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Urbanoutdoors
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Username: Urbanoutdoors

Post Number: 666
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 10:13 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

MY fathers family went to St. Agnes and my mom and dad got married there. Did any forumers or their parents frequent this church? any memories. Now it is just another vacant boarded up building along 12th street and is reminiscent of times past like most of RPB.
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The_ed
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Username: The_ed

Post Number: 1780
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 10:47 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I went to school there in the 60's and spent a lot of time serving mass. That was the deal with a lot of families.
If the son, or in my case, the sons of the family serve mass, the tuition will reduced. So my brothers and I
served mass every morning and most weekends as well as weddings, funerals, first Fridays and stations of the cross.
I remember there was an alcoholic priest named Fr. Allen who wanted wine in BOTH cruets-----not water and wine.
If you forgot to do it he would go on a rage and "hurry-up" the service so he could go back to drinking.
Lotta of memories from Saint Agnes.
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Swiburn
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Username: Swiburn

Post Number: 219
Registered: 07-2006
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 11:05 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for the great story, The_ed.
I believe that St. Agnes had a girls high school?
When the church was built in l914, it was a very exclusive, suburban type neighborhood, according to the book "The Catholic Church in Detroit"
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Mackinaw
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Username: Mackinaw

Post Number: 4199
Registered: 02-2005
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 11:42 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's interior is in fact on the cover of said book. I wish I could have seen that church.
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Urbanoutdoors
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Username: Urbanoutdoors

Post Number: 667
Registered: 11-2005
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 5:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Why is it vacant, its a beautiful building, and is centrally located. I would think that corner stone schools, national heritage academy, a local non profit, or another church would like to occupy such a space. I know that the social factors that have occurred in the neighborhood do make things difficult but I still feel that it is a great space that should still be utilized. What is the local housing non profit that would claim such a space? Virginia park?

(Message edited by urbanoutdoors on December 21, 2007)
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Edziu
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Username: Edziu

Post Number: 19
Registered: 07-2007
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 6:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Regarding the priest. I served at St Florian in Hamtramck. Most priests would mix wine and water about half and half. We had one who wanted only a drop of water in his full chalice of wine. Like a very dry martini. (Incidentally, I wish I could find that wine at Meijer's. It was excellent.) He had a nose like Rudolph. A good man though. Kept to himself. When one thinks about it, what else did they have to do? Their entire existence was in the church and the rectory, where they had a single room, ate and socialized. Many served under dominating, old fashioned pastors who ran the parish like gestapo. At least priests had cars and could leave from time to time. Imagine the life of nuns in the convent.
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Jams
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Username: Jams

Post Number: 7369
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Friday, December 21, 2007 - 7:47 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The_ed's comment:
quote:

I went to school there in the 60's and spent a lot of time serving mass.



Interesting point?
From a NON-DETROIT post:
quote:

The_ed
Member
Username: The_ed

Post Number: 1615
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 12:31 pm:

------------------------------ ------------------------------ --------------------
"Shall I remind you of your toleration of other religions sharing this holiday season with Christians?"

My family and I put up our Christmas tree this past weekend. I, like I always do, placed the "star" on the top.
I'm a muslim and I share in the festivities with my family and relatives. We all eat and share gifts and laughter.
To us in my household it's all about the holiday, not the holy day. Sometimes my wife and kids go to
midnight mass on Christmas Eve, sometimes they don't.



Convert?
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The_ed
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Username: The_ed

Post Number: 1787
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 7:27 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Convert?....Yes, I am a convert and I do live in Detroit. I converted February 2001.
....................
You want another story?
I served mass with a friend who loved to play practical jokes. We were serving the Stations of the Cross one summer night. The priest used this incense burner that hung from a chain and he would swing it during the service. My friend put a ball of hashish on top of the burning incense. Needless to say the aroma, fragrance, odor, smell...whatever you want to call it permeated the church and nobody seemed to notice. I remember getting real "loopy" and giggling throughout the night.
Oh, the memories.

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