March 21, 2025, I grew up in southwest Detroit, in fact, our house was less than a mile away from Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral. My family began attending Ss. Peter and Paul in the year 2000; I was seven years old. I remember serving in the Holy Altar, attending church school, and running around the old Gilbert Hall. Ss. Peter and Paul was (and is) my home parish. So now to return as the priest of my beloved parish is quite a meaningful opportunity.
The parish has changed a lot since the early 2000s. What was once a congregation made up of the “Slavic Old Guard,” is now primarily comprised of converts. And although we do not see hundreds of people attending the Divine Liturgy on a Sunday, like it was in the old days, we have been experiencing a period of increased interest in our church. New families are beginning to inquire into the Orthodox Faith, we are enrolling catechumens and baptizing new members into the Body of Christ. There is movement happening once again at Ss. Peter and Paul.
And yet, we want to do more. We are not satisfied with simply waiting for folks to come knocking on our door after watching an Orthodox YouTube video or hearing a podcast. We want to extend the love of Christ beyond the walls of our church temple and into our neighborhood. We want to baptize southwest Detroit. Our goal is to make the area surrounding our church Holy Ground. 
We have been taking practical steps to reach this goal for well over a decade. Since 2012, our parish has partnered with Orthodox Detroit Outreach (ODO) to serve our neighbors in need. Like many other neighborhoods in Detroit, ours has many people who suffer from poverty, illness, and addiction. There are dozens of folks within walking distance from our church who need help. So, we decided to offer a free community meal every Sunday afternoon. Over the years, we have come to know our neighbors: we visit them in the hospital, baptize their children, pray at their gravesides. Serving the Sunday Meal has been the backbone of our missionary rhythm at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral.
And yet, we want to do more. We have recently rededicated the old church school wing to be the Ss. Peter and Paul Mission Center. We want the Mission Center to be a place where faithful Orthodox Christians from all over the region gather to participate in the works of mercy. We do not want to limit ourselves to serving a hot meal on a Sunday afternoon. We want to offer educational opportunities, helping our neighbors break the cycle of poverty and improve their lives. We want to teach the children of our community how to care for one another, how to plant a garden, how to sing, how to live. We have high hopes at Ss. Peter and Paul. And we believe by God’s grace that He will help us achieve our goals. We believe the Holy Spirit will come and fulfill the work we have set before us. And we maintain the sincere belief that just has Jesus Himself descended into the waters of the Jordan, Our Lord will descend into our neighborhood and baptize southwest Detroit. We ask for your support and your prayers.
Fr. Phillip Dage is priest at Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral in Detroit, Michigan, and Share the Faith Ministries recipient priest.
