  Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 132 Registered: 08-2004 |
I'm a Chicagoan who's visited Detroit many times, and while I've found information on a number of the city's beautiful churches, there are several closed parishes that I've been unable to locate. Does anyone know the approximate cross streets for the following closed Detroit parishes ? 1.Annunciation 2.Assumption (Conner's Creek) 3.Immaculate Conception (Poletown 4.Our Lady Of Guadalupe (closed 1957)5.Our Lady Of Help 6.Our Lady Of Sorrows 7.Patronage Of St Joseph 8.St Anthony 9.St Augustine 10.St Brigid 11.St David 12.St Jerome 13.St Joachim 14.St Paul (Maltese) 15.St Peter (Lithuanian)16.St Wenceslaus 17.Santa Maria Thanks | ||
Bearinabox Member Username: Bearinabox Post Number: 158 Registered: 04-2006 |
Good luck finding Immaculate Conception. It's got a GM assembly plant over the top of it. | ||
65memories Member Username: 65memories Post Number: 380 Registered: 10-2003 |
Larry..contact the archivist for the Archdiocese of Detroit at the number on this site: http://www.aodonline.org/AODOn line/Parishes+2317/ParishLocat or.asp?ParishLocatorPageType=C losedParishes | ||
Swiburn Member Username: Swiburn Post Number: 97 Registered: 07-2006 |
1. Annunciation -Parkview, n. of E. Jefferson. Still standing. 2. Our Lady of Help- torn down for urban renewal around l967 Elmwood & Congress 3. Our Lady of Sorrows-Meldrum and Benson> The first church burned down around l963, a new one replaced it. 4. St. Anthony- 52471 Sheridan. Still standing 5. Patronage of St. Joseph-Georgia & Raymond 6. St. Augustine- Justine, s. of Davison. closed 7. St. David- Gratiot and Rosemary or Gratiot and E. Outer Dr. closed 8. Santa Maria-Cardoni and Rosedale. closed 9.St. Wenceslaus- St. Antoine and Leland (torn down) 10. St. Paul's Maltese-4th and Plum (torn down) 11. St. Brigid- Schoolcraft & Indiana 12. St. Joachim- until l960s, (torn down) E. Fort and Dubois, then French Rd. and Montlieu thanks for the interesting post! | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 133 Registered: 08-2004 |
Thanks Swiburn. I knew Immaculate Conception and St John the Evangelist were torn down along with the rest of Poletown, but I'm uncertain of exactly where IC was located. Heard it was beautiful, though I've only seen a photo of the doors. Was anyone ever inside of St Casimir on the West Side ? We have a church in Chicago that is strikingly similar in appearance. | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 190 Registered: 02-2007 |
Are you certain re: Immaculate Conception? The big Uke church in Hamtramack? I believe that I was driven by it about ten years ago (and it was still standing). | ||
Maxcarey Member Username: Maxcarey Post Number: 76 Registered: 07-2006 |
Larry The first or the second St. Casimir? | ||
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446 Post Number: 36 Registered: 03-2007 |
The former St. David High School across the street from the church became Rosa Parks Middle School. I believe St. David briefly merged with St.Ignatius. I think the last mass at St. David was 1989 or 1990. The actual street address for the grade school was 8111 E. Outer Drive but you see the back of the school along Gratiot. | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 134 Registered: 08-2004 |
Maxcarey I assume the first. The one with the large dome. Did burn down ? It bore a striking resemblance to St Mary of Perpetual Help in Chicago. Craig Were speaking of two different churches. IC in Poletown in Detroit was torndown. | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 135 Registered: 08-2004 |
Maxcarey I assume the first St Casimir's, the one with the large dome. Did it burn down ? Craig Were speaking of two different churches. This IC was in Detroit not Hamtramck. | ||
Ronaldj Member Username: Ronaldj Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2007 |
Annunciation now known as Good shepherd due to parish consolidations. | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 191 Registered: 02-2007 |
Larry Je wiem. Tsche proscium. (St. John's is still hanging in there, though!) | ||
65memories Member Username: 65memories Post Number: 381 Registered: 10-2003 |
Larry...I hate to keep giving you sites, but does this help?: http://www.polishancestry.com/ churches/stcasimir.htm | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 136 Registered: 08-2004 |
65memories I was at both those sites, but only just now did I notice the mention of St Casimir having an exact twin in Chicago in St Mary of Perpetual Help in Chicago. Hopefully a former parishoner who remembers the domed church will turn up on this thread. | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 137 Registered: 08-2004 |
