Our Lady Gate of Heaven Catholic Church at 9555 St. Marys Street, Detroit, MI 48227 US - OLGH History (1987 to the Present)

1987 to 1992 - In June of 1987, Fr. Jim Mayworm was assigned to St. Barnabas in East Detroit and OLGH became part of a "New Vision and Experiment" with the Jesuits. Frs. Jim Serrick and Vaughn Rowe were appointed to "pastor" three parishes: St. Brigid, St. Mary's of Redford and Our Lady Gate of Heaven. Thus began one of the first "clusters" in the city of Detroit. The Jesuits resided at St. Mary's of Redford and, in order to keep the rectory from being empty, Sr. Rosemarie Kieffer was asked to form a community at the Gate. The rectory then became a convent with Adrian Dominicans in residence. Sept. of 1988, the Archdiocese of Detroit went through major change. Many city parishes were scheduled to be closed. During 1989, OLGH became "questionably viable." However, in January of 1990, we received status as a "viable parish" and continued to cluster with St. Mary's of Redford under Jesuit leadership. In 1992, the OLGH Parish Council decided to create a Disability Access to both the Church and the Hall. 1993 to the Present - In 1993, the Jesuits completed their commitment to the cluster and the Gate was returned to the Archdiocese. Fr. Dennis Duggan, Pastor of St. Suzanne's, was assigned as Parochial Administrator and Sr. Rosemarie Kieffer remained as Pastoral Associate at the Gate. Fr. Gordon Judd (a Basilian) and Fr. Jim Gray (a Jesuit) became the Sacramental Ministers while Sr. Rosemarie took care of the day to day running of the Parish. Carlier Thomas was hired as the Gate's first African American Religious Education Director. Beginning in 1993, a partnership has developed between OLGH and St. Suzanne. In 1996, Sr. Nancy Jurecki, OP was hired by the two churches to work in Pastoral Ministry and Christian Service. In 1997, Deacon Wyatt Jones, an African American, accepted a one year appointment as a Permanent Deacon at the Gate. Sr. Rosemarie began a one year sabbatical in 1999, while Sr. Nancy Jurecki took over her responsibilities. Mass schedules were adjusted so that Fr. Duggan could celebrate the Liturgy at both parishes. During this transition, Mrs. Joni Scott, an African American woman studying Urban Ministry at ETS, was hired as a full time minister as Director of Religious Education at OLGH and Christian Service Coordinator at St. Suzanne's. In the year 2000, Sr. Rosemarie returned to full time ministry and Sr. Nancy left to begin missionary work in the Dominican Republic. OLGH and St. Suzanne's remain clustered. A Town Hall Meeting was held in Sept, 2001 to facilitate the ongoing dialogue of how two churches can share life and faith. Our journey continues ...

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