Diocese: Romanian Episcopate
Deanery: Michigan Deanery
Address
15143 Sheridan Rd
Clinton, Michigan 49236
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Office: 517-456-4474
Parish Contacts
Directions
General Location
Holy Ascension Orthodox Monastery is located within the geographical boundaries of the city of Detroit, at the western outskirts of the city limits.
From the south
Take I-75 (north to Detroit) and exit at Telegraph Rd (exit ramp on the left). From the ramp merge unto Telegraph Road North, than continue on Telegraph Rd North until see signs for I-96 Lansing/Detroit (for about 10 miles). Stay on the right lanes on Telegraph Rd (do not go over the expressway on the bridge) and turn right on Schoolcraft Rd—the Service Drive of the I-96 expressway. Go for 1/2 mile and on the right you will see a big brick building, which is the Monastery. Follow the driveway up to the monastery on the right.
From the west
Follow I-94 East to Detroit and exit at M 14 Plymouth/Livonia (exit ramp on the left). Continue on M 14 to Detroit for about 25 miles (it merges with US 23). M 14 transforms into I-96 East. Stay on I-96 East and exit at Telegraph Road. At the exit, stay in the middle lane (do not turn right nor left) and go on the Schoolcraft Rd, which is the Service Drive of the expressway. Go for 1/2 mile and on the right you will see a big brick building, which is the Monastery. Follow the driveway up to the monastery on the right.
Schedule of Services
7:00 AM Matins (every day). Divine Liturgy follows on Wednesday and Saturday.
Daily—Morning
6:00 PM Vespers followed by Small Compline (7:00 PM). On FRIDAY, Small Compline is replaced by Holy Unction service. On SUNDAY, Small Compline is replaced with the Paraclisis to the Mother of God.
Daily—Evening
6:00 PM Great Vespers with Litiya.
Saturday Evening
9:00 AM Matins, 10:30 AM Divine Liturgy.
Sunday Morning
Feast Days and Special celebrations follow the schedule for Sundays.
Mornings of Great Feasts
Parish Background
The monastic community of the Holy Ascension Monastery is in the jurisdiction of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America (OCA) under the omophorion of His Eminence Archbishop Nathaniel of Detroit. It was established on the day when the Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Hierarch Policarp of Smyrna—February 23, 2001. This date is significant for the Romanian Episcopate because St. Policarp was the patron saint of the first Romanian Orthodox bishop in North America, His Grace Bishop Policarp (Morusca), who dreamed of establishing a monastery for monks seventy years ago but at that time it was not to happen. However, with the blessing of His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel, the dream of thrice-blessed Bishop Policarp came true, exactly on his patron saint day, when seven monks from Romania, from Brancoveanu Monastery, county of Brasov, arrived in Detroit.
The monastery was established in the St Andrew Center for Orthodox Christian Studies in Detroit and its abbot was Very Rev Archimandrite IRINEU (Duvlea), former abbot of Brancoveanu Monastery in Romania, thus fulfilling the wish of our Archpastor “to bring the light of the Romanian Orthodox monastic life in North America.”
The newly established monastery brought to the Romanian and American Orthodox Community a new place of spirituality, with the monks living, in modern times, an old traditional and exemplary life according to the Gospel: the old monastic life of the hermits from the first centuries of the Christian Church. This was accomplished “through the will and mercies of our Lord for His Holy Church in North America.”
On June 28, 2002, at the Diocesan Congress of the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, the abbot of the Holy Ascension Monastery, Archimandrite Irineu (Duvlea), was elected to the episcopal office of Bishop of Dearborn Heights and Auxiliary Bishop of the Romanian Diocese. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Herman, the Primate of the Orthodox Church in America, consecrated him to episcopacy on November 1- 2, 2002 along with eight other hierarchs at St. George Romanian Orthodox Cathedral in Detroit, Michigan.
Besides his hierarchical duties, His Grace, Bishop Irineu kept his responsibilities as the abbot of the Holy Ascension Monastery until July 2003, when he called upon the monastic community to elect a new abbot. On July 8, 2003, the monastic community of the Holy Ascension elected its new abbot in the person of Very Rev. Archimandrite Mihail (Filimon). The election was confirmed and blessed by His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel on July 24, 2003. On Sunday, July 27, 2003, the new abbot, Archimandrite Mihail was presented to the community and to the faithful present at the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy by His Grace, Bishop Irineu, with the blessing of His Eminence Nathaniel.
The community of the Holy Ascension Monastery serves the divine services daily at its current location, where many Orthodox faithful of different nationalities find their spiritual peace and joy and come in the fear of God with love and hope to praise and give thanks to the Lord for the blessings He has bestowed upon them, imploring His great mercy for their path in life.
On August 25, 2005, the monastic community of Holy Ascension Orthodox Christian Monastery became the owner of the entire property.