Community
UDM News for our Neighbors
-
Reception to explore history, architecture of Gesu Catholic Church, May 13
Wednesday March 25, 2026
Join Jesuit friends and alumni on Wednesday, May 13 for a wine and cheese reception at historic Gesu Catholic Church.Program Details:
- 5:30 p.m.: Mass
- 6 p.m.: Welcome and Reception
- 6:25 p.m.: Program begins
The evening will explore the history, families, art and architecture of the parish, founded by Jesuits in 1922 and once home to four Detroit mayors, several congressmen and the renowned Fisher Brothers.
The event will feature rare architectural drawings and antique stained-glass window designs, some dating to the late 1800s, from two Detroit families who worked closely with the Jesuits and the Archdiocese of Detroit. These families, behind the firms Diehl & Diehl Architects and Detroit Stained Glass Works, helped shape the city’s sacred spaces.
Special guests include Paul G. Diehl, grandson of original architect George F. Diehl and a descendant of the founders of Detroit Stained Glass Works; Patricia Montemurri, an award-winning journalist; and Mary Clare McCormick, a Detroit sacred art archivist.
The evening will include Mass, a wine and cheese reception, and a tour of the historic worship site.
Register online by May 1. -
Earn service hours at planting day, set for April 11
Wednesday March 25, 2026
For April Service Immersion Day, University Ministry is partnering with Alumni Relations to beautify the Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN) gardens.Planting day is set for Saturday, April 11. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. at the TENN gardens, located behind the Health Professions Facility, with a light breakfast of coffee and donuts. We will finish around noon with free lunch to follow. All are invited to come out and lend a hand.
Participants will spend a day of service on the McNichols Campus and neighborhoods, earning three service hours, while learning about the importance of our TENN gardens for food access, sustainability and community building.
This event is hosted by Laudato Si’ Student Group, University Ministry, TENN, Alumni Relations and the School of Architecture & Community Development and the Detroit Collaborative Design Center.
Please contact University Minister Sammy Eckrich at seckric@udmercy.edu with any questions or for more information.
Sign up for April Service Immersion. -
DMTC presents ‘I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire,’ April 10-19
Wednesday March 25, 2026
Detroit Mercy Theatre Company (DMTC) will close the inaugural season of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre with I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samantha Hurley.Six performances will run in back-to-back weekends, Friday through Sunday, April 10-19, in the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus.
I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is set in 2004 and follows 14-year-old Shelby Hinkley, who is obsessed with Hollywood star Tobey Maguire and creates a play to kidnap and marry him in her basement.
“This play is as hilarious as it is heartfelt,” said DMTC managing director Sarah Rusk. “Shelby truly believes Tobey Maguire is her destiny, and through her obsession we get a look into the complicated emotions of growing up during the Y2K era.”
“I absolutely love working with young actors,” said director Cassandra Svacha. “Watching them create and rise to the challenge is thrilling. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire to college-aged kids is like a period piece; none of them were alive when this story takes place, so it’s extra fun to have them dive into this world in an anthropologic way. They aren’t reminiscing or remembering 2004, they have to study that world and build it for themselves.”
The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with tickets being available for purchase anytime online. Individual tickets are $25 for adults; $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni; and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.
Those looking to buy tickets should note that the play is rated R and contains adult language and situations, including drug use, suicidal ideation and sexual situations. See full list of subject matter.
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS- April 10: Opening Night Celebration. Join the cast and crew following the performance for a reception in the Lower Level of the Student Union.
- April 11: Community Night. All tickets $10.
- April 12: Detroit Theatre Discussion Project. Join in the discussion following the first Sunday’s matinee performance as we welcome Professor Erin Henze from the Psychology Department at Detroit Mercy to expand upon themes and ideas from the performance in a talkback.
- April 17: College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (CHASS) at the Theatre. Join CHASS in celebrating the arts on campus with $5 tickets for CHASS students and alumni with coupon code CHASS_5. Free tickets to faculty/staff of CHASS by calling 313-993-3270 or email theatre@udmercy.edu.
- April 19: Closing Night
-
Poet Joanne Godley to launch award-winning collection at reading, March 25
Tuesday March 24, 2026
Broadside Lotus Press and the University of Detroit Mercy Press will host a virtual reading and conversation with Joanne Godley, author of How the Black Panthers Fell from the Sky and winner of the 2025 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award.The reading will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 25. Please register below to obtain Zoom link.
Godley grew up in Detroit during the city’s industrial heyday and amidst the activism of the labor unions. Her memoir reflects on her teenage years, when, impatient with someday freedom songs and despairing at the horrors of the Vietnam war, she is swept up by the daring promise of those militant “cats” in black leather jackets. The poems remind readers of the hopefulness and exhilaration of Panther Party times as well as provide Godley’s mature reflections on the Party’s dismantlement.
How the Black Panthers Fell from the Sky is the fourth co-publication of Broadside Lotus Press and UDM Press. It can be purchased at the Detroit Mercy bookstore and online through Hatteras printing.
Register here. - Tuesday March 24, 2026
Antoine M. Garibaldi, president emeritus and distinguished university professor, was recently honored with the 2026 Distinguished Warriors award from the Urban League of Detroit & Southeastern Michigan.
During his leadership at Detroit Mercy, the University saw increases in enrollment, retention and graduation rates, along with a stronger financial position. Its national and regional academic profile concurrently soared in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” and was among the top 20% of the country’s 5,000 colleges and universities selected for ranking in the new Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education.
Garibaldi was UDM’s 25th and third longest-serving president from June 2011 through June 2022. In addition, he was the University’s first layperson and first African American president since 1877.
Subscribe to our weekly community newsletter:
Resources, Centers and Clinics
Center for Social Entrepreneurship
The Center provides business expertise and acumen as well as mentors to assist local entrepreneurs, beginning with the “Boost” workshop that aids entrepreneurs in developing business plans to achieve a greater social impact.
Counseling Clinic
The clinic provides no-cost counseling services to Detroit residents who otherwise may not have access to mental health services.
Dental Center
Detroit Mercy Dental offers dental services and education through two clinics, nine outreach clinics, a mobile dental clinic and a school-based dental sealant program.
Dental Mobile Clinic
The clinic travels to local participating schools in Detroit and Wayne County to provide comprehensive care for K-12 children.
Detroit Collaborative Design Center
The design center provides design services to non-profit community and civic organizations to engage communities and enhance neighborhoods.
Detroit Mercy Eye Institute
The Detroit Mercy Eye Institute includes the state-of-the-art equipment and technology needed to diagnose, monitor, and treat numerous eye conditions. The clinic will also provide affordable eyecare to the uninsured and vulnerable populations.
Law Clinics
Detroit Mercy Law provides legal assistance to Detroit area residents through six clinics: Immigration Law Clinic, SADO Criminal Appellate Clinic, Criminal Trial Clinic, Veterans Law Clinic, Juvenile Law Appellate Clinic and Intellectual Property Law Clinic.
Pre-College Programs
Detroit area students in grades 4-12 participate in more than 15 outreach programs annually through Saturday classes, summer camps, and innovative curricula in the sciences, technology engineering, mathematics, architecture and design.
Psychology Clinic
The Psychology Clinic provides assessment and counseling services for approximately 300 clients annually. Fees are based on ability to pay.
Rx for Reading Program
This program increases access to children’s books and supports families in reading to their children. The program has distributed more than 2,000 children’s books a month at a variety of locations, including low-income health, dental and WIC clinics; homeless shelters; and Head Start programs.
Summer Camps
A variety of summer activities available on UDM Campuses. Some are hosted by UDM; some are simply located on our campuses.
Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN)
TENN is a student-led and community-driven food justice program that delivers fresh produce to 60 families in New Martin Park Neighborhood and 80 seniors at Theresa Maxis Senior Apartments.
Alliances and Initiatives
Reimagining the Civic Commons
University of Detroit Mercy serves as one of the institutional anchors for the “Reimaging the Civic Commons” initiative, which is funded through the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant. The initiative focuses on the City of Detroit’s neighborhood revitalization priority: the Livernois/McNichols area. The project’s goal is to revitalize the neighborhoods between its two anchor institutions, Detroit Mercy and Marygrove College, creating a denser and more diverse urban community.
Live6 Alliance
University of Detroit Mercy helped to launch the Live6 Alliance in August 2015 to strengthen the Livernois Avenue and McNichols Road commercial corridor in northwest Detroit.
Service Immersion Days / Trips
These experiences give students opportunities to serve in shelters, soup kitchens, after school projects, urban farms and many other important community based projects both locally and nationally.
Directories
Media Experts Guide
Detroit Mercy scholars are experts in their fields and many have agreed to be available to media. Note that experts' views are their own and may not reflect the views of their colleagues or University of Detroit Mercy.
Migration Research Directory
The AJCU Migration Research Directory is an open-access resource for high-quality research on migration, provided by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Faculty members from Jesuit universities around the world provide important migration and refugee research from a wide variety of perspectives.