About St. Suzanne/ Our Lady Gate of Heaven · Detroit, Michigan
St. Suzanne / Our Lady Gate of Heaven is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Detroit serving the Cody Rouge neighborhood on Detroit's far west side. The parish was formed by the merger of two historic west-side parishes — Our Lady Gate of Heaven (founded 1927) and St. Suzanne (founded 1946) — and today worships in the 1961-62 St. Suzanne church on Westwood Street. Beyond Sunday and weekday Mass, the parish is widely known for the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center, a 50,000-square-foot former school building reopened in 2018 that houses more than twenty partner agencies serving neighborhood families with education, food, legal aid, child care, athletics, and arts programming.
- Established
- 1927 (Our Lady Gate of Heaven); 1946 (St. Suzanne); merged 2002/2003
- Patron
- St. Suzanne; Our Lady Gate of Heaven
- Rector
- Rev. Marko Djonovic
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Detroit)
Why belong here
St. Suzanne / Our Lady Gate of Heaven is a small but mission-driven Catholic parish rooted in Detroit's Cody Rouge neighborhood for nearly a century. The community gathers for Sunday and weekday Mass in a 1962 church whose Conrad Pickel stained-glass windows are still admired today, and parishioners support an active food pantry, clothing closet, memorial prayer board, and a robust sacramental life. What truly sets this parish apart is its stewardship of the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center, where the former 24-classroom school now houses more than twenty partner organizations serving neighborhood families — making it a parish where worship and concrete service to the surrounding community are inseparable.
Mass times at St. Suzanne/ Our Lady Gate of Heaven
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — contact the parish office to schedule Confessions, Baptisms, Confirmations, and Marriages.
Parish Identity & Mission
St. Suzanne – Our Lady Gate of Heaven Catholic Community describes itself as 'a community of disciples of Jesus, who witness, celebrate and announce the Kingdom of God in this West Detroit area.' The parish's mission statement commits its members to using their time, treasures and talents to respond to the needs of both the faith community and the surrounding neighborhood community — a vision that is lived out concretely through the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center next door.
History of Our Lady Gate of Heaven (1927–2003)
Our Lady Gate of Heaven Catholic Church was founded in 1927 on the west side of Detroit by Irish and Polish immigrants. A small parish hall was built on the corner of West Chicago and St. Mary's, and in 1946 a combination school and church was built and administered by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. By 1986 the parish had shrunk to about 150 families; in September 1988 it was among 43 parishes recommended for closure by the Archdiocese of Detroit, and instead began sharing a priest with nearby St. Suzanne. The school building was leased to Detroit Public Schools in 1994 and reopened as Erma Henderson Lower School. In 2002/2003 Our Lady Gate of Heaven merged fully with St. Suzanne parish, and its records were transferred to St. Suzanne. The original Our Lady Gate of Heaven church building at 9555 St. Mary's Street was later sold to other ministries and is no longer a Catholic parish.
- Founded 1927 on Detroit's west side
- Original hall at corner of West Chicago and St. Mary's
- 1946 combination school/church administered by Adrian Dominican Sisters
- Shared a priest with St. Suzanne beginning late 1980s
- Merged with St. Suzanne in 2002/2003; records now at St. Suzanne
History of St. Suzanne (1946–present)
St. Suzanne was founded in 1946 by Cardinal Edward Mooney, with Father Victor Lorenz appointed as the first pastor. The new parish initially celebrated Mass at nearby Mann Elementary School until the rectory and first church building were completed in 1947. In 1950 the first part of the convent and the first four classrooms (rooms 101–104) were added. Ground was broken for the permanent church structure in September 1961; in the cornerstone Father Lorenz placed the names of the priests, teachers and students of the parish along with copies of the three Detroit daily newspapers. The completed church was dedicated in December 1962 by Cardinal John Dearden and remains the parish's worship home today.
- Founded 1946 by Cardinal Mooney
- Father Victor Lorenz, founding pastor
- Rectory and first church completed 1947
- First convent and classrooms (101–104) built 1950
- Permanent church ground broken September 1961
- Church dedicated December 1962 by Cardinal Dearden
The 2002/2003 Merger
After more than 50 years as separate parishes, St. Suzanne and Our Lady Gate of Heaven united into a single parish family, choosing to keep the St. Suzanne name and continue worship in the 1962 Westwood Street church. The combined parish's own About page dates the merger to 2002, while the Archdiocese of Detroit's closed-parishes register records Our Lady Gate of Heaven as having operated from 1927 to 2003. Today the parish celebrates 'Faith, Friendship & Worship' as one united family.
Architecture & Sacred Art
The present St. Suzanne church was built 1961–62 on Westwood Street and dedicated by Cardinal John Dearden in December 1962. The building's stained-glass windows were created by the Conrad Pickel Studio in 1962 and feature scripture passages, prayers from the Ordinary and depictions of the sacraments. Like many churches of its era, the sanctuary altar was extended in a later renovation and the pews were rearranged into a chevron configuration. The cornerstone laid by Father Lorenz in 1961 remains a small archive of mid-century parish life, preserving the names of the priests, teachers and students of the day along with the three Detroit daily newspapers.
- 1961-62 construction
- Dedicated by Cardinal Dearden, December 1962
- Conrad Pickel Studio stained-glass windows, 1962
- Cornerstone contains names and three Detroit newspapers
Mass & Sacramental Schedule
The parish publishes a lean weekly schedule, with one Sunday Mass and two weekday Masses. Confessions, Baptisms, Confirmations and Marriages are scheduled by appointment through the parish office (313-838-6780).
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 a.m.
- Tuesday Mass — 9:30 a.m.
- Thursday Mass — 9:00 a.m.
- Confessions — by appointment
- Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages — by appointment through parish office
St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center
Opened in 2018 and operated directly by the parish, the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center is the most distinctive feature of the parish's ministry. It occupies the 50,000-square-foot, 24-classroom former St. Suzanne Elementary School building (built 1946–47 and closed as a Catholic school in 2002) at 19321 West Chicago. The center houses more than twenty partner organizations serving neighborhood families with early childhood education, after-school programs, athletics, tutoring, legal aid, case management, food and clothing assistance, and STEAM activities for middle and high schoolers. Its business plan — combining grants, gifts, fundraising and rented space — was developed in consultation with the Archdiocese of Detroit and is regarded as a replicable model for other parishes with surplus school buildings. The center was the first site in Detroit to join the Green Light Detroit initiative, which provides monitored high-definition video on site in partnership with the Detroit Police Department.
- Opened 2018 in the former St. Suzanne Elementary School
- 50,000 sq ft, 24 classrooms, 19321 West Chicago
- 20+ partner agencies including Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance, Developing K.I.D.S., W.A.Y. Academy, Ready Set Grow 4-H Club, Peeps, Barney McCosky basketball leagues, Friends of the Rouge / Sierra Club Michigan Chapter
- Includes Early Head Start, Head Start and child care
- First Detroit site of Green Light Detroit monitored-video initiative
- Receives income from leasing space that covers ~90% of parish utility costs
Parish Programs & Outreach
Alongside the Resource Center, the parish runs a number of smaller direct-service programs and welcomes partners into the building. The Memorial Board allows parishioners to list a name or intention for $60 a year, remembered at Mass on the first Thursday of each month. Other ongoing offerings include a food pantry, clothing closet, Friendship Child Care, PBA Royal Basketball, adult literacy and ESL tutoring through the 'Learn to Read' program, Storm Water Specialist Training, and rain-garden stewardship with Friends of the Rouge. The parish also serves as a referral point for Project Rachel post-abortion ministry and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
- Food Pantry
- Clothing Closet
- Friendship Child Care
- PBA Royal Basketball
- Memorial Board prayer remembrances ($60/year, first Thursday of each month)
- Adult literacy / ESL tutoring
- Detroit Dinner Church 'On The Right Track'
- Storm Water Specialist Training (SWS-T) and Rain Gardens
- Project Rachel post-abortion referral (1-888-722-4355)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline referral
Sacred Cultural Artwork Initiative
In partnership with the College for Creative Studies and the Archdiocese of Detroit, the parish commissioned young Detroit artists to paint portraits of prominent Black Catholics. The works were unveiled in 2021 at an event with Auxiliary Bishop Gerard W. Battersby and the parish's then-pastor Fr. Victor Clore. In November 2022 the Archdiocese's offices of Cultural Ministries and Evangelical Charity launched the Sacred Cultural Artwork Fund at St. Suzanne / Our Lady Gate of Heaven to support the works going on the road as a traveling exhibit across Archdiocese of Detroit parishes.
Parish Staff & Leadership
Day-to-day parish life is led by the pastor (currently Rev. Marko Djonovic, per the Archdiocese of Detroit directory), with parish office staff Diane Chiola and Music Minister Cynthia Brown. The parish's wider ministry team includes Deacon Chris Remus (president of the Community Resource Center board) and Steve Wasko, Minister of Christian Service and Executive Director of the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center. The Sisters of Mercy maintain a presence at the parish. The parish also lists Rev. John McKenzie on portions of its website as Pastor.
- Rev. Marko Djonovic — Pastor (per Archdiocese of Detroit directory)
- Rev. John McKenzie — listed as Pastor on parish website
- Deacon Chris Remus — Board President, Community Resource Center
- Cynthia Brown — Music Minister
- Diane Chiola — Office Staff
- Steve Wasko — Minister of Christian Service / Executive Director, Resource Center
- Sisters of Mercy — resident religious community
Getting Involved & Visiting
The parish invites visitors to attend Mass at 9357 Westwood Street and to contact the rectory at 19321 West Chicago (313-838-6780, [email protected]) about sacraments, the Memorial Board, or volunteer opportunities at the Community Resource Center. Parish office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (the parish's home page also lists Wednesday afternoon hours of 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.).
- Parish Office Hours: Tue/Wed/Thu 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Phone: 313-838-6780
- Email: [email protected]
- Community Resource Center: 313-493-9129 ext. 1
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Victor Lorenz1946–
Founding pastor of St. Suzanne, appointed by Cardinal Mooney; celebrated first Masses at nearby Mann Elementary School; oversaw construction of the 1961-62 permanent church and placed the cornerstone.
- Fr. Jerry Pilus2010–
Listed in Detroit Church Blog (2014) as having served as pastor since 2010.
- Fr. Victor Clore
Pastor during the 2017-2018 transition of the former school building into the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center; led homilies on the parish's mission to 'be a light unto the world'.
- Rev. Marko Djonovic
Current pastor per the Archdiocese of Detroit directory and the parish website.