About St. Scholastica Catholic Church · Detroit, Michigan
St. Scholastica Parish is a Catholic church in northwest Detroit, Michigan, served by the Companions of the Cross, a society of apostolic life based in Ottawa, Canada. The parish was established in 1928 as a child parish of St. Mary of Redford and was originally founded by Sylvestrine Benedictine monks. St. Scholastica sits in the Trinity Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Detroit and, together with Presentation Our Lady of Victory Parish, forms part of the 'Central Trinity 4' Family of Parishes. The parish describes its mission as being 'a Holy Spirit filled beacon of God's love guiding all into a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ.' Today the parish gathers Sunday worshippers at 11:00 AM in a combined liturgy with Presentation Our Lady of Victory, while operating ministries that include the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Walking with Moms, and an active Eucharistic Adoration chapel.
- Established
- 1928
- Patron
- St. Scholastica of Nursia
- Rector
- Rev. Marco Kiyan Miyashiro, P.E.S. (Administrator, per the AOD directory)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (Trinity Vicariate, Central Region; Central Trinity 4 Family of Parishes)
Why belong here
St. Scholastica is a parish where worship, adoration, and outreach are tightly woven together: the Blessed Sacrament is exposed Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM, daily Mass is celebrated in English throughout the week, and a single combined Sunday liturgy at 11:00 AM gathers St. Scholastica together with Presentation Our Lady of Victory. Members care for neighbors through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Walking with Moms ministry, and the parish is led by the Companions of the Cross, a society of apostolic life whose stated mission is bringing parishioners into a 'life changing encounter with Jesus Christ.'
Mass times at St. Scholastica Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 11:30 – 11:55 AM
- Friday: 11:30 – 11:55 AM
- Saturday: 8:30 – 9:30 AM
- Sunday: 10:15 – 10:45 AM
Adoration times
- Saturday: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM (in the chapel; adoration concludes at 10:00 AM per AOD directory)
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Scholastica Parish in Detroit is part of the Archdiocese of Detroit and is served by the Companions of the Cross, a society of apostolic life headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. The parish states its mission plainly on its website: 'St Scholastica exists to be a Holy Spirit filled beacon of God's love guiding all into a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ.' It belongs to the Trinity Vicariate (Central Region) of the Archdiocese and is paired with Presentation Our Lady of Victory Parish in the Central Trinity 4 Family of Parishes.
- Parish Number: 774 (Archdiocese of Detroit directory)
- Vicariate: Trinity Vicariate, Central Region
- Family of Parishes: Central Trinity 4 (with Presentation Our Lady of Victory)
- Religious order serving the parish: Companions of the Cross (CC)
- Administrator: Rev. Marco Kiyan Miyashiro, P.E.S.
History of St. Scholastica Parish
The parish was established in 1928 as a child parish of St. Mary of Redford under the direction of Fr. Philip Bartoccetti, OSB, a Sylvestrine Benedictine. The first Mass was offered on Christmas Day 1928 to about a dozen people in a small wood-frame church. A parish hall followed in 1935 and, in 1938, the St. Sylvester Monastery was built next door as the American novitiate and headquarters of the Sylvestrine monks. The parish grew alongside Detroit's mid-century boom, peaking at nearly 3,000 families in the 1960s. The present church on West Outer Drive was completed in 1965 to seat the swelling congregation. After decades of demographic change in northwest Detroit, the Benedictines relocated their mother house to Oxford, Michigan, and the parish eventually passed into the care of the Companions of the Cross in 2019.
- 1928 — Parish founded from St. Mary of Redford by Fr. Philip Bartoccetti, OSB
- 1928 — First Mass on Christmas Day in a wood-frame church
- 1935 — Parish hall added
- 1938 — St. Sylvester Monastery blessed November 27, 1938
- 1960s — Parish peaks at ~3,000 families
- 1965 — Current church on W. Outer Drive constructed
- 2019 — Companions of the Cross invited by Archbishop Vigneron to assume pastoral care
Companions of the Cross
The Ottawa-based Companions of the Cross (CC) are a society of apostolic life now serving St. Scholastica. In 2019 Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron invited the community to relocate its U.S. base from Houston, Texas to Detroit, with St. Scholastica as their U.S. home parish. Fr. Mark Syrenne, CC, was installed as pastor on August 7, 2019; he was followed by Fr. James Lowe, CC, who led the parish through the COVID-19 pandemic with livestream Masses and creative 'adoration in a van' and drive-thru confession outreach. Companion priests at the parish compound have included Fr. Sean Wenger, CC, working in archdiocesan evangelization, and Fr. Simon Lobo, CC, who serves as Catholic chaplain at Wayne State University.
- Fr. Mark Syrenne, CC — installed August 7, 2019
- Fr. James Lowe, CC — pastor effective July 1, 2019; later administrator
- Fr. Sean Wenger, CC — archdiocesan evangelization
- Fr. Simon Lobo, CC — Catholic chaplain, Wayne State University
- Companion seminarians studying at Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Parish Ministries & Outreach
St. Scholastica runs both parish-internal ministries (leadership, retreats, formation) and external outreach. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference at the parish assists neighbors in need and can be reached through the parish office. The Walking With Moms ministry supports mothers in difficult circumstances as a pro-life outreach. The Companions of the Cross have also organized the parish's 'Fire of Holiness' retreat series — including a Sacred Heart of Jesus retreat — and have built a vibrant livestream and social-media prayer presence.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — (313) 531-0140
- Walking With Moms — (313) 531-0140
- Fire of Holiness Retreats (e.g. Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Parish Council / Leadership Team
- Livestream Mass and digital prayer ministry (Facebook, YouTube)
Devotions & Prayer Life
Beyond Sunday Mass, the parish nourishes its prayer life through weekday Mass, regular confession, and Saturday Eucharistic Adoration. The parish also publishes a Prayers page on its website to support personal and family prayer. The combined One Family Mass with Presentation Our Lady of Victory is positioned as the central weekly gathering of the parish family.
- Daily Mass (Wed, Fri, Sat)
- Saturday Eucharistic Adoration
- Prayers page on scholastica.church
- Combined One Family Mass (Sun 11:00 AM)
Visit & Contact
St. Scholastica is located at 8201 W. Outer Drive in northwest Detroit, just west of the Southfield Freeway. The parish's chapel and offices are reached at 17305 Ashton Ave, Detroit, MI 48219. Visitors can call the parish office at (313) 531-0140 or email [email protected]. Newcomers are invited to 'Join Our Parish' through an online form on the parish website.
- Address: 8201 W. Outer Drive, Detroit, MI 48219
- Chapel/office: 17305 Ashton Ave, Detroit, MI 48219
- Phone: (313) 531-0140
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: scholastica.church
- Join Our Parish form: scholastica.church/join-our-parish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Philip Bartoccetti, OSB1928–
Sylvestrine Benedictine; directed the founding of St. Scholastica from St. Mary of Redford.
- Fr. Mark Syrenne, CCInstalled August 7, 2019
Companions of the Cross; his installation formally relocated the Companions' U.S. base from Houston, Texas to Detroit.
- Fr. James Lowe, CCEffective July 1, 2019 as pastor (later administrator)
Companions of the Cross; led the parish through COVID-19 with livestream Masses and 'adoration in a van' / drive-thru confessions.
- Fr. Marco Kiyan Miyashiro, P.E.S.
Listed in the AOD directory as the current Administrator of the parish.