Professorjackson Member Username: Professorjackson
Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 129.1.117.23
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 5:01 pm: | |
I have never been to this church's festival, but will be attending this Saturday. The polka band that is playing (Pan Franek and Zosia) is awesome. Anyone have anything to say about this church, its festival, and just why it is still open after all these years? |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 2580 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.81.200
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 5:19 pm: | |
This stunningly beautiful church is Detroit's largest Catholic Church, seating 2,500 (even more than the 2,000 seat Blessed Sacrament Cathedral). That's all I know.... |
Hamtramck_steve Member Username: Hamtramck_steve
Post Number: 3155 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.255.162.205
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 6:21 pm: | |
It's consistently been one of the best church festivals for almost as long as I can remember. |
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 1484 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.14.122.57
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 6:30 pm: | |
SHM is a beautiful church. Thankfully it is still hanging on as part of the 3-parish cluster so that we can still enjoy it. Some of the links on this Parish News page might be of interest: http://www.sweetestheartofmary .org/news.htm Here's a link to the flyer for the Pierogi Festival this weekend! http://www.sweetestheartofmary .org/PDFs/2006/PierogiFestival .pdf |
Hybridy Member Username: Hybridy
Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2006 Posted From: 206.126.217.221
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 6:41 pm: | |
ummmm pierogies and kielbasa POLSKA! |
Paulmcall
Member Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 848 Registered: 05-2004 Posted From: 68.40.119.216
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 7:07 pm: | |
It is a gorgeous Polish Church. The place is jaw dropping beautiful inside. |
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72
Post Number: 53 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 9:01 pm: | |
The church is thriving, thanks to Fr. Mark whose energy and persistance is keeping it as well as neighboring St. Josephat and St. Joseph. He is the pastor of all three parishes. Fr. Mark keeps the Polish Spirit alive and thanks to the strong parish council, they have fund raising dinners once a month. BTW, anyone seen the movie Polish Wedding which was filmed in HamTown? The interior scenes set at St. Florians were acctually filmed at Sweetest Heart of Mary because it was larger to accomidate the film crew. |
Futurecity Member Username: Futurecity
Post Number: 301 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 69.215.246.146
| Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 10:05 pm: | |
I believe that Sweetest Heart of Mary has the largest stained glass windows in Michigan. They are awesome. |
Professorjackson Member Username: Professorjackson
Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 129.1.117.23
| Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 6:22 pm: | |
Sounds like this should be a good one. I'm pleased they keep the church alive, and as a connoisseur of (Polish) parish fests, I look forward to this being a good one. A link to the Saturday band: http://www.panfranek.com/ |
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 1491 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.14.122.57
| Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 6:52 pm: | |
Sweetest Heart of Mary's stained glass windows are a sight to see!! The main window won an award at the 1893 Columbia Exposition: http://www.sweetestheartofmary .org/pages/astvincent.htm Full interior: http://www.sweetestheartofmary .org/pages/7wideinside.htm Main altar: http://www.sweetestheartofmary .org/pages/92frontalter.htm |
Royaloakian Member Username: Royaloakian
Post Number: 77 Registered: 05-2004 Posted From: 152.163.100.8
| Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 9:16 pm: | |
Kathleen, Under Fr Mark the main and side altars, and the stations of the cross have been restored along with many other improvements. He also has had work done in St Josaphats as well. He appreciates the history and the beauty of his churches. He works very hard for his cluster. He has an associate pastor and an assigned deacon, in my experience for a church in the city it is almost unheard of for him to receive such support. The AOD has had several offers to sell the stained glass in that church which thankfully they have turned down. Fr Mark was an associate pastor with then Fr Frank Reiss, now Bishop Reiss, at Cabrini prior to his assignment at SHM. Thats probably a not a bad connection to have either. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 2605 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.105.195
| Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 9:49 pm: | |
Sweetest Heart Of Mary is in the Gothic "Hall Church" design found in northern central Europe in the 13th-15th century (mainly in Germany and the countries it borders, especially in the Baltic region). That is where the side aisles are nearly as tall as the central nave, and all the stain glass windows are found mainly in the side aisles. St. Joseph is also in this style. I can't speak for St. Josephat since I've never been inside of it. |
Hardhat Member Username: Hardhat
Post Number: 161 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.248.14.222
| Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 10:52 pm: | |
Thinking about it, it's an odd name for a church, implying that the Blessed Mother has more that one heart. |
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard
Post Number: 1220 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.242.223.42
| Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 11:18 pm: | |
Just what were the side altars (at any church) for? The Bohemian Catholic parish I attended in Milwaukee had two side altars. However, I really do not remember ever seeing them used. |
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen
Post Number: 1493 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.14.122.57
| Posted on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 11:36 pm: | |
From Charles Borromeo and Catholic Tradition Regarding the Design of Catholic Churches: "Side altars should support devotional statues and contain reliquaries. " If you are interested in Catholic Church design, this is an interesting read: http://www.catholicculture.org /docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=6445 |
Futurecity Member Username: Futurecity
Post Number: 306 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 69.212.61.25
| Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 12:22 am: | |
Get your pierogi this Saturday! |
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72
Post Number: 100 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44
| Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 12:23 am: | |
Anyone go to the Pierogi Festival this weekend? I went past late Sunday afternoon and it was still pretty packed. was to busy to stop stop in though. |
Legsdiamond Member Username: Legsdiamond
Post Number: 39 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 216.222.168.183
| Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 12:45 am: | |
I went to this on Saturday and had the best time. Thanks to my guide, Fred. The food and the people were great... |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 1994 Registered: 02-2005 Posted From: 75.10.25.111
| Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 9:34 am: | |
While I am biased to the German-Gothic St. Joseph when it comes to churches of this neighborhood, I have to say that SHM is the most opulently built church I've ever seen. Amazing materials and craftsmanship throughout. It is a testament to how much money and effort even the poorest of immigrants would set aside so that they could create a spiritual home and community gathering place that they could be proud of. How times have changed... I hear that the nearby St. Albertus (basically closed down) is even more lavish, though. Gistok--St. Josaphat is in a cruciform shape with a basic vaulting style for the ceiling. In my mind it is the least spectacular of the three in the cluster, but still more beautiful than the majority of churches. I would say that SHM is much different than St. Joseph, though, in that St. Joseph doesn't have transepts. |
Pam Member Username: Pam
Post Number: 361 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 67.107.47.65
| Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 10:09 am: | |
I've been in both St. Albertus and SHM this year and I think SHM is nicer. I can't remember which was really the most ornate but SHM is better maintained since they are still an active parish. St. Al. is open for mass sometimes by the non-profit group that owns it. Pics of St. Albertus here: http://www.stalbertus.org/tour /pages/fwideinside.htm |
Ordinary Member Username: Ordinary
Post Number: 38 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 70.229.47.189
| Posted on Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 10:50 pm: | |
Pam, I was reading this thread and I'm glad somebody finally mentioned St. Albertus. My middle child was baptized there in 1988. My wife and I knew the priest there. We were married by him in 1983 at another church. Is there an old thread about the fabulous churches of Detroit? My favorite is St. Francis of Assisi over by Livernois and Buchanan. |
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72
Post Number: 132 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44
| Posted on Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 11:12 pm: | |
When my family came to Detroit, in the early 20th century, their church was St. Albertus. I still attend church there on Easter. (wish I spoke Polish) As I sit in the pews, I think about my past family... I remember them as I knew, or were told... and I think how I am the past reborn... Long live the churches of Polonia. (Little Poland or Warsaw for the non-Pol's) |
Livedog2 Member Username: Livedog2
Post Number: 980 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 24.223.133.177
| Posted on Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 11:14 pm: | |
Sweetest Heart of Mary is the best maintained but I personally think St. Albertus is the most beautiful of the Trilogy of Polish Cathedrals on Canfield. Livedog2 |
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw
Post Number: 2027 Registered: 02-2005 Posted From: 68.248.5.45
| Posted on Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 11:27 pm: | |
Ordinary, there have certainly been some extensive past threads. Detroit is blessed, no pun intended, with incredible and diverse church architecture. From St. Peter and Paul (the oldest extant building) to sprawling gothic halls like SHM to east-coast storefront style like St. Aloysius, there is much to see. |
Hysteria Member Username: Hysteria
Post Number: 1157 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 152.163.100.8
| Posted on Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 11:45 pm: | |
Detroit is truly 'blessed' in that category. You know, every large/mid-sized American city of the early/mid 20th Century with a significant immigrant population truly seems to have great churches / cathedrals / temples ... Beautiful!!! Sadly, many of these places of worship have been abandoned in favor of suburban churches resembling pole-barns with super-sized parking lots. |