History: 

St. Nicholas Parish was formed in 1921 by a small group of Byzantine Catholic (then Greek Catholic) immigrants from a region in eastern Europe called Carptho-Ruthenia. They initially constructed a basement on the east side of Detroit in which to worship. In 1938, the cornerstone was laid for the church, was dedicated in 1939. The church interior was redecorated in 1944, with additional refinement during the early 1960s.

During the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, St. Nicholas parish experienced what may be called its heyday with its largest membership and very robust group activities—from choir to scouts, from feather parties to picnics, as well as various men’s and women’s groups.

In the 1970s, during the pastorate of Rev. Nicholas Ivan, the Detroit neighborhood had begun to decline. For the parish to survive, the decision was made to purchase land in Harrison Township to relocate the parish eventually. In the interim, the parish purchased an existing protestant church building a few miles north in Detroit as a temporary move, retaining the original bell from the original church.