend Mass. Confessions are heard before Sunday Qurbana. First Fridays feature an extended period of Adoration.
- Confessions: Sunday 9:00 – 10:00 AM
- Adoration and Holy Rosary: Saturday 8:00 AM and Sunday 9:00 AM
- First Friday Adoration: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Ministries & Parish Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish runs a catechism program for the faith formation of children, offers parish retreats for spiritual renewal, administers the sacraments to its members, and celebrates the church feast annually in solemn style — all centred on serving the Kerala Catholic community in Detroit.
- Catechism / Religious education
- Administration of Sacraments
- Parish retreats
- Annual Church Feast celebration
- Rosary and Adoration before weekend Qurbana
Diocese & Jurisdiction
Although the parish sits inside the territorial boundaries of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit (at 17235 Mount Vernon St., Southfield), it belongs canonically to a sui iuris Eastern Catholic eparchy: the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago, whose cathedral is Mar Thoma Shleeha Cathedral in Bellwood/Maywood, Illinois, and whose bishop since 2022 is Bishop Joy Alappat. There is also a sibling Syro-Malabar Knanaya parish nearby — St. Mary's in Berkley — which serves the Knanaya community within the same eparchy.
- Canonical diocese: Syro-Malabar Diocese of Saint Thomas the Apostle of Chicago
- Geographic area: Archdiocese of Detroit (Roman Catholic)
- Eparchial bishop (2022–): Bishop Joy Alappat
Visit Us
Visitors are warmly welcomed at the parish on Mount Vernon Street in Southfield. The easiest way to confirm up-to-date Mass times before visiting is to call the parish office at (248) 552-6620 or check the parish website at syromalabardetroit.org.
- Address: 17235 Mount Vernon St., Southfield, MI 48075
- Phone: (248) 552-6620
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.syromalabardetroit.org/