St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Southfield (Michigan)

St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (also known as Pokrova Cathedral) in Southfield, Michigan, is the historic episcopal center and cultural beacon of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) serving Metropolitan Detroit. Situated upon an expansive suburban campus at 21931 Evergreen Road (at West Nine Mile Road), the cathedral represents over seven decades of devoted spiritual life, preserving the sacred heritage of post-World War II Ukrainian pioneers and nurturing generations of Ukrainian Americans in the Great Lakes region.

Post-War Genesis: Displaced Persons in Detroit (1950–1970)

The parish was organized in March 1950 by a distinguished group of Ukrainian political refugees and Displaced Persons (DPs) who settled in Detroit following the devastation of World War II. Having endured Soviet repressions and European refugee camps, the founders—including Maxim Boychuk, Ivan Lukianchuk, Michael Boyko, Peter Trepet, Paul Palanytsia, and engineer Michael Kos—resolved to establish a sacred haven dedicated to the Protection of the Holy Theotokos (Pokrova), the heavenly protectress of the dispossessed and of the Ukrainian Cossacks.

Under the holy archpastoral guidance of Bishop Volodymyr, the congregation grew rapidly and was elevated to Cathedral status. Bishop Volodymyr faithfully shepherded the flock until his falling asleep in the Lord in 1967; to this day, his consecrated bishop’s staff is reverently preserved beside the cathedral iconostasis. For its first two decades, the cathedral was located on 29th Street and Michigan Avenue in Detroit.

Relocation to Southfield and Architectural Masterpiece

By the late 1960s, shifting demographics prompted the parish council, under Father Mykola Lytwakiwsky and Council President Ivan Zholobetsky, to acquire property in suburban Southfield, Oakland County. A visionary building committee comprising prominent Ukrainian-American engineers and cultural figures—Vitalij Brylko, Roman Sepell, Peter Kytasty (of the legendary diaspora bandura family), and Serge Omelchenko—oversaw the construction of the new cathedral complex.

The parish commissioned renowned Ukrainian-American architect Alexander Nazaretz to design the church and community hall. Nazaretz created a stunning interpretation of Ukrainian sacred architecture that balances mid-century modernist clean lines with traditional Cossack Baroque forms:

• Golden Cossack Baroque Cupolas: The cathedral is crowned by traditional Ukrainian pear-shaped domes (banyi) in gleaming gold, perched atop stylized drum towers with azure base accents and three-bar Orthodox crosses.
• Yellow Roman Brickwork and Curvilinear Gables: The exterior walls are faced with warm buff Roman brick, featuring elegant scalloped parapet walls inspired by 17th-century Hetman Baroque churches in Ukraine.
• Arched Stained Glass Lancet Windows: The façade and nave are pierced by tall arched windows composed of multi-hued jewel-toned stained glass panels filtering radiant natural light into the sanctuary.
• Sacred Interior & Pokrova Apse: The interior features soaring vaulted ceilings, a masterfully carved wooden iconostasis draped in Ukrainian embroidered rushnyky, and a monumental icon of the Holy Protection (Pokrova) extending her protective veil (omophorion) over the faithful.

Educational and Cultural Leadership

Between 1972 and 1987, Father Nestor Stolarchuk served as pastor, initiating a flourishing golden era of youth education and diaspora cultural life. Under his guidance, the Lesia Ukrainka School of Religious and Ukrainian Studies was established, providing comprehensive instruction in Ukrainian language, literature, history, and sacred music to hundreds of children across Metropolitan Detroit.

The cathedral also became the home base for the Ukrainian Democratic Youth Association (ODUM), the Senior and Junior Ukrainian Orthodox League (UOL), and a renowned church choir directed for decades by Mykola Newmerzyckyj. Father Mykola Newmerzyckyj subsequently served as pastor for thirteen dedicated years.

Pastoral Leadership and Wartime Humanitarian Aid

Today, St. Mary Protectress Cathedral is pastored by Very Reverend Father Pavlo Bodnarchuk. Under Father Pavlo’s spiritual direction, the cathedral maintains an active liturgical life in both Ukrainian and English, serving as a united family for veterans of the post-war emigration and newly arrived families seeking refuge from war.

In partnership with the national Saint Andrew’s Society and the Consistory of the UOC of the USA, the cathedral has mobilized extensive humanitarian relief operations since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Parishioners have dispatched thousands of tactical tourniquets, hemostatic bandages, field surgical kits, and direct financial contributions to orphanages, medical centers, and military chaplains across Ukraine.

Chronological Milestones of St. Mary Protectress Cathedral

Parish Information & Contacts