About St. John the Baptist · Ypsilanti, Michigan
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Ypsilanti, Michigan, founded in 1844 by Father Thomas Cullen and situated in the Diocese of Lansing. Located at 411 Florence Street, the parish serves roughly 600 families and, since a 2012 merger with Holy Trinity Student Parish, also ministers to the Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College communities through its SJBridge campus ministry program. The parish describes its mission as forming 'a community of Spirit-filled missionary disciples of Jesus,' offering daily and weekend Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, OCIA (adult formation), youth and family faith formation, a parish food pantry, men's ministry, and a high school youth group.
- Established
- 1844
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Daniel Westermann
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing (Roman/Latin Rite)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist is a parish with deep roots in Ypsilanti (since 1844) that still has the heartbeat of a missionary community. Parishioners benefit from a full sacramental schedule — daily Mass Monday through Saturday, two Sunday Masses with the 9 AM one livestreamed, weekly confession, and Eucharistic Adoration four days a week plus an all-night First Friday vigil. The parish invests directly in families and young people through Family Faith Formation on Sunday afternoons, a thriving High School Youth Ministry that meets every other Saturday night, the SJBridge missionary team evangelizing students at Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College, an active Men's Ministry, a Thursday-evening Food Pantry, marriage formation, and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) for those entering the Church. If you want a parish that takes both the liturgy and the work of evangelization seriously — and welcomes college students alongside lifelong Ypsilanti families — St. John the Baptist is built for exactly that.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Tuesday: 6:30 PM
- Friday: 11:00 AM
- Saturday: 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:45 PM (Adoration Chapel)
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Adoration Chapel)
- Friday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Adoration Chapel)
- First Fridays: All-Night Adoration from Friday 1:00 PM until Saturday 7:45 AM
Our History and Heritage
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church traces its origins to the first Catholic worship in Ypsilanti in 1839, when a roofless timber structure served as the community's first Catholic church. The parish itself was formally founded in 1844 by Father Thomas Cullen, who built a small wooden church at Cross and Hamilton Streets. A brick church replaced it in 1858; the present church building dates to 1933. Over the decades, three other Ypsilanti parishes — St. Alexis, St. Ursula, and the Holy Trinity Student Chapel at EMU — merged into St. John the Baptist, and in 2012 Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing formally merged Holy Trinity Student Parish into the parish effective September 3, 2012. The parish website hosts a detailed history written by Dennis Zimmer in 2006 and published in Ypsilanti Gleanings.
- 1839: First Catholic church in Ypsilanti (open timbers, no roof)
- 1844: Parish founded by Father Thomas Cullen
- 1858: Brick church built, replacing the original wooden structure
- 1865: Original Catholic Cemetery purchased on St. John's Street
- 1888: Father William DeBever acquires the River Street cemetery
- 1923: Old cemetery sold to the State of Michigan for the Normal School expansion; Sacred Heart Statue erected honoring Father Frank Kennedy
- 1933: Current church edifice built
- 2012: Holy Trinity Student Parish merged into St. John the Baptist
Mission and Identity
The parish states its mission plainly on its website: 'We exist to form a community of Spirit-filled missionary disciples of Jesus.' Everything — daily Mass, Adoration, OCIA, Family Faith Formation, High School Ministry, SJBridge, Men's Ministry, the Food Pantry — flows from that missionary-disciple identity. The parish also provides a free subscription to FORMED (digital Catholic books, audio talks, movies, documentaries, and studies) for every parishioner household.
- Mission: 'Spirit-filled missionary disciples of Jesus'
- Parish motto shapes all programming and outreach
- Free FORMED digital Catholic library subscription available to parishioners
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
The parish runs the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) for anyone exploring the Catholic faith. Formation begins each September with the 'What the Church Teaches' series on Mondays at 6:30 PM in the Parish Life Center, covering the Sacraments, the Liturgy, Catholic moral teaching, Catholic social teaching, being Catholic in a secular world, and discerning God's plan. The full process spans about 25 weeks (including breaks) and concludes with reception of the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil.
- Unbaptized adults seeking entry into the Church
- Adults baptized in another Christian denomination desiring to become Catholic
- Baptized Catholics who have not yet received Holy Communion and/or Confirmation
- Begins with 'What the Church Teaches' Mondays at 6:30 PM in the PLC
Family Faith Formation
Family Formation is open to all families at every stage — infants through high schoolers — and meets Sunday afternoons after the 11:00 AM Mass. The goal is for parents and children to grow together as disciples in community, supported by the whole parish.
- Sunday afternoons after the 11 AM Mass
- Open to families with children of all ages
- Family-oriented model of formation
High School Youth Ministry
The parish's High School Ministry meets every other Saturday night from 7:00–9:00 PM in the Parish Life Center (PLC). Each gathering combines social time, a brief formation session, and praise and worship. Registration is not required — students can simply show up and join at any point, including those who have recently been Confirmed.
- Gathers every other Saturday 7:00–9:00 PM in the PLC
- Social time + formation + praise and worship
- No registration or RSVP needed
Campus Ministry — SJBridge
SJBridge is the parish's signature outreach to college students at Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College. Started by Pastor Fr. Dan Westermann and Director of Campus Ministry Sr. Lisa Zelfa, SGL, it invites student missionaries to make a committed year of discipleship while hosting events and reaching peers. The team meets weekly on Thursdays, sets up tables in student unions, and invites students to Mass and Adoration. Two Catholic households (a men's house and a women's house) were formed as intentional living communities to anchor the work.
- Founded under Fr. Dan Westermann and Sr. Lisa Zelfa
- Reaches students at Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College
- Weekly Thursday gatherings + outreach in student unions
- Two student intentional-living households
- Director: Sr. Lisa Zelfa, SGL; Campus Minister: Emily Hall
Men's Ministry and Marriage Formation
Bob Thornton serves as Coordinator of Men's Ministry, providing formation and fellowship opportunities for the men of the parish. The parish also runs a Marriage Formation program for engaged couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony.
- Men's Ministry coordinated by Bob Thornton
- Marriage Formation covering weddings and sacramental prep
Parish Food Pantry
St. John the Baptist operates a parish Food Pantry that is open Thursday evenings to serve those facing food insecurity in the Ypsilanti community — a concrete expression of missionary discipleship beyond the parish walls.
- Open Thursday evenings
- Parish-run outreach to the wider Ypsilanti community
Parish Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Daniel Westermann, assisted by four permanent deacons and a substantial lay and religious staff covering worship, discipleship, youth, campus ministry, men's ministry, office management, and facilities. The pastoral team also works closely with the SJBridge missionary team for campus outreach.
- Pastor: Rev. Daniel Westermann
- Deacons: Jon Bokuniewicz, Wayne Charlton, Curtis Scholl, Mark Millage
- Director of Discipleship: Mariano Sastre
- Director of Worship: Brooks Bradley
- Director of Youth Discipleship: Gordon Kangas
- Coordinator of Men's Ministry: Bob Thornton
- Director of Campus Ministry: Sr. Lisa Zelfa, SGL
- Campus Minister: Emily Hall
- Office Manager: Sr. Mary Zielinski
- Receptionist: Anna Wells
- Business Manager: John Recznik
- Lead Facilities Maintenance: Tracy Pope; Ernie Angove; Eleonor Welker
St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery
The parish maintains its own Catholic Cemetery on River Street in Ypsilanti. The original 1865 cemetery on St. John's Street was sold to the State of Michigan in 1923 to make way for the expansion of the Normal School (now EMU); remains were transferred to the River Street property. The Sacred Heart Statue at the cemetery entrance was erected in 1923 to honor Father Frank Kennedy, who served the parish as pastor for thirty years. The Washtenaw County Historic District Commission has placed a historical marker at the site.
- Original 1865 cemetery on St. John's Street
- River Street cemetery acquired 1888 by Father William DeBever
- Old cemetery sold to State of Michigan in 1923
- Sacred Heart Statue erected 1923 in honor of Father Frank Kennedy (30-year pastor)
- Washtenaw County historical marker on site
Visit, Connect, and Give
Parishioners and visitors can register as a family through the parish website, join the parish mailing list, and access a free FORMED subscription for Catholic digital content. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM (closed for lunch from Noon to 1:00 PM).
- Online Family Registration available on the parish website
- Parish mailing list for schedule, events, and ministry updates
- Free FORMED subscription for parishioners
- Office open Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–3:30 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–1:30 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Robert Roggenbuck2012 (named pastor of merged parish)
Named pastor when Holy Trinity Student Parish was merged into St. John the Baptist effective September 3, 2012.
- Rev. Daniel Westermann
Current pastor (as of the parish website); along with Sr. Lisa Zelfa launched the SJBridge campus ministry program reaching EMU and WCC students.
- Father Thomas Cullen1844 –
Founder of the parish; built the first wooden church at Cross and Hamilton Streets.
- Father William DeBever1888
Purchased the River Street cemetery land, to which the older graves were moved.
- Father Frank Kennedyserved 30 years
Long-serving pastor honored by the Sacred Heart Statue erected at the cemetery entrance in 1923.