About St. Maria Goretti (formerly St. Sebastian) · Dearborn Heights, Michigan
St. Maria Goretti Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, in the Archdiocese of Detroit, that worships at the former St. Sebastian site on Colgate Street. It was formed on August 17, 2020 by the merger of three Dearborn Heights parishes — St. Sebastian (founded 1949), St. Albert the Great (founded 1955), and St. John the Baptist (founded 1926 by Polish-American immigrants) — under a decree of Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, in response to a decade-long decline in registered households and the financial strain of maintaining three aging campuses. The parish took its new name from St. Maria Goretti, the young virgin-martyr canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950, and is led by Very Rev. Canon Walter Ptak.
- Established
- 2020
- Patron
- St. Maria Goretti (Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr, canonized 1950 by Pope Pius XII)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Canon Walter Ptak
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
Why belong here
St. Maria Goretti offers the rhythm of a classic neighborhood parish — four Sunday Masses, daily Mass Monday through Friday with a special 12:00 pm Mass on First Fridays, First Saturday morning Mass, plus First Friday Eucharistic Adoration and a weekly online Divine Mercy Chaplet — combined with hands-on outreach through its St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry and a working calendar of parish groups. Because it was formed from three long-standing Dearborn Heights parishes, it carries forward the welcoming, small-community feel of St. Sebastian while uniting their ministries under one roof.
Mass times at St. Maria Goretti (formerly St. Sebastian)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM
- Also by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of each month: 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
Parish History
St. Maria Goretti Parish was created August 17, 2020 from the merger of St. John the Baptist (founded 1926 by Polish-American immigrants), St. Sebastian (founded June 14, 1949) and St. Albert the Great (founded 1955). All three Dearborn Heights parishes had suffered sharp declines in registered households and sacraments since 2010, and the Archdiocese of Detroit, under Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, judged that uniting them at the St. Sebastian campus would allow the community to address past-due obligations and deferred maintenance. The new parish was named for the young virgin-martyr canonized in 1950.
St. Sebastian: The Worship Site
St. Sebastian Church, the parish's home since the merger, was built in 1950 on land in southeast Dearborn Heights, dedicated by Cardinal Edward Mooney on December 3, 1950, with a bell donated by St. Mary's Hospital. Under Fr. William Brennan the interior was renovated in 1985 with a new altar, lectern, candlesticks and celebrant's chair that remained in use. A parish school opened in 1952 in ten classrooms and was later expanded to 24.
Devotions and Prayer Life
Beyond Mass and the Sacraments, the parish keeps a small but consistent devotional rhythm — including a weekly online Divine Mercy Chaplet on Fridays and the traditional First Friday/First Saturday observances — and lists the Perpetual Help Devotion among its regular devotions.
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Fridays at 3:00 PM via Zoom (ID 854 7805 5945; phone 1-312-626-6799)
- Perpetual Help Devotion
- First Friday Mass (12:00 PM) and First Friday Adoration
- First Saturday Mass (8:00 AM)
Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is described on the parish homepage as 'a ministry of the church that provides food to people in need.' It continues the food pantry that operated under St. Sebastian before the merger, now operating under the new parish name.
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry — open regularly; donations always needed
- Saint Vincent de Paul Conference
Parish Ministries and Groups
St. Maria Goretti's ministries span liturgical service, music, formation and parish life. The parish bulletins list music, liturgical and hospitality groups alongside faith formation and the parish food pantry.
- Music Ministry
- Altar Servers
- Art & Environment
- Eucharistic Ministry (EME)
- Funeral Sacristan Ministry
- Lectors
- Ushers / Ushers Club
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Faith Formation
Sacraments
Information on the website centers on Mass, Reconciliation and First Friday/First Saturday practices. Sacramental preparation (Baptism, Marriage, etc.) is handled through the parish office during its Monday–Thursday hours.
- Eucharist — see Mass schedule
- Reconciliation — Saturdays 3:00–3:30 PM and by appointment
- First Friday Adoration
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing — by arrangement through the parish office
Parish Office and Contact
The parish office serves the community Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and is closed on Fridays; after-hours calls are reserved for emergencies. Mail, email and the parish Facebook group provide other ways to stay in touch.
- Office: 20710 Colgate St., Dearborn Heights, MI 48125
- Phone: (313) 562-5356
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–1:00 PM (closed Friday)
- Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/st.mariagoretti48125
Getting Involved
Parish bulletins and announcements invite parishioners into the life of the parish — joining one of the liturgical ministries, volunteering with the food pantry, taking part in the weekly Divine Mercy Chaplet on Zoom, or simply attending one of the four Sunday Masses. Bulletins are available on the parish website for current news.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Edmund B. Dommer1949–1954
Founding pastor of St. Sebastian Parish (one of the three predecessor parishes); died November 1954.
- Fr. F. L. Van Hout1954–1970
Successor at St. Sebastian; paid off the parish debt and oversaw the 1965 school expansion to 24 classrooms; retired after 26 years.
- Fr. William Brennan1970–2003
33-year pastor of St. Sebastian; directed the 1985 church renovations and was honored by the dedication of the Fr. William Brennan Activity Building on April 26, 1997.
- Very Rev. Canon Walter Ptak2017–present
Became pastor of St. Sebastian in July 2017; continued as pastor through the 2020 merger to form St. Maria Goretti.
- Fr. Joseph Triano, S.S.P.1980s–2007
Member of the Society of St. Paul who assisted at St. Sebastian for decades; memorialized by a portrait near the sacristy.