65memories I saw both those sites, but only just now did I notice the mention of St Casimir having a twin in Chicago in St Mary of Perpetual Help. Hopefully a former parishoner will turn up on the thread. | ||
Swiburn Member Username: Swiburn Post Number: 98 Registered: 07-2006 |
Immaculate Conception address was: 3414 Trombly, west of Moran. It was definitely torn down in l981. St. Casimir, built l874, was torn down and a new one put up in the early l960s, I believe. The address is 23rd St and Myrtle. | ||
Renf Member Username: Renf Post Number: 49 Registered: 11-2003 |
Information about Annunciation Church in Detroit and Immaculate Conception Ukranian Rite Church in Hamtramck is available from the sites shown below: http://www.detroit1701.org/Ann unciation%20Church.html http://www.detroit1701.org/Imm aculate%20Conception%20Ukraini an.html | ||
Grandpamike Member Username: Grandpamike Post Number: 2 Registered: 04-2007 |
65memories, Thank you for the website. Our fledgling West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society can use that to add to our information base. The WSDPAHS website is www.detroitpolonia.org. | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 138 Registered: 08-2004 |
Here's a photo of the original St Casimir's on the West Side http://freepages.genealogy.roo tsweb.com/~detroitchurches/pag e22.htm And here's St Mary of Perpetual Help in Chicago http://www.stmaryofperpetualhe lp.com/ If St Casimir's interior was anything like SMPP than it was quite an impressive church. | ||
Maxcarey Member Username: Maxcarey Post Number: 78 Registered: 07-2006 |
Sorry Larry, I wasn't in the first, I was in the second St. Casimir. That church is still there, although it is not a Catholic church anymore. The grade school was still in operation, but closed in 2005. The original church did not burn down, it was simply torn down in favor of a replacement. Pictures to come when I get a little time. | ||
Maxcarey Member Username: Maxcarey Post Number: 81 Registered: 07-2006 |
Some shots of St. David Church and school: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=456752768&size=l http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=456752774&size=l http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=456752778&size=l http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=456752816&size=l http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=456752828&size=l | ||
Quozl Member Username: Quozl Post Number: 419 Registered: 07-2005 |
Nice pics Maxcarey. The school (old and new) resembles St. Mary of Redford Elementary and High School IMHO. | ||
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446 Post Number: 42 Registered: 03-2007 |
Interesting pics Maxcarey. Was St. David your parish ? Brings back a lot of memories for the family since that was the parish from the 1950's-1980's. Pictures 2-4 was of the grade school. The first picture which is of the 2nd church was built after World War II. The last picture is the high school across the street from the church put up in the late 1950's. The parishioners were forced to contribute to the new high school whether they agreed with the idea or not. I believe my grandfather said it was $250 per family which in the 1950's was not exactly a small amount. As it turned out the new high school was a bad idea because of the short time it existed. | ||
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446 Post Number: 43 Registered: 03-2007 |
One other thing about St. David. For a church that looked pretty decent on the exterior, interior wise it is perhaps the most underwhelming and plain looking Catholic church that was in Detroit. It does not compare at all to Nativity, Good Counsel, St. Matthew, St. Jude, St. Cyril, Queen of Heaven, etc. | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 139 Registered: 08-2004 |
Nice shots Maxcarey. Didn't St David's and Patronage of St Joseph both start off as predominantly Italian parishes ? Also, do either of Roman Godzak's books have photos of the interiors of Detroit's lost Catholic Churches ? | ||
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446 Post Number: 45 Registered: 03-2007 |
Patronage of St. Joseph was more Italian than St. David. St. David had many Italians, but by the 1960's it was mixed with Italians, Poles, and Germans, and miscellaneous like Irish and other Eastern European groups | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 140 Registered: 08-2004 |
Thanks Whithorn. Now to the really sad question. Which closed or demolished parish was the greatest architectural loss ? My guess is either the original St Casimir or Sts Cyril and Methodius. | ||
Whithorn11446 Member Username: Whithorn11446 Post Number: 47 Registered: 03-2007 |
Larry, Tough question to select one. St. Cyril was an anchor of that Harper-Van Dyke area for decades. Definately, a nice church both interior and exterior wise. I apologize for not knowing much about St. Casimir. IMHO I think the greatest losses are about to come in 5-15 years. I hope I am wrong, but where will the support for Assumption Grotto, Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Joseph, Sweetest Heart of Mary, St. Jude, St. Matthews, St. Josaphat, Transfiguration, etc. come from ? When what remains of the World War II generation dies off these churches will be empty. Their is not an overwhelming number of baby boomers supporting these parishes already. Most of their kids are alien to these neighborhoods. Finally, these buildings are just becoming older and needing more maintenance. I'm hoping that this opinion is wrong and someone well correct my flawed thinking because these places are treasures. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 3019 Registered: 10-2004 |
There hasn't been a critical mass of Catholics left in Detroit, Dearborn, Southfield, and other inner suburbs for decades already. So expect many more Catholic parishes to disappear here and in the more distant burbs. In that respect, this chain of events parallels that of the Jewish synagogues--where maybe only one is left in Detroit or maybe even the entire Wayne County. | ||
Gibran Member Username: Gibran Post Number: 185 Registered: 02-2007 |
My vote is they are all = ...can you imagine....growing up with GA and ST. Brendan's and now they are gone. This is wild they were second generation churches that were built to accommodate the initial growth of the WWII vets and the transition of second generation Detroiters.. St. Jude and St. Matthew were so powerful and big compared to the above... Hard to believe ... The architecture in Detroit as a whole; churches, neighborhoods and buildings is mind blowing. This is so hard and thank God for you folks on these posts who keep the memories alive. | ||
Swiburn Member Username: Swiburn Post Number: 100 Registered: 07-2006 |
Greatest architectural loss would probably be St. Albertus, (this parish is open only occasionally in a really rundown area) Estimates to replicate the interior at today's prices would run to $20 million, according to Roman Godzak, former Archdiocese archivist. And yes, there are a few interior shots of closed churches in his book, i.e. St. Monica, St. Rose of Lima and a few others. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2233 Registered: 06-2004 |
Anybody here from Mother of Consolation? Closed in the first purge in 1989. | ||
Maxcarey Member Username: Maxcarey Post Number: 82 Registered: 07-2006 |
Thanks all. No, St. David was not my parish, but I was aware of it growing up. Yes, Roman's book does have some interior shots, all black and white. Later on, I'll post a listing. I shudder to think of the prospects of these struggling parishes. There are many that aren't mentioned, such as Queen of Peace, St. Peter, St. Veronica, St. Raymond, St. Louis, etc. that I fear for too. It is definately a period that is quickly passing by. Speaking of St. Casimir, I included some shots of the elementary school and in the first one, you can see the second church in the background: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457087362&size=l St. Casimir #2 http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457087364&size=l Back Entrance of St. Cas: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457087366&size=l School Recruiting Sign: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457087368&size=o A peek inside: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457087382&size=l | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 141 Registered: 08-2004 |
I didn't know St Albertus was in that bad of shape. There website's photos make the church look like it's well kept up. I don't know what mass attendance at St Josaphat's is like, but they've been adding alot to there website since they began having Latin Masses. There's an excellent book called The Kolasinski Affair And Polish Detroit by Lawrence Orton, that focuses on both St Albertus and Sweetest Heart Of Mary. I was able to get it at a local library down here. | ||
Mortalman Member Username: Mortalman Post Number: 35 Registered: 03-2007 |
I was Baptized by the original pastor of Mother of Consolation, Fr. Carmine Coletta more years ago than I can count. The saddest day in the history of that parish was June 25, 1989 the day of the last mass conducted by Fr. Coletta, Augustinian. This was the greatest church I have ever encountered. It was the only church I knew that when the collection basket came around if you had it you put it in and if you needed it you took it out. Now, that's Christianity in action! | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2235 Registered: 06-2004 |
I was baptized by Fr. Coletta as well. My father was an alterboy there in the 40's. Lived on Maine. House demolished for "progress" (Davison FWY). Still in contact with many of the families. | ||
Eastsidedame Member Username: Eastsidedame Post Number: 97 Registered: 12-2006 |
"Which closed or demolished parish was the greatest architectural loss?" My vote would be San Francesco, though I'm having a hard time finding photos of it. From what I've read and heard, it was very impressive. My family was in construction, and everybody raved about it. It was torn down to make way for I-94, which pretty much ruined our old neighborhood. I was baptized there in 1956, so I know it was there at that time. I posted a photo of my family at a funeral on the East Side Detroit Catholic School History thread in which they're standing in front of the church. https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/5/92667.html?1176436851 | ||
Maxcarey Member Username: Maxcarey Post Number: 86 Registered: 07-2006 |
Where was Mother of Consolation located? Since Albertus was mentioned, here are a few pictures, with some story links, about the church and school. Front of church: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457564632&size=l Church Statue: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457564630&size=l Parish House: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457564594&size=l Front of School: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457564626&size=l Face of school: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457564622&size=l Back of school: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo om.gne?id=457564606&size=l | ||
Swiburn Member Username: Swiburn Post Number: 101 Registered: 07-2006 |
Thanks, Maxcarey. I don't know if St. Albertus is actually in bad shape, but the quality of materials used in the construction,such as gold leaf on the ceiling, would cost the $20 million today. The parishioners at this church and Sweetest Heart of Mary would take second mortgages on their houses to pay for this. I went to a mass at St. Josaphat's recently, and it seemed to be doing a lot better than Sweetest Heart of Mary, which has a forbidding,fortress-like mentality about it, i.e. the church is enclosed by gates which are closed about 15 minutes after mass ends. | ||
Larry Member Username: Larry Post Number: 142 Registered: 08-2004 |
Here's a photo of San Francesco from the 1910 book http://freepages.genealogy.roo tsweb.com/~detroitchurches/pag e37b.htm I've always wanted to do a major photo shoot of Catholic churches in Detroit on the inside, but after seeing how many churches were locked at 3 pm this last Good Friday (you heard right) in Chicago, I'd probably be lucky to get inside 1 or 2. | ||
Swiburn Member Username: Swiburn Post Number: 103 Registered: 07-2006 |
Maxcarey, In answer to your question: Mother of Consolation Church was located at l3509 Mackay St, just north of the Davison Freeway East. | ||
Maxcarey Member Username: Maxcarey Post Number: 87 Registered: 07-2006 |
Swiburn - Thanks, I missed that one. Larry, I have a similar motivation, but I am having to settle for the exterior shots of the churches and schools. As for the inside shots in Roman's book, here is what was available: Holy Cross St. Gabriel St. Matthew Sweetest Heart of Mary St. Hugo St. Joseph (Lake Orion) St. Margaret of Scotland Immaculate Conception (Detroit) St. Agnes St. Albertus St. Bernadette St. Brigid St. Catherine St. Rose of Lima St. Vincent De Paul St. Wenceslaus (dismantling) | ||
Lmr Member Username: Lmr Post Number: 10 Registered: 03-2007 |
The St. Bernadette that is referred to in the above, is that the one that was near Dix on the Dearborn/Detroit border? I can't remember offhand the name of the side street that the address was on...it'll come to me eventually. A small church that I think the address was actually in Dearborn. I'm also thinking that it was Maltese? Does anybody know what became of that church? I saw on the archdiocese web page that it said St. Bernadette's closed in 1998. My high school principal was also pastor of the St. Bernadette's near Dix. |
