  Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1723 Registered: 01-2004 |
Hey, anyone ever check out the Assumption Grotto complex on Gratiot ? photos: http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 7/08/03/assumption_grotto.htm | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 261 Registered: 11-2003 |
Yep, that's where Mom is... Beautiful place. Great pics. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4043 Registered: 10-2003 |
Beautiful. Great work as usual Mauser. No matter what one may feel about the Catholic Church, and in spite of the old saws of why weren't the feeding the needy, yadda, yadda, it has left the world some incredible works of art and so many here in Detroit. | ||
Formerspringgardener Member Username: Formerspringgardener Post Number: 57 Registered: 07-2006 |
Your pictures are awesome to say the least. I went to grade school at Grotto for 8 years. Too bad the building is no longer there. It brings back good memories from when that area was a thriving community. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3460 Registered: 02-2005 |
Thanks, Mauser. I've been meaning to go to Assumption Grotto. My needs have been well-satisfied by St. Joseph in E. Market and some other churches, but I've never made it here. Those interior photos are great! I can't think of another Catholic Church in Detroit that I've seen with that sort of ceiling woodwork. Most of the gothic Catholic buildings here have plaster or stonework for their ceilings. This looks a little more English (reminds me of Christ Church GP), but really beautiful still. I bet the acoustics are great. I think I'll go there tomorrow. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1724 Registered: 01-2004 |
Ive seen ceilings somewhat like that in a few places - the now extinct "Powerhouse Temple" on Jefferson and also United Methodist on Woodward near the Boulevard. Heres United Methodist - I was shown around this church by Elaine Latzman Moon who is a member there: http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/02/27/metropolitan_united_me thodist.htm Not the same ceiling, but similar craftsmanship as far as the hand painted motif on the wooden beams. (scroll down to the photos of Kresge Hall) These pics were taken with an itty bitty camera, so pardon the quality. Powerhouse had the same hand painted beams, but not that same structure. Assumption looks like the bottom of a boat when you look up at the ceiling. Lowell - you ever get a chance to hear the pipe organ at Assumption ? Im really curious how that sounds in there. | ||
Detx Member Username: Detx Post Number: 11 Registered: 07-2007 |
Mackinaw, Have you been to Holy Redeemer in SW Detroit? It’s absolutely beautiful and may be the most in all of Detroit. Being there, sitting down, observing the smallest details of the artwork, smelling the incense… it’s a humbling experience. Sorry, but I don’t have any photos. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3462 Registered: 02-2005 |
Detx, that is another place I would like to go. Junction/Vernor with the tall tower? Looks fantastic. I hate trying to determine which church is the most beautiful in the city. Each has a different attribute that stands out. Some have finer stained glass (I think St. Joseph has the best, and the National Register agrees with me), some have higher ceilings (St. Mary's and St. Anne's are the best I've seen), some are just bigger (I think Sweetest Heart of Mary is the largest), some have more intricate details and more artwork, some are hall-style while most are cruciform, etc. Then you can discuss all the different ways that materials were implemented, and the quality of the craftsmanship (normally good, great, or outstanding for Detroit's old churches), and/or you can just discuss which has the most lavish, expensive materials (i.e. gold leaf, Tiffany glass, etc. -- St. Albertus and Sweetest Heart are the most opulent in my book). The acoustics and organ count for something, and the way in which the sanctuary is currently utilized. Maybe a top-10 list is more appropriate. I love that humbling feeling when you walk into a place that is so striking you can feel the weight and importance of its purpose. St. Joseph does that most readily for me. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1725 Registered: 01-2004 |
Holy Redeemer: http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 6/09/19/holy_redeemer.htm | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1726 Registered: 01-2004 |
Redeemer was Jack Whites childhood church btw And dont forget St Hedwig down Junction. Dont have photos of that interior just yet. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3463 Registered: 02-2005 |
Very Romanesque. Thanks, Mauser. | ||
Goblue Member Username: Goblue Post Number: 229 Registered: 03-2007 |
Thanks for the pics and memories...I shot a lot of weddings at Assumption Grotto in the late '50's to early '60's working for Fox Portrait Studio that was located on the west side of Gratiot just south of 6 Mile...just down from Saunders. When we were younger we'd cut through the AG cemetery on our way home to Fordham & Celestine from a movie at the Ramona just to scare the younger kids and ourselves...lots of memories...thanks again. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3471 Registered: 02-2005 |
I went to Mass at Assumption today. It's a very 'different' place, relative to other Detroit churches. Not lofty and bright, but a darker, indeed more English take on the gothic church design. It is more like a large room than a cavernous hall like St. Joseph or St. Anne. With this, and the fact that the pews were fairly full, there is a much greater sense of enclosure; Assumption retains the feel of being a neighborhood church, rather than an overly-grandiose place where one makes a pilgrimage. The ceiling woodwork is just grand, and very unique. The stained glass is mesmerizing, but not as breathtaking as some other Detroit churches. The organ is a striking design cue in itself. The materials are not quite as lavish as some churches built earlier in the 20s or closer to 1900; the high altar is quite as impressive as other Detroit churches-- but I think this is a sign of the fact that the Depression struck during the building of the church. All in all, it's a striking, unique church. I'd love to come back to hear the choir in that great acoustic space. And wow, what a traditional Mass. I was at the English Mass-- the parts (i.e. Gloria and Hosanna) are in Latin, the prayers are said at the high altar, an introit chant replaces a processional hymn, and the priest reinforced the gospel message with the catechism perfectly. Nice to see that St. Joseph isn't alone in protecting the old ways. (Message edited by mackinaw on August 05, 2007) | ||
Urbanize Member Username: Urbanize Post Number: 2100 Registered: 02-2007 |
"here's a bad joke.... "Is this the Assumption Grotto?" "Yes, I assume so... " I know, bad humor..." Talk about a hardliner :-/ | ||
Msamericana Member Username: Msamericana Post Number: 61 Registered: 05-2004 |
Wave to my grandparents when you're there on Sunday! They moved from the city in the late 60s to the "safe suburbs" but will always drive downtown for mass. They say they are proud to have nothing to go to the city for, except church there, even though their hubcaps have been stolen there like 6 times in the past 5 years! It is a very beautiful church, for sure. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3473 Registered: 02-2005 |
^^That's a typical story, Msamericana. The "greatest generation" was only deficient in that it developed the most anti-urban mindset as a whole. But they still pack the churches, and are loyal to whereever they were brought up. | ||
Newport1128 Member Username: Newport1128 Post Number: 80 Registered: 05-2007 |
My wife and I were married at Grotto in 1973 and we lived in the parish until 1976. I always thought the church interior had a more "German" feel because the original settlers of that area were mostly German. | ||
Lizaanne Member Username: Lizaanne Post Number: 105 Registered: 06-2007 |
Mackinaw - so glad you enjoyed the Mass at Grotto! My husband and I are parishoners there, and we just love it. The Noon Mass on Saturday is the one I believe you went to - try going to the 9:30am Mass sometime. It is the Novus Ordo Mass, but all in Latin - truly beautiful. This coming Wednesday is a Holy Day of Obligation, the Feast of the Assumption, and therefore is a huge celebration day for Assumption Grotto. There are expected to be thousands of people there, with all day activities - rosary, stations of the cross, prayers, etc. I'm sure the orchestra and full choir will be at the 7pm Mass - it should be truly beautiful. Hope you consider going on Wednesday! :-) ~Liza | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3476 Registered: 02-2005 |
Lizaanne, don't forget that it's next Wed, 8/15!!! Newport, there may have been some German cues that I did not pick up on, but the exterior design and the interior-- with it's heavy stone and wooden ceiling-- rang of English gothic architecture to me. My assessment is based on design alone. | ||
Fury13 Member Username: Fury13 Post Number: 1972 Registered: 10-2003 |
My great-aunt's funeral services were at Assumption Grotto just a few years ago; I was a pallbearer. She was 97, Italian-American, and it had been her home parish for decades. Beautiful church and grounds. | ||
Xd_brklyn Member Username: Xd_brklyn Post Number: 270 Registered: 10-2003 |
My parents and my aunts & uncles were all married at Assumption Grotto in the mid to late 50s. (Goblue, maybe you were there?) My brother was married there in 1997. A beautiful church with plenty of history for families in the Detroit metro area. Glad to hear it is doing so well. Particularly enjoyed the photos of the church from the back. Never thought to look at it from that angle. Thanks for posting your photos. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1739 Registered: 01-2004 |
The maintenance is immaculate too - not easy on these structures at all. Money and lots of very skilled work. They demolished the school because of the cost of maintaining and repairing it. While I was there guys were busy working on the leaded glass windows in the sanctuary. Mack - I thought it felt very English too. | ||
Debw858 Member Username: Debw858 Post Number: 18 Registered: 05-2007 |
I went to grade school at Assumption Grotto. Grew up on Glenwood between Chalmers and Celestine. I still go and visit my brother and my grandparents who are buried in Grotto Cemetery. FORMERSPRINGGARDENER - what year did you graduate from 8th Grade at Grotto? I graduated in 1972 and got married there in 1978. GOBLUE - I wonder if you shot my wedding. We got married in August 1978 and Fox Studio did our photography. | ||
Debw858 Member Username: Debw858 Post Number: 19 Registered: 05-2007 |
I forgot to mention that Grotto is having an All Class Reunion next Saturday, August 11, 2007 at Dodge Park. I went last year and there was a great turnout. There were people who graduated in the 50's, 60's, 70's, etc.. It was great to see everyone! | ||
Lizaanne Member Username: Lizaanne Post Number: 107 Registered: 06-2007 |
Mackinaw - thanks - I've been totally messed up with dates lately. My husband said the same thing to me this morning...uh, it's not this week, it's next week.  DUH!!! ~Liza | ||
Formerspringgardener Member Username: Formerspringgardener Post Number: 58 Registered: 07-2006 |
Debw858 - I left Grotto in 66' and went on to Nativity. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 1543 Registered: 10-2003 |
I loved this description: "What a massive pile of architecture this place is from the exterior - this is the rear view of the church building." Hehe it really is a massive pile of architecture. | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 437 Registered: 11-2006 |
I attended a spaghetti dinner there back in 96. Many of the members lived in the parish back in the old days.There is an old cemetary in the back of the church. The German-Italian migration was north up Gratiot. Back in 96 there was still a small Italian grocer Julians Italian Imports in the vicitnity. | ||
Goblue Member Username: Goblue Post Number: 231 Registered: 03-2007 |
Debw858: No...I didn't shoot your wedding...my last work for Fox Studios was in '63...a few years before yours...they're good people though...I started there in 1956 with the owners Mrs. Case and her son Larry when I was 15...sorry I missed yours...my best shot was "the bride and the garter"...lots of leg...the grooms liked it that way...shooting at Assumption Grotto was always a religious experience...was recently in Mazatlan, Mexico...visited the cathedral there and told my wife that I had grown up in more impressive cathedrals on the eastside of Detroit. |
