Detroit Jesuit Ministries to Celebrate Feast of St. Ignatius and 150 Years of Ministry in Detroit

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin to preside at July 31 Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church

DETROIT, July 29, 2026: The Detroit Jesuit Community and seven Detroit Jesuit Ministries will gather Friday, July 31, to celebrate the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola and begin a yearlong commemoration of 150 years of Jesuit ministry in Detroit.

The celebration will take place at Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church, 438 St. Antoine St. in downtown Detroit. Registration opens at 5 p.m. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, CSsR, a Detroit native and Archbishop of Newark, will offer remarks at 5:30 p.m. and preside at Mass at 6 p.m. Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, Archbishop of Detroit, and Jesuit priests will concelebrate.

Hosted by the leaders of the seven Detroit Jesuit Ministries, the evening will celebrate the shared legacy and continuing work of Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church; University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy; University of Detroit Mercy; Gesu Detroit Catholic Church and School; Manresa Jesuit Retreat House; Loyola High School Detroit; and Pope Francis Center.

Jesuit presence in Detroit dates to the city’s founding in 1701, when a Jesuit chaplain accompanied Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. In 1876, Detroit Bishop Caspar H. Borgess invited the Society of Jesus to establish Detroit College. The following year, the Jesuits assumed pastoral care of Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral and founded the college that later became University of Detroit Mercy and University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. The Jesuits represent Detroit’s longest continuously serving religious ministry, and Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church is the city’s longest continuously serving church.

“The Mass is a chance for the Jesuits and the seven Detroit Jesuit institutions to say they’re grateful for being able to be in ministry for Detroit,” said Fr. Joseph Daoust, SJ, Superior of the Detroit Jesuit Community. “It’s a city that has had its problems, but it’s a city that has great resilience. We’re very grateful for the city of Detroit and for the Archdiocese of Detroit, which has such a rich Catholic history.”

Over the decades, Jesuit ministry in Detroit has expanded through education, parish life, spiritual retreat ministry and direct service. Milestones include the founding of Gesu Church in 1922, Manresa Jesuit Retreat House in 1926, Loyola High School Detroit in 1993 and the opening of Pope Francis Center’s Bridge Housing Campus in 2024. Together, the seven ministries mark a continuing commitment to serve the spiritual, educational and social needs of Detroit.

The in-person celebration is sold out, and walk-in registration will not be available. A livestream of Cardinal Tobin’s remarks and the Mass will be available for those unable to attend in person. Visit www.jesuitsmidwest.org/detroit-jesuits for more information.

MEDIA INFORMATION

Credentialed members of the media may attend the event despite its sold-out status. Media representatives should check in with Jim Vella, Media Coordinator, at the registration table near the courtyard entrance of Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church by 5 p.m.

No interviews or staged media opportunities are planned. Photography and video will be permitted during the program, subject to final event guidelines.

Media parking is available in the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law parking lot across from the church’s courtyard entrance on Larned Street.

 

ABOUT THE DETROIT JESUIT COMMUNITY AND DETROIT JESUIT MINISTRIES

The seven Jesuit ministries in Detroit are sponsored works of the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). The Detroit Jesuit Community is made up of the Jesuit priests and brothers who live and work in Detroit. Learn more at www.jesuitsmidwest.org,

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