About Saint Vartan [Armenian] · Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Saint Vartan Armenian Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic parish of the Armenian Rite serving the Armenian Catholic faithful of metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1948 under the Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg, the parish is named for Saint Vartan, the legendary 5th-century Armenian commander who defended Christianity against Sassanid Persia. After decades in Detroit, the parish now worships at 4875 West Maple Road in Bloomfield Hills, celebrating Mass on Sundays at noon in the Armenian Catholic liturgical tradition. The community is pastored by Very Rev. Andon Atamian and remains a small but resilient outpost of Armenian Catholic life in southeastern Michigan.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- Saint Vartan (5th-century Armenian military leader and defender of Christianity)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Andon Atamian
- Diocese
- Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in Glendale (immediately subject to the Holy See; located geographically within the territory of the Archdiocese of Detroit)
Why belong here
Saint Vartan offers an Armenian Catholic liturgical home in the Detroit metropolitan area, with Mass celebrated each Sunday in the distinctive Armenian rite — a tradition cherished by descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide and open to anyone drawn to this ancient Eastern Catholic heritage. The parish welcomes both Armenian-speaking and English-speaking faithful and maintains a small, tight-knit community under the long-term pastoral care of Very Rev. Andon Atamian. For Catholics of Armenian descent in southeastern Michigan, and for anyone interested in the Armenian Catholic tradition, Saint Vartan is the local anchor of an ancient church that traces its history back to the evangelization of Armenia.
Mass times at Saint Vartan [Armenian]
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 11:00 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
History of Saint Vartan Armenian Catholic Church
Saint Vartan was founded in 1948 in Detroit at the joint initiative of Cardinal Edward Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit, and His Eminence Cardinal Krikor-Bedros XV Agagianian, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic House of Cilicia. The Congregation for the Oriental Churches appointed Father Hovsep (Joseph) Kalaydjian, a Genocide survivor, trained musician and composer who had come to the United States from Beirut, as the founding pastor. He was directed to Detroit in December 1947 and spent his first six months living with Armenian families while he organized the new parish.
The Founding Years and the Ladies' Guild
In his first months, Father Kalaydjian purchased a house with the Archbishop's permission and converted it into a small chapel that would take the name Saint Vartan. He founded a Ladies' Guild — a mix of Armenian and American women — that met monthly to raise money for parish expenses and to knit the community together. The Guild's steady work was the financial backbone of the young parish.
- Father Hovsep (Joseph) Kalaydjian, founding pastor (1948–1998)
- Ladies' Guild organized in 1948
- House-chapel converted into the first Saint Vartan church
Building the Church and the Choir (1950s–1970s)
By 1957 Father Kalaydjian recognized that the parish had outgrown the converted house. Cardinal Mooney gave him a plot of land adjacent to the Dominican Sisters School in Detroit, and construction of a proper church began. The new St. Vartan Church was solemnly opened in June 1958, and the building quickly became a center for catechism classes, Armenian-language studies for children, and the social life of the Armenian Catholic community. A 20-member choir founded by Kalaydjian grew to more than 40 singers, and the group became well known across the region for its concerts. A parish hall was added to the property in 1975.
- Construction of St. Vartan Church begun 1957, opened June 1958
- Choir grew from 20 to 40+ members under Kalaydjian
- Parish hall added in 1975
- Renowned Armenian benefactor Alex Manoukian served as deacon and choir member
Parish Life and Ministries
Saint Vartan is a small Armenian Catholic community that has historically punched above its weight in choral music, catechesis and Armenian-language formation. Today the parish continues the traditions begun by Father Kalaydjian: faithful Sunday worship in the Armenian rite, community gatherings around the parish, and outreach to Armenian Catholics across metropolitan Detroit and beyond.
Music and Liturgy
Music has been central to Saint Vartan's identity since the 1940s. Father Kalaydjian's original 20-member choir grew to over 40 singers and was widely known in the region for its concerts and compositions. The parish continues to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the Armenian rite, with deacons and cantors trained under Father Thomas Garabedian and ordained by Bishop Manuel Batakian during the parish's 2005–2007 transition.
- Choir (founded by Fr. Kalaydjian, regionally renowned)
- Armenian-rite Divine Liturgy with trained deacons and cantors
Faith Formation and Armenian Studies
From the time the 1958 church was built, Saint Vartan has offered catechism classes for the parish's children and Armenian-language studies open to both Armenian and non-Armenian young people — making the church not only a spiritual home but a cultural classroom for the Detroit Armenian community.
- Catechism classes for children
- Armenian language studies (open to Armenian and non-Armenian children)
Schedule and Sacraments
Saint Vartan offers one weekly Mass, celebrated each Sunday at noon in the Armenian Catholic liturgical tradition. Confessions are heard before Mass, and a weekly Eucharistic Adoration hour is offered on Tuesday evenings. As an Eastern Catholic parish of the Armenian rite, Saint Vartan follows the Armenian Catholic liturgical calendar under the Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg.
Jurisdiction and Identity
Although Saint Vartan is located within the geographic territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, it is canonically an Armenian Catholic parish belonging to the Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg, with its see in Glendale, California. The eparchy is immediately subject to the Holy See through the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches and is led by Bishop Mikaël Antoine Mouradian, I.C.P.B. This means Saint Vartan is in full communion with the Bishop of Rome while preserving the distinctive liturgical, theological and pastoral traditions of the Armenian Catholic Church.
- Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg in Glendale, California
- Geographically within the Archdiocese of Detroit
- Armenian Rite (Eastern Catholic, in full communion with Rome)
- Eparch: Bishop Mikaël Antoine Mouradian, I.C.P.B.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Hovsep (Joseph) Kalaydjian1948–1998
Founding pastor; survivor of the Armenian Genocide; trained musician who built the parish choir to over 40 members; oversaw the construction of the original St. Vartan Church (opened June 1958) and the parish hall (1975). Died 1999.
- Father Antoine Saroyan, Bzommar1998–2005
Organized the 1998 triple anniversary celebrations; began celebrating services at a Byzantine church in southwest Detroit as the original site became isolated.
- Father Thomas Garabedian2005–2007
Previously pastor of St. Ann's Armenian Catholic Cathedral in Manhattan; secured transfer of the parish deed from the Archdiocese of Detroit; prepared deacons and cantors (ordained by Bishop Manuel Batakian). Left in October 2007 to become Vice Rector of the Pontifical Armenian College in Rome.
- Mgr. Andon Atamian2008–present
Former Dean Pastor of Baghdad, Iraq, evacuated from the war zone to take the Detroit assignment.