About SS. Cyril and Methodius · Sterling Heights, Michigan
SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish is a personal parish of the Archdiocese of Detroit that serves the Slovak Catholic community in and around Sterling Heights, Michigan. Founded in 1918 in Detroit to minister to Slovak immigrants, the parish relocated in 1988 to its current home at 41233 Ryan Road. Today it is a vibrant multi-ethnic parish offering more than a dozen weekly Masses in English and Slovak, a robust lineup of over 70 ministries, a parish school of faith formation, youth programs, and mission partnerships including a sister parish in Tanzania and outreach to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Established
- 1918
- Patron
- Saints Cyril and Methodius (patrons of the Slovak people and co-patrons of Europe)
- Rector
- Rev. Libor Marek
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
SS. Cyril and Methodius is a once-a-week-fits-everyone parish: more than a dozen weekend Masses including a Slovak-language liturgy, perpetual adoration, and a packed calendar of 70+ ministries — from the Adult Choir and Children's Choir to EDGE and N.O.W. youth nights, American Heritage Girls, Little Flower Girls, Legion of Mary, Men of the Sacred Hearts, Paulatim, Friends of the Congo, and bereavement and homebound-Communion outreach. A parishioner here can pray in their family language, send their teens to a thriving youth program, take part in a mission partnership with Tanzania, and join in a community whose history stretches back more than a century to the first Slovak Catholic immigrants in Detroit.
Mass times at SS. Cyril and Methodius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM (typical, per parish site — call parish office to confirm)
- Monday of Holy Week 9:30 AM–12:00 PM & 6:00–9:00 PM (Easter Confessional Day)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration Chapel located near the main entrance (open 24 hours; sign up through the parish office)
Our History
From its 1918 founding in Detroit as a Slovak immigrant parish to its 1988 move to Sterling Heights, SS. Cyril and Methodius has remained a personal (national) Slovak parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Major milestones include the 1926 opening of the parish school with 300+ students, the 1929 dedication of the Detroit church building, the 1969 welcoming of Slovak refugees from Communist Czechoslovakia, the 1989 dedication of the current Sterling Heights church, and the 2018 centennial celebration. The parish's history is told in detail on the official 'Our History' page, including the succession of pastors and the sister-parish relationship with Holy Family in the Archdiocese of Kahama, Tanzania.
- 1918 — Parish erected on Heintz & Foster Streets, Detroit; Father John Kovalsky, first pastor (Aug. 7, 1918)
- 1923 — Property purchased at Centerline & Marcus Avenues; Slovak Dominican Sisters arrive
- 1926 — Parish school opens (Nov. 2) with 300+ students
- 1929 — First Holy Mass in the (Detroit) church proper — Midnight Mass, Christmas Day
- 1969 — Slovak refugees from Communist Czechoslovakia welcomed
- 1982 — Land purchased at Ryan & 18 Mile, Sterling Heights
- 1988 — Cornerstone laid July 17 by Bishop Patrick Cooney
- 1988 Dec. 18 — Last Mass in Detroit; Dec. 24, first Mass in Slávik Social Hall
- 1989 June 11 — Dedication of new church in Sterling Heights
- 2008 — Major church renovation blessed by Cardinal Adam Maida and Archbishop Ján Sokol of Trnava
- 2010–2011 — Sister-parship established with Holy Family Parish, Archdiocese of Kahama, Tanzania
- 2018 — Centennial anniversary of the Slovak Parish
- 2018 Nov. 18 — Father Libor Marek installed as pastor by Archbishop Allen Henry Vigneron
- 2022 — 130 sq. m. sanctuary mosaic unveiled; blessed by Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Fisher on Sept. 18
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is staffed by two priests in solidum (Father Libor Marek and Father Juraj Nuota), Rev. Julian Kaczowka, S.Chr., senior deacons, a music director, office manager, business manager, secretary, youth minister, maintenance, and a Catechism Education team. A Parish Council / Commissions oversees parish governance.
- Rev. Libor Marek — Priest in Solidum (Pastor) — (586) 726-6911
- Rev. Juraj Nuota — Priest in Solidum
- Rev. Julian Kaczowka, S.Chr.
- Dcn. Phil McCown
- Dcn. Gerald Smigell — Senior Deacon
- Joseph Long — Music Director, (810) 882-1806 / [email protected]
- Carroll Schuller — Office Manager, (586) 726-6911
- Betty Abate — Assistant Secretary, (586) 726-6911
- Rob Avery — Business Manager, (586) 726-6911
- Don Sadowski — Maintenance
- Heidi Pope — Middle & High School Youth Minister, (586) 859-0194
- Carroll & Paul Schuller — Catechism Education, (586) 254-9212
- Raffaella D'Alio — Christian Service
- Robert Heller — Parish Council President
Worship & Liturgical Ministries
Worship ministries form the backbone of every celebration, from the children's choir singing at the 9:30 AM Mass to adult choirs at the 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM Masses led by Music Director Joe Long. Lectors proclaim the readings at every Mass, ushers assist with collection and orderly flow, and altar boys (boys ages 3 and older) serve at the altar under the supervision of Father Marek.
- Adult Choir (7:30 AM & 9:30 AM Masses)
- Children's Choir (ages 5–12; 9:30 AM last Sunday & special events)
- Altar Boys (ages 3+)
- Lectors and Commentators (per Mass contact list)
- Ushers / Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Spiritual Growth Ministries
The parish offers several ongoing spiritual-growth opportunities for adults: the Legion of Mary meeting Mondays at 1:00 PM in Room 116; Men of the Sacred Hearts promoting Sacred Heart Enthronement in homes; the Paulatim Ministry forming members in spiritual reading and mental prayer; the '2Become1' monthly reflection evening for married couples; and the Our Lady Queen of Peace Apostolate.
- Legion of Mary (Mon 1:00 PM, Room 116) — Paul Wojnar, (586) 563-9272
- Men of the Sacred Hearts — David Tay, [email protected]
- Paulatim Ministry — Jim Weil, [email protected] / www.paulatimway.com
- '2Become1' Married Couples Evening — last Thursday/month, 7:00 PM — Matthew & Maria Moceri
- Our Lady Queen of Peace Apostolate — Mila Flores, [email protected]
Youth & Family Ministries
Children, middle-schoolers, and high-schoolers have rich programming. EDGE serves grades 6–8 every Thursday evening (Sept.–May, except first Thursday). N.O.W. (Navigating Our World with Christ) serves high-schoolers every Monday evening (Sept.–May, except first Monday). American Heritage Girls Troop MI0214 meets two Tuesday evenings per month. Little Flower Girls offers formation for younger girls. Youth ministry contacts: Heidi Pope, (586) 859-0194.
- EDGE — Middle School (Thursdays 7:00–8:45 PM, Sept.–May)
- N.O.W. — High School (Mondays 6:45–8:45 PM, Sept.–May)
- American Heritage Girls Troop MI0214 (Tuesdays 7:00–8:30 PM, twice a month)
- Little Flower Girls — Sheri Kanan, [email protected]
Service & Outreach Ministries
Outreach is core to parish identity. Bereavement Ministry assists families after a loss. Communion for the Homebound brings the Eucharist to shut-ins. A Senior Ministry gathers monthly at Abbey Nursing Home. Friends of the Congo is a prayer-and-aid initiative for medical equipment and a clinic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The parish also maintains its sister-parish relationship with Holy Family in the Archdiocese of Kahama, Tanzania, sending mission teams since 2010.
- Bereavement Ministry
- Communion for the Homebound
- Senior Ministry (4th Wednesday, 7:00 PM, Abbey Nursing Home) — Gina Smak, (586) 431-2585
- Friends of the Abbey
- Friends of the Congo — Deacon Joe Hulway
- Sister Parish — Holy Family, Archdiocese of Kahama, Tanzania
Faith Formation — Catechism Education
The parish school of religion — Catechism Education — prepares children for First Communion, Confirmation, and ongoing faith formation. Carroll and Paul Schuller coordinate the program and can be reached at (586) 254-9212. EDGE complements the catechism program by giving middle-schoolers a place to discuss and practice what they learn.
- Catechism Education — Carroll & Paul Schuller, (586) 254-9212
- EDGE Middle School Ministry (complement to Catechism)
The Mosaic at Saints Cyril and Methodius
In 2022 the sanctuary walls were wrapped with a 130-square-meter mosaic created by Slovak artist-priest Father Kamil Drab. The work tells salvation history from Creation to Pentecost, flanks the altar with images of SS. Cyril and Methodius (patrons of the Slovak people), and includes depictions of both prior parish church buildings — the 1918 wooden church in Detroit and the larger brick church the parish left behind in 1988. Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Fisher blessed the installation on September 18, 2022.
- Designer/artist: Father Kamil Drab (Slovak 'artist priest')
- Surface area: 130 sq. m. (≈426.5 sq. ft.) wrapping the sanctuary
- Blessing: Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Fisher, Sept. 18, 2022
- Depicts: Creation narratives, Old & New Testament scenes, Our Lady of Sorrows, patron saints, and both former church buildings
Contact, Location & Practical Info
The parish office is on the Sterling Heights campus at 41233 Ryan Road (at 18 Mile Road). The Slávik Social Hall and the Parish Activity Center (an office building purchased in 2012) complete the campus. The parish belongs to the Northeast Central Macomb 2 Family of Parishes in the Central Macomb Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
- Address: 41233 Ryan Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48314
- Phone: (586) 726-6911
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://saintcyrils.church
- Family of Parishes: Northeast Central Macomb 2
- Vicarate: Central Macomb Vicariate
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Detroit
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Kovalsky1918–1922
First resident pastor, appointed August 7, 1918, when the parish was erected on Heintz & Foster Streets in Detroit.
- Rev. Joseph Zalibera1922–1961
Longest-serving pastor at 39 years; built the new church and school on Centerline & Marcus; resigned February 1961 for health reasons.
- Rev. Andrew Forish1961–1967
Succeeded Father Zalibera.
- Rev. Joseph Nosal1967–1977
Succeeded Father Forish; welcomed Slovak refugees from Communist Czechoslovakia beginning 1969.
- Rev. Elemír Mikuš1977–1999
Arrived as a refugee-assistant in 1971; became pastor in 1977; led the parish through its 1988 move from Detroit to Sterling Heights; retired and returned to Slovakia in 1999.
- Rev. Benjamín Kosnáč1999–2017
Parish administrator from 1999; oversaw major 2007–2008 church renovation and adoption of Holy Family Parish in Tanzania as a sister parish; returned to Slovakia in April 2017.
- Rev. Libor Marek2017–present
Appointed parish administrator July 1, 2017; installed as pastor November 18, 2018, by Archbishop Allen Henry Vigneron.