About St. John the Baptist [Ukrainian] · Detroit, Michigan
St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic (Byzantine Rite) parish in southwest Detroit, Michigan, founded in 1907 by Ukrainian immigrants, many of whom came from the Lemkyvshyna region of western Ukraine. The parish belongs to the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago, an eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church that covers the western United States, while the church itself sits geographically within the territory of the Roman Metropolitan Archdiocese of Detroit. The parish is well known for its distinctive domed church building at 3877 Clippert Avenue, which was substantially rebuilt after a devastating 2001 fire and re-blessed on Palm Sunday 2002, and it continues to serve Metro Detroit's Ukrainian Catholic faithful with Divine Liturgies in both English and Ukrainian.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Valeriy Kandyuk
- Diocese
- Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church); geographically located within the territory of the Roman Metropolitan Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a living Ukrainian Catholic community in southwest Detroit that has served its people for more than a century and rebuilt itself from the ashes of a 2001 fire rather than give up. It offers the Byzantine-rite Divine Liturgy in both Ukrainian and English, religious education for children each Sunday in the parish school, and a concrete witness of charity through its established Humanitarian Aid fund for Ukraine. It is also part of the larger Detroit Deanery of the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas, meaning visitors and new parishioners are welcomed into a wider Ukrainian Greek Catholic family across Michigan.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist [Ukrainian]
Weekly Mass schedule
History & Founding
St. John the Baptist was founded in 1907 when a group of Ukrainian families in southwest Detroit organized to build a Ukrainian Catholic church of their own. Michael Stefansky donated land at 3564 Cicotte, a small wooden church was built, and the community was placed under the patronage of St. John the Baptist because so many of the founding members were themselves named John. The early immigrants had largely come from Lemkyvshyna in western Ukraine, part of the great wave of Ukrainian migration to America's industrial cities that began in the 1870s; until they had their own church, they attended Latin-rite Catholic parishes nearby.
- Founded 1907 in southwest Detroit
- Land donated by Michael Stefansky at 3564 Cicotte
- First building: a small wooden church
- Parishioners largely from Lemkyvshyna, western Ukraine
- 1947 Silver Jubilee souvenir book published in English and Ukrainian
The 1917 Church Building
About a decade after the parish was founded, the community had grown enough to build the larger, domed church that defines the parish today. The new building at 3877 Clippert Avenue, completed around 1917, is described as Gothic in style with Byzantine influences — the domes in particular mark it unmistakably as an Eastern-rite Catholic church. A parish elementary school was later built next to the church, and at its peak taught generations of Ukrainian-American children both Ukrainian and English.
- Date of construction: 1917
- Architect: unknown / unrecorded
- Architectural style: Gothic with Byzantine influences
- Distinctive domes indicating an Eastern-rite church
- Parish school once served generations of Ukrainian-American children
The 2001 Fire and Rebuilding
In the early morning of August 7, 2001, a short circuit in the wiring inside the sacristy wall started a major fire. The sacristy and the roof over the apse were destroyed, along with the artwork in the apse, but the altar, iconostas, tetrapod, pews, and stained-glass windows survived. A firewall in the attic briefly held the flames back, and in what parishioners describe as a small miracle, the fire then shorted out the church-bell controls — the bells began to ring on their own, waking neighbors who called the fire department before the fire could engulf the rest of the church. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the parish school hall for several months while repairs and restoration of the artwork were carried out. The renewed church was solemnly blessed by Bishop Michael Wiwchar on Palm Sunday 2002, in time for the parish's centennial year of service.
- Fire began: early morning, August 7, 2001
- Cause: short circuit in sacristy wall wiring
- Bells shorted out and rang on their own, alerting neighbors
- Destroyed: sacristy, apse roof, apse artwork
- Saved: altar, iconostas, tetrapod, pews, stained glass
- Reblessed by Bishop Michael Wiwchar on Palm Sunday 2002
Ukrainian Catholic Identity
St. John the Baptist is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish, meaning it follows the Byzantine liturgical tradition in full communion with the Pope in Rome. Although its physical location lies within the territory of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, it actually belongs to the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago, which is part of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church's Philadelphia Metropolitanate and covers the western United States. Like all Eastern Catholic churches, it welcomes Roman Catholic visitors to attend the Divine Liturgy and receive Holy Communion.
- Byzantine (Ukrainian Greek Catholic) rite
- Part of the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago
- Geographically within the Archdiocese of Detroit's territory
- Open to Roman Catholics in communion with Rome
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Religious education for the parish's children is held every Sunday at 10:00 AM in the parish school building. Parents who wish to register their children are asked to contact the religious-education coordinator directly. The program continues the parish's century-old tradition of passing on the Ukrainian Catholic faith and language to the next generation.
- Religious Education: every Sunday at 10:00 AM in the parish school
- Coordinator: Raymond Wihak ([email protected])
- Open registration for parish children
Pastoral Staff
The parish is currently served by Rev. Valeriy Kandyuk as pastor, listed in the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Nicholas's directory of parishes. The 1947 Silver Jubilee souvenir book credits a 'Very Reverend Stephen' with leadership of the parish at that milestone in its history.
- Current pastor: Rev. Valeriy Kandyuk
- Parish phone: (313) 897-7300
- Parish fax: (313) 897-7304
- 1947 pastor: Very Reverend Stephen (per jubilee souvenir book)
Humanitarian Aid for Ukraine
St. John the Baptist has established a dedicated Humanitarian Aid Fund to support Ukraine. The parish accepts cash and checks (made payable to 'St. John the Baptist UCC' and marked 'Ukraine' on the envelope) and also offers online credit-card donations through its WeShare page, where donors can use a specific 'Help Ukraine' tab. The parish emphasizes that no amount is too small.
- Cash and checks payable to 'St. John the Baptist UCC' (mark 'Ukraine')
- Online donations via the parish's WeShare 'Help Ukraine' tab
- Run as a standing parish initiative supporting Ukraine
The Detroit Deanery of the Eparchy
St. John the Baptist is part of the Detroit Deanery of the Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago, which groups the Ukrainian Catholic parishes serving Metro Detroit and the wider state of Michigan. Sister parishes in the deanery include Immaculate Conception in Hamtramck, St. Vladimir in Warren, St. Josaphat in Warren, Holy Ascension and St. Michael the Archangel in Dearborn, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Dearborn Heights, and St. Michael in Grand Rapids, along with the Holy Transfiguration Skete at Eagle Harbor. The deanery provides a network of mutual support, joint events, and a forum for priests and faithful across the region.
- Deanery: Detroit Deanery, Eparchy of Saint Nicholas of Chicago
- Sister Ukrainian Catholic parishes across Metro Detroit and Michigan
- Eparchy is led by Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk (appointed 2017)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Valeriy Kandyuk
Listed as current pastor on the byzcath.org directory of Ukrainian Catholic parishes and the parish contact line.
- Very Reverend Stephencirca 1947
Identified as the pastor associated with the parish's 1947 Silver Jubilee souvenir book (English and Ukrainian), preserved in the HathiTrust catalog record.