About St. Thomas the Apostle Parish · Garden City, Michigan
St. Thomas the Apostle Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Garden City, Michigan, in the western suburbs of Detroit. A faith community of roughly 1,400 registered parishioners, it belongs to the Archdiocese of Detroit and is part of the South West Wayne 4 Family of Parishes. The parish worships in the historic St. Raphael church building on Beechwood Street and offers daily and weekend Mass, religious formation for children and youth, an active Christian Service outreach, a thriving music ministry and a long list of parish organizations.
- Established
- 1932 (as St. Raphael Parish)
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle (also tracing its roots to St. Raphael, the original patron)
- Rector
- Rev. Lawrence Zurawski
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit (West Wayne Vicariate, South Region; Family of Parishes: South West Wayne 4)
Why belong here
St. Thomas the Apostle offers a deeply rooted Catholic community with multiple daily Masses, Saturday confessions, a vibrant music ministry for children and adults, and ongoing formation for students from second grade through high school. Its Christian Service arm — St. Vincent de Paul, a food pantry, Mercy in Action day of service, a blanket ministry and a parish nurse with a medical-supply closet — gives parishioners concrete ways to serve their Garden City neighbors. With Bible studies, the Rosary Altar Sodality, Knights of Columbus, Alhambra, Women's Bible Study, and an annual parish festival that has run for roughly forty years, newcomers have plenty of ways to belong.
Mass times at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (the parish also lists a 3:00–3:30 PM window on some listings)
Parish History & Identity
The parish's story begins in 1932, when St. Raphael Parish was founded under Fr. Gereon Stack on land donated by Florence Cowperthwaite. The first church opened on Christmas Eve 1934, and a parish school quickly followed. The Sisters of St. Francis from Sylvania, Ohio staffed the school for decades. The current church was completed in 1954 and fully renovated with a new façade in 1996. After the 2014 merger of St. Raphael with nearby St. Dunstan Parish (founded 1957), the combined faith community took the name St. Thomas the Apostle.
- Founded 1932 as St. Raphael Parish
- Church opened Christmas Eve 1934
- Current church built 1954
- Renovated with new façade 1996
- Renamed St. Thomas the Apostle in 2014 after merger with St. Dunstan
Mass & Sacraments
The parish celebrates Mass throughout the week, with weekend Masses Saturday evening and twice Sunday morning (one of which is livestreamed), and daily Mass or Communion Service Monday through Friday. Reconciliation is offered Saturday afternoons.
- Saturday Vigil 4:00 PM
- Sunday 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM (livestreamed)
- Monday 8:30 AM (chapel)
- Tuesday 9:00 AM
- Wednesday 12:00 PM Communion Service
- Thursday 8:30 AM (chapel)
- Friday 9:00 AM
- Reconciliation Saturday 3:00 PM
Clergy & Staff
St. Thomas the Apostle is pastored by Rev. Lawrence Zurawski and supported by additional priests in solidum, weekend priest support, and two permanent deacons. Lay staff handle music, religious formation, administration, facilities and mission support.
- Rev. Lawrence Zurawski — Pastor
- Rev. Sean Bonner, Rev. Shafique Masih — Priests In Solidum
- Rev. Timothy Wezner — Weekend Priest Support
- Deacon Robert Gajda and Deacon Leon 'Skip' Rodgers
- Music: Paul Shafer
- Religious Formation/Youth: Missy Taylor
- Parish Secretary: Sandy Mulcahy
- Maintenance: Rob Walker
- Mission Support (Nankin Family): Jim Birney
Religious Education & Youth Ministry
Religious Formation for children and youth is led by Director Missy Taylor and is housed at the Religious Formation Office. Registration forms and program information are available on the parish website.
- Director of Religious Formation/Youth Ministry: Missy Taylor
- Office line: (734) 425-5550
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Formation registration form available online
Music Ministry
Directed by Music Minister Paul Shafer, the parish's music program welcomes singers and instrumentalists of all ages. The program is built around several ensembles that support weekly Masses, funerals and special liturgies throughout the church year.
- Adult Choir (grades 9–adult): Thursdays 6:30–8:30 PM
- Children's Choir (grades 2–8): Thursdays 4:30–5:30 PM, Oct–Easter, with optional 30-minute keyboard lab
- Resurrection Choir — funeral liturgy choir
- Cantors and Instrumentalists welcome
- Rehearsal half-hour before scheduled liturgies
Christian Service & Outreach
The parish maintains an extensive outreach to neighbors in need through several ongoing ministries coordinated at the Ministry Center ((734) 425-9771).
- St. Vincent de Paul — direct assistance to those in need
- Food Pantry — Tuesday or Thursday by appointment
- Mercy in Action — annual day of community service
- Blanket Ministry — volunteers meet Wednesday mornings to make blankets, afghans and quilts
- Parish Nurse — health programs and screenings
- Medical Supply Closet — borrowable crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, shower and toilet seats
Parish Organizations & Fellowship
A robust set of parish organizations gives parishioners ways to grow in faith, build community and serve. Bible study is offered in several formats throughout the year.
- Knights of Columbus — Catholic men's prayer and service group
- Alhambra — Catholic men's group helping the handicapped
- Rosary Altar Sodality
- Women's Bible Study — Wednesdays 6:30 PM
- Breakfast with Bible — Wednesdays 8:30 AM, September–June
- Seasonal Bible Study — often during Lent and Advent
- Annual Lenten Fish Fry
- Annual parish festival (~40 years running)
Becoming a Parishioner
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. A printable parish registration form is available on the website and can be returned in the collection basket, by mail, or in person to the Parish Office.
- Downloadable registration form on the parish website
- Submit at Mass, by mail or at the Parish Office
- Parish Office closed daily 12:00–12:30 PM for lunch
Online Resources & Giving
The parish provides online giving and online Mass-intention requests directly through the website, and recommends the FORMED Catholic media platform (Augustine Institute) as an online resource for parishioners seeking to learn more about the faith.
- Online Giving link on the website
- Online Mass Intention request link
- FORMED — Catholic 'Netflix' of movies, documentaries, audiobooks and recorded talks