St. Mary Roman Catholic Church (Detroit)

Historic church in Michigan, United States

United States historic place

St. Mary Roman Catholic Church

U.S. Historic district
Contributing property

Location| 646 Monroe Street
Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates| 42°20′6″N 83°2′32″W﻿ / ﻿42.33500°N 83.04222°W﻿ / 42.33500; -83.04222
Architect| Peter Dederichs
Architectural style| Pisan Romanesque
Part of| Greektown Historic District (ID82002902)
Added to NRHP| May 6, 1982

St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, formally the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is in the third oldest Roman Catholic parish in Detroit, Michigan.[1] Designed by German-born Peter Dederichs and built for the formerly ethnic German parish of the 19th century, it is located at 646 Monroe Street in what is now considered the heart of the Greektown Historic District in downtown Detroit. It is often called "Old St. Mary's Church" to avoid confusion with other St. Mary's parishes: in the Redford neighborhood of Detroit, or in nearby Royal Oak, Monroe, or Wayne.

The former church was built in 1841. The school, built in 1868, was the first of the new buildings of the current complex. The rectory (1876); new church (1884–1885), and convent, completed in 1922, comprised the remainder.[2] The convent was demolished in the early 2000s and replaced with a community center designed to resemble the 1841 church building.

St. Mary Parish has been staffed by the Spiritans or Holy Ghost Fathers since 1893. It was previously administered by the Franciscan Fathers (1872–1893) and the Redemptorist Fathers (1847–1872).

## History[edit]

Saint Mary Roman Catholic Church in Detroit's Greektown Historic District

The parish was founded in 1834 by Father Martin Kundig to serve the German-speaking Catholic immigrants who settled in this part of the city. The first church was constructed in 1841 at this site on land sold to Bishop Peter Paul LeFevere for one dollar by Antoine and Monica Beaubien, two of the area's early ethnic French settlers. The materials for the church cost an additional $239. The Beaubiens also donated four bells for the new church.[3]

The cornerstone for the current structure was laid in 1884 and it was completed in 1885. Its German born and trained architect, Peter Dederichs, was a parishioner of the Church; he also designed nearby Sacred Heart Church.[4]

In the early twentieth century, Father Joseph Wuest, Pastor of Old St. Mary's, had three grottos constructed at the rear of the church. One is the Baptistry on the Epistle side of the building. It depicts the scene described in the Canonical Gospels of the Baptism of Jesus. Next to the Baptistry is a replica of the Shrine of Lourdes. Within this grotto is an altar where weekly mass is celebrated. Older members of the church say that Father Wuest collected the rocks he used in the construction during a trip to Lourdes, France. On the opposite side of the church is the third grotto, which depicts the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before the crucifixion of Jesus.[2]

Rev. John A. Lemke, born in Detroit on February 10, 1866, to Polish immigrants from Prