About St. Gabriel Parish, Ida Church · Ida, Michigan
St. Gabriel Parish in Ida, Michigan is a Roman Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Detroit that operates two historic churches about eight miles apart: St. Joseph Church in the village of Ida and St. Irene Church in nearby Dundee. The parish was formed in 2013 by merging St. Joseph Parish (founded in Ida in 1869) with St. Irene Parish (founded in Dundee in 1964), taking the name St. Gabriel the Archangel. Today the parish belongs to the South Monroe 1 Family of Parishes in the Monroe Vicariate and is served by a moderator, two priests in solidum, and a deacon, offering weekend and weekday Mass in both English and Latin.
- Established
- 2013 (merger); predecessor St. Joseph Parish founded 1869
- Patron
- St. Gabriel the Archangel (parish name); St. Joseph (original Ida church)
- Rector
- Rev. James Rafferty (Moderator of the South Monroe 1 Family of Parishes)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (Monroe Vicariate, South Region)
Why belong here
St. Gabriel is a small but active two-campus Catholic community rooted in rural Monroe County, with a history of German-Catholic farming families going back to 1869. Worshippers can attend weekend Mass at either the historic 1904 St. Joseph Church in Ida or St. Irene Church in Dundee, with both ordinary English and a Latin Mass (Sunday 1:00 PM at the Ida campus), weekday Masses, weekly Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration, and regular Reconciliation. As part of the Archdiocese of Detroit's South Monroe 1 Family of Parishes, it offers a close-knit, traditional setting for Catholics in the Ida and Dundee area.
Mass times at St. Gabriel Parish, Ida Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM (Ida campus, St. Joseph Church)
- Wednesday (Dundee campus, St. Irene Church)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Ida campus, St. Joseph Church)
- Wednesday (Dundee campus, St. Irene Church)
Parish Identity and History
St. Gabriel Parish in Ida, Michigan is a Roman Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Detroit that serves both the village of Ida and nearby Dundee through two active church buildings. The parish traces its roots to 1869, when German Catholic settlers established St. Joseph Parish one year after Ida was platted. In 2013 that historic parish merged with St. Irene Parish of Dundee (founded 1964) to form the new parish of St. Gabriel the Archangel, with the parish office consolidated at St. Joseph in Ida. Both churches continue to host Masses and sacraments eight miles apart.
- St. Joseph Parish, Ida — founded 1869
- St. Irene Parish, Dundee — founded 1964
- Merged in 2013 to form St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish
- Parish office located at St. Joseph, Ida
- Ida Township organized 1837; village of Ida platted 1868
St. Joseph Church — The Ida Campus (1904)
The Ida campus of St. Gabriel Parish is St. Joseph Church, a brick church constructed in 1904 near the center of the village of Ida. Its interior shows the influence of Art Nouveau design, with a depiction of the Last Supper above the high altar, Holy Family inlays and carvings, and statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Thérèse of Lisieux flanking the choir loft at the rear. The adjacent St. Joseph Cemetery, still part of the parish, contains gravesites dating to the 1870s.
- Built 1904 in brick with Art Nouveau-influenced interior
- Last Supper scene above the high altar
- Holy Family inlays/carvings
- Statues of Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Thérèse of Lisieux flanking the choir loft
- St. Joseph Cemetery (graves from the 1870s) is part of the parish
St. Irene Church — The Dundee Campus
The Dundee campus of the parish is St. Irene Church, founded in 1964 as an independent parish and brought into St. Gabriel Parish by the 2013 merger. At the time of the merger it had about 300 registered families. Today it continues to host Masses and Eucharistic Adoration alongside the Ida campus, eight miles to the west.
- St. Irene Parish originally established 1964
- Approximately 300 registered families at time of 2013 merger
- Hosts Saturday 9:00 AM, Sunday 11:00 AM, and Wednesday 7:30 AM Masses
- Hosts weekly Wednesday Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation
Clergy and Pastoral Leadership
St. Gabriel Parish is currently served by a moderator, two priests in solidum, and a deacon, organized under the South Monroe 1 Family of Parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit's Monroe Vicariate. Rev. Michael Woroniewicz, who first took on pastoral responsibility for both Ida and Dundee parishes in 2008, continues in priestly ministry at St. Gabriel alongside Rev. James Rafferty (moderator) and Rev. Christopher Muer, with Deacon David Drysdale assisting.
- Rev. James Rafferty — Moderator
- Rev. Michael Woroniewicz — Priest in Solidum / Full-Time Priest Support
- Rev. Christopher Muer — Priest in Solidum
- Deacon David Drysdale — Deacon
- Family of Parishes: South Monroe 1 (Monroe Vicariate, South Region)
Pastoral Succession
The pastoral history of the Ida community is best documented through Fr. John LaCasse, who served as pastor of St. Joseph from 1989 until his retirement due to illness in 2008. He was succeeded by Fr. Michael Woroniewicz, then pastor of neighboring St. Irene in Dundee, who took over leadership of both parishes and guided them into the 2013 merger that created St. Gabriel Parish.
- Fr. John LaCasse, pastor of St. Joseph, Ida (1989–2008)
- Rev. Michael Woroniewicz, pastor of both parishes from 2008
- 2013 merger into St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish under Woroniewicz's leadership
Sacramental Life
The parish publishes Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration times on Wednesdays at both campuses. Confession is scheduled Wednesday evenings at the Ida campus, and a shared block of Adoration and Confession is offered weekly at each church.
- Reconciliation — Wednesday 6:00 PM–6:45 PM (Ida)
- Reconciliation — Wednesday (Dundee)
- Eucharistic Adoration — Wednesday 6:00 PM–7:00 PM (Ida)
- Eucharistic Adoration — Wednesday (Dundee)
Contact and Location
The parish office is located with St. Joseph Church at 8295 Van Akin Street in Ida, Michigan (mailing address P.O. Box F, Ida, MI 48140). The parish can be reached by phone at (734) 269-3895 or by email at [email protected], and is listed in the Archdiocese of Detroit directory under parish ID 337.
- Address: 8295 Van Akin St., Ida, MI 48140 (St. Joseph Church / parish office)
- Mailing: P.O. Box F, Ida, MI 48140
- Phone: (734) 269-3895
- Email: [email protected]
- Archdiocese of Detroit parish ID: 337
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. John LaCasse1989–2008
Long-time pastor of St. Joseph, Ida; retired in 2008 due to illness.
- Rev. Michael Woroniewicz2008–present
Took over as pastor of both St. Joseph (Ida) and St. Irene (Dundee) in 2008, leading them into the 2013 merger as St. Gabriel Parish.