About St. Mary Cathedral · Lansing, Michigan
St. Mary Cathedral (formally the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing, Michigan, located at 219 Seymour Avenue one block north of the Michigan State Capitol in downtown Lansing. It is both the seat of the diocesan bishop — housing the cathedra, or bishop's chair — and an active parish in its own right. Built in 1911–1913 to a Late Gothic Revival design by Lansing architect Edwyn A. Bowd, the cathedral is faced in Indiana limestone with Munich-made stained glass and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (added 1990). Beyond Sunday and weekday Masses, the cathedral hosts diocesan ordinations, the annual Chrism Mass, regional confirmations, perpetual adoration on Fridays, and a number of devotional and outreach ministries serving Lansing's broader Catholic community.
- Established
- 1866
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (also: St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. (Very Rev.) Karl L. Pung (current rector, in office since June 2017). Note: Diocese of Lansing clergy assignments effective July 1, 2026 name Very Rev. Mark Rutherford as the incoming pastor and Judicial Vicar, with Fr. Pung reassigned as Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, East Lansing, while remaining Episcopal Vicar for Clergy.
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing
Why belong here
St. Mary Cathedral offers something rare among parishes: it is simultaneously the diocese's mother church — where the diocesan Chrism Mass, ordinations, and regional confirmations are celebrated — and a working parish with a downtown, walkable location one block north of the State Capitol. Father Pung has described it as 'a place of refuge and discernment for Christians on the way' and 'a home for everybody in the diocese in a particular way.' Daily 12:05 PM weekday Mass draws office workers and downtown residents; perpetual Eucharistic adoration runs most Friday afternoons with Benediction; and the parish hosts traditional devotions such as Mother of Perpetual Help and St. Anthony on Tuesdays, plus an active St. Vincent de Paul conference, a Knights of Columbus council, a robust Cathedral Choir, a parish library, and a weekly Welcome Wednesday fellowship for adults. If you want to belong to a parish rooted in the wider life of the diocese while still feeling like a neighborhood community, St. Mary Cathedral is built for exactly that.
Mass times at St. Mary Cathedral
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (most Thursdays)
- Thursday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Adoration times
- Every Friday: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament immediately following the 12:05 PM Mass, with Benediction at 5:45 PM
- Last Wednesday of the month: 7:00–8:00 PM in the Crypt with the Welcome Wednesday group
- First Friday: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament traditionally 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Devotions
Long-running Marian and saintly devotions are a hallmark of parish life at St. Mary Cathedral. Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions are held on Tuesdays following the 5:15 PM Mass in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel (depending on priest availability, check the current bulletin), and St. Anthony Devotions follow immediately after. All are welcome to these opportunities for prayer.
- Mother of Perpetual Help Devotions — Tuesdays after 5:15 PM Mass, Blessed Sacrament Chapel
- St. Anthony Devotions — Tuesdays, after Perpetual Help
Our Church History
Catholic life in Lansing predates the city: the first Mass was celebrated in the log home of Thomas and Eleanora Saier; the Saiers donated land on Chestnut Street for a church begun in 1856 and dedicated in 1864. In 1866 Fr. Louis Van Driss became Lansing's first resident priest and St. Mary Parish was canonically established, with a parish school opening in 1872 staffed by the Sisters of Charity from 1874. Fr. Lafayette Isadore Brancheau arrived in 1897 and led the effort to build a much larger church on the present Seymour Avenue site (purchased 1900; temporary church 1903). The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1911 and the present Gothic Revival cathedral was consecrated on December 8, 1913, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. When the Diocese of Lansing was erected in 1937, St. Mary became its cathedral and Bishop Joseph Albers became its first ordinary. The cathedral has hosted multiple renovations (1954, 1967–68, 1986–87, 1995 parish center, 2021 front doors) and two major anniversaries: the 2013 centennial of the building and the 2016 sesquicentennial of the parish. Holy Cross Parish merged into St. Mary Cathedral on June 21, 2009.
- 1856 — first church begun on Chestnut Street
- 1866 — St. Mary Parish established; Fr. Louis Van Driss, first resident priest
- 1872 — parish school opens; 1874 — Sisters of Charity arrive
- 1897 — Fr. Lafayette Isadore Brancheau arrives
- 1900 — present Seymour Avenue site purchased; 1903 — temporary church built
- July 4, 1911 — cornerstone laid by Bishop Edward D. Kelly
- December 8, 1913 — cathedral consecrated to the Immaculate Conception
- 1923 — Munich stained glass installed
- May 22, 1937 — Diocese of Lansing erected; St. Mary named cathedral
- 1967–68 — sanctuary remodeled under Bishop Zaleski
- 1986–87 — partial restoration under Bishop Povish
- July 1995 — new parish center dedicated
- June 21, 2009 — Holy Cross Parish merged into St. Mary Cathedral
- 2013 — centennial of the building; 2016 — 150th anniversary of the parish
- 2021 — new front doors installed
Architecture and Heritage
St. Mary Cathedral is a Late Gothic Revival (Norman-Gothic) cruciform church designed by Lansing architect Edwyn A. Bowd and constructed 1911–1913. Walls of rock-face limestone (hauled in by local farm families) are faced in Indiana limestone over a granite foundation, with a red ceramic tile gable roof. The façade has a central Gothic portal flanked by two smaller portals, a recessed rose window, and two large square towers of unequal height (the taller carrying the belfry). Inside, the nave measures 108 × 63 feet with terrazzo floors and a vaulted plaster ceiling reaching about 50 feet. Notable artistic features include a marble Last Supper carving from the 1913 high altar, painted Stations of the Cross, 39 pictorial and ~40 non-pictorial stained glass windows (Munich-made), and the Eucharistic Chapel windows honoring St. Cecilia, King David, and a choir of angels. The cathedral houses an organ and five bells in the rear balcony. The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on November 2, 1990 (NRHP #90001716).
- Architect: Edwyn A. Bowd
- Style: Late Gothic Revival / Norman-Gothic
- Materials: rock-face and Indiana limestone; granite foundation; red ceramic tile roof
- Capacity (1913): approximately 1,400
- Construction cost: about $135,000
- Stained glass: Munich, Germany, installed 1923
- NRHP reference #90001716 — listed November 2, 1990
Parish Ministries and Groups
Parish life at the cathedral blends traditional devotional, social-justice, and fellowship activities. The St. Vincent de Paul Society makes home visits and helps with rent, utilities, furniture, food, and clothing — meeting every other Wednesday at 1:00 PM on the second floor of the parish center. The Knights of Columbus is active at the cathedral and partners with the Director of Religious Education to run a parish library located in the Parish Hall coat room. The Cathedral Choir, under Music Director Michael Garnett, regularly joins other diocesan choirs for ordinations and major liturgies. Bereavement and hunger ministries round out the parish's outreach profile.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (home visits, financial assistance; biweekly Wednesdays 1 PM)
- Knights of Columbus
- Parish Library
- Cathedral Choir (Michael Garnett, Music Director)
- Bereavement Ministry
- Hunger Ministry
Welcome Wednesday
Welcome Wednesday is the cathedral's signature adult fellowship — open to anyone 18 and up, single or married, Catholic or not. The group meets every Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM on the second floor of the Parish Hall (elevator accessible) for prayer, discussion, games, and community. Activities have included parties, game nights, speed-friending, art projects, vocations discussions, and prayer time with Adoration and praise-and-worship music. The Last Wednesday of each month includes an hour of adoration in the Crypt (7:00–8:00 PM). A weekly newsletter is available via Flocknote.
- Who: Adults 18+, single or married; Catholic and non-Catholic welcome
- When: Every Wednesday 7:00–8:30 PM
- Where: 2nd Floor Parish Hall, St. Mary Cathedral
- Last Wednesday: Adoration in the Crypt 7:00–8:00 PM
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
The cathedral offers Sacramental Preparation for children following a Readiness Model: parents and children work through levels of questions and answers about the Catholic faith, with two Sacramental Preparation Retreats required before receiving the Sacraments. Following the Diocese of Lansing's Restored Order, children typically prepare for Reconciliation, Confirmation, and First Eucharist (in that order) around the age of reason, generally about age 7. For older students, the cathedral runs an annual Confirmation Preparation program for high-schoolers — Tuesday evenings 6:30–8:00 PM in the Parish Hall, with a December retreat at St. Francis Retreat Center and a spring Confirmation rite.
- Children's Sacramental Preparation (Reconciliation, Confirmation in the restored order, First Eucharist)
- Two required Sacramental Preparation Retreats each year
- High-school Confirmation Preparation — Tuesdays 6:30–8:00 PM
- December Confirmation Retreat at St. Francis Retreat Center
Diocesan Role: Ordinations, Chrism Mass, and the Cathedra
As the cathedral of the Diocese of Lansing, St. Mary is the home of the cathedra — the bishop's chair — and serves as the gathering church for the diocese's major liturgical events. The annual Chrism Mass is celebrated on Holy Thursday morning (10:30 AM), at which Bishop Earl Boyea consecrates the Oil of the Sick, Oil of Catechumens, and Sacred Chrism used throughout the diocese for the coming year. The cathedral also hosts presbyterate (priesthood) ordinations, regional confirmation services, and similar diocesan celebrations. During the 2015–2016 Year of Mercy it was the only site in the diocese designated with a Door of Mercy for the gaining of plenary indulgences.
- Chrism Mass — Holy Thursday, 10:30 AM
- Presbyterate ordinations — Cathedral Choir joins diocesan choirs
- Regional confirmation services
- Cathedra — Bishop's chair housed in the cathedral
Clergy and Staff
Very Rev. Karl L. Pung has served as rector since June 2017 and is also the diocese's Episcopal Vicar for Clergy, with offices at St. Mary Cathedral. Fr. Pung was ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary in 1997. He is supported by parish staff for liturgy, faith formation, religious education, music, and outreach. The Diocese of Lansing's 2026 clergy assignments, effective July 1, 2026, name Very Rev. Mark Rutherford as the incoming pastor and Judicial Vicar, with Fr. Pung reassigned as Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing while remaining Episcopal Vicar for Clergy.
- Rector: Very Rev. Karl L. Pung (since June 2017)
- Pastoral contact: 517-484-5331
- Email: [email protected]
- Effective July 1, 2026 — Very Rev. Mark Rutherford named Pastor and Judicial Vicar
Getting Involved — Volunteering
The parish maintains a robust list of volunteer opportunities that cut across ministries, formation, outreach, and hospitality. Newcomers are encouraged to begin with Welcome Wednesday as an easy on-ramp, while longer-term commitments include the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Knights of Columbus, music ministry, religious education, and liturgical volunteer roles.
- Welcome Wednesday Group
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Knights of Columbus
- Cathedral Choir and Music Ministry
- Religious Education / Faith Formation volunteers
- Liturgical volunteer roles
Planning Your Visit
Located at 219 Seymour Avenue — one block north of the Michigan State Capitol — St. Mary Cathedral is a natural stop for visitors to Lansing's downtown and capitol square. The cathedral's twin neo-Gothic towers are visible from blocks away and visually pair with the Capitol's neoclassical dome. Visitors are welcome at any Mass; downtown parking and CATA bus service serve the area. Accessibility is supported through the parish-hall elevator used by the Welcome Wednesday group. Confession is offered Thursday and Saturday afternoons and Thursday evenings.
- Address: 219 Seymour Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933
- Phone: 517-484-5331
- Downtown Lansing, one block north of the State Capitol
- Confession: Thu 11:30 AM and 7:00 PM; Sat 2:00 PM
- Friday Adoration with Benediction at 5:45 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Louis Van Driss1866–
First resident priest in Lansing, credited with establishing St. Mary Parish.
- Fr. Lafayette Isadore Brancheau1897–
Came to the parish in 1897; founder of the present cathedral building. Led construction that began in 1911 and was dedicated in 1913.
- Msgr. James A. Murraythrough 1995 and after
Pastor under whom the new parish center was built and dedicated by Bishop Povish in July 1995.
- Msgr. Bernard Reillythrough at least 2016–2017
Rector during the 2016 150th parish jubilee; quoted in diocesan coverage of the cathedral's history.
- Very Rev. Karl L. PungJune 2017–present
Ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary in 1997; named Rector of St. Mary Cathedral in June 2017; also serves as Episcopal Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Lansing. Scheduled to move to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, East Lansing, effective July 1, 2026.