Journey to the Catholic Churches of Detroit.: St. Malachy-Sterling Heights

The patron saint of St. Malachy lived from 1094 to 1148. He was the Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. He was the first native born Irish saint to be canonized. His feast day is November 3.

St. Malachy in Sterling Heights was founded in 1964 with their current church being dedicated in June of 1978. You enter the church through glass doors from a large gathering area. The church is made up of 4 rows of pews that slope down toward the altar.

The altar is modest with a matching lectern and a beige colored cloth covering it. A large crucifix hangs high over the altar. A statute of Jesus, with Mary and Joseph, sits to the left of the altar. On the right of the altar there is a portrait of Jesus with his right hand held out and his left hand clutching his heart.

The Pastor at St. Malachy is Fr. Joseph Gembela. His homily, during our visit, focused on having faith and the different kinds of faith. He said that even though bad things happen to good people –it’s always part of God’s plan and we must have faith and trust in God to do what is right.

One of the things that most impressed us about St. Malachy was that it has a very active and vibrant music ministry. A group of cantors and musicians sang God’s praises and by having the words to each hymn projected on large screens in the church it allowed and encouraged participation by the congregation. We were very pleased with the music ministry at St. Malachy.

We were also impressed with the lector at the mass we attended. She read each passage with enthusiasm and lots of heart. It was easy to see that she was filled with the Holy Spirit and it showed in her interpretation of each reading.

Everyone at St. Malachy—Fr. Gembela, the music ministers, lector and congregation worked in harmony to provide a joyous mass that we were blessed to attend.

UP NEXT: St. John The Baptist-Dearborn Heights

St. Malachy in Sterling Heights