About St. John (golf chapel) · Plymouth, Michigan
St. John Chapel (now officially renamed the Chapel of Saints Mary and Joseph to distinguish it from the rest of the resort complex) sits on the grounds of the former St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan, part of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Built in 1955 as the seminary's chapel, its soaring Romanesque Revival architecture — Botticini marble, hand-carved details, cathedral cedar ceilings, stained glass and a mezzanine Bridal Suite — make it one of the most photographed Catholic wedding venues in southeast Michigan. The chapel is operated under a long-term lease between the Pulte family estate (which now owns the surrounding Saint John's Resort) and the Archdiocese of Detroit, and remains a working Catholic worship space devoted largely to wedding ministry and occasional Masses.
- Established
- 1955
- Patron
- St. John (chapel of the former St. John's Provincial Seminary; currently renamed Chapel of Saints Mary and Joseph)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
The Chapel of Saints Mary and Joseph is not a typical weekend parish but a working Catholic chapel maintained by the Archdiocese of Detroit for sacramental celebrations — most notably weddings — in one of the most architecturally striking sacred spaces in the Archdiocese. Catholics who have been married here, or whose families were formed here, frequently keep a deep devotion to it. It continues to host Masses and sacramental celebrations by arrangement with the Archdiocese under a long-term lease with the Pulte family, the new owners of Saint John's Resort.
History of St. John's Seminary and the Chapel
Plans for St. John's Provincial Seminary were drawn up in 1936 under Cardinal Edward Mooney of Detroit, but the project was shelved by World War II. Construction finally began in the late 1940s, and the seminary opened in 1949 on 170 acres in Plymouth as the first major seminary owned and operated jointly by a province of American dioceses — Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Marquette, and later Gaylord and Kalamazoo. The Sulpicians staffed and administered the school until 1971. The seminary chapel, St. John Chapel, was dedicated on May 12, 1955, featuring around fifty stained glass windows made by Detroit Stained Glass Works. In its prime the school hosted roughly 200 seminarians and was a pioneer in admitting lay and religious men and women to its graduate theology programs. Declining enrollment after Vatican II made the seven-diocese subsidy unsustainable, and on June 7, 1988, St. John's closed and its theology school was merged into Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. The campus lay largely dormant for six years. In 1994 Cardinal Adam J. Maida, working with local Catholic philanthropists including homebuilder William J. Pulte, launched a three-phase redevelopment: a youth-and-family retreat center opened in 1996 on the south side, a 27-hole golf and conference center held its grand opening in October 2000, and in 2005–2006 a 450-seat grand ballroom, 118-room hotel (The Inn at St. John's), and fine-dining steakhouse were added.
- Seminary conceived 1936 under Cardinal Mooney; opened 1949; chapel dedicated May 12, 1955.
- Stained glass by Detroit Stained Glass Works.
- Stafafed by the Sulpicians from 1949 until their withdrawal in 1971.
- First rector: Fr. Lyman A. Fenn.
- Closed June 7, 1988; theologate merged into Sacred Heart Major Seminary.
- 1996: St. John's Center for Youth and Family opens on the south side.
- 1998: Redevelopment into a Catholic conference, wedding, and celebration campus begins.
- October 2000: Grand Opening of St. John's Golf & Conference Center.
- 2005: 450-seat grand ballroom added.
- 2006: The Inn at St. John's hotel opens.
The 2024 Sale and the Chapel's Catholic Future
On July 30, 2024 the Archdiocese of Detroit sold the Inn at St. John's complex — hotel, conference center, golf, and grounds — to Pulte Family Management SJ LLC, the family estate of the late Catholic philanthropist William J. Pulte. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron said the decision was driven in part by 'the considerable challenges of a Catholic organization operating a hotel conference center — especially during the pandemic.' As part of the agreement the archdiocese retained a long-term lease on the chapel, which was rededicated as the Chapel of Saints Mary and Joseph to mark its identity as a separately operated Catholic worship space. Archbishop Vigneron stated, 'I am particularly glad to share that the onsite chapel will remain available for Catholic weddings and other Masses.' Proceeds from the sale were directed toward missionary initiatives and evangelization in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
- Property sold by the Archdiocese of Detroit on July 30, 2024.
- Buyer: Pulte Family Management SJ LLC (estate of William J. Pulte).
- Archdiocese retains long-term lease on the chapel.
- Chapel renamed Chapel of Saints Mary and Joseph.
- Net profits continue to support charitable, educational, and humanitarian initiatives locally and globally.
Architecture and Sacred Art
The 1940s seminary complex was designed in a Romanesque Revival idiom with Romanesque archways, wide-open spaces, and a grand bell tower — the kind of imposing ecclesiastical silhouette Cardinal Mooney favored for the new major seminary. Inside the chapel itself, the most striking elements cited by the resort's own wedding pages are its soaring cathedral cedar ceilings, hand-carved details, Botticini marble, stained glass, gold accents, heated floors, and an upstairs Bridal Suite within the chapel structure. Approximately fifty stained glass windows were designed, crafted, and installed by Detroit Stained Glass Works when the chapel was dedicated in 1955.
- Romanesque Revival seminary and chapel exterior
- Cathedral cedar ceilings and hand-carved woodwork
- Botticini marble, stained glass, and gold accents
- About 50 stained glass windows by Detroit Stained Glass Works (1955)
- Mezzanine Bridal Suite inside the chapel
Catholic Wedding Ministry
The chapel's primary ongoing ministry is Catholic weddings, hosted for couples of the Archdiocese of Detroit and beyond. Archbishop Vigneron specifically praised the chapel for serving 'as a reverential and holy backdrop for countless Catholic wedding ceremonies,' and the Archdiocese of Detroit lists the chapel in its official parish/chapel directory. The resort's wedding team coordinates with the archdiocese's leased chapel ministry to schedule Catholic nuptial Masses and ceremonies, alongside secular ceremonies elsewhere on the grounds (such as the Garden Pavilion).
- Listed in the Archdiocese of Detroit chapel directory
- Wedding ceremonies scheduled with the archdiocese's chapel ministry
- Garden Pavilion available for non-Catholic or non-religious ceremonies
Saint John's Resort Today (Golf, Hotel, Dining)
Under Pulte family ownership the property has been rebranded as Saint John's Resort and continues to operate as a luxury hotel, conference, and golf destination. The Cardinal — designed by Raymond Hearn, founding principal of Raymond Hearn Golf Course Designs — is an 18-hole public course and the first high-end public layout to open in metro Detroit in more than twenty years, joined by The Little Cardinal and The Cardinal Putting Course. Amenities include Five Steakhouse, The Wine Grotto, the Atrium (a glass-ceilinged reception space), The Monarch Ballroom (17,000 sq ft, up to 1,500 guests), Doyles Irish Pub, a four-season heated Trackman driving range, and 118 guestrooms. The resort says 100% of net profits are donated to nonprofit, educational, and humanitarian initiatives locally and globally.
- The Cardinal championship course by Raymond Hearn
- The Little Cardinal and The Cardinal Putting Course
- Five Steakhouse, The Wine Grotto, Doyles Irish Pub
- Atrium and The Monarch Ballroom (1,500 capacity)
- 118 luxury guestrooms and conference center
Sources and Further Reading
Background on the chapel comes from the Archdiocese of Detroit's Sharing the Light communications, the official Saint John's Resort website, detroitcatholic.com coverage of the 2024 sale, and the Wikipedia article on St. John's Provincial Seminary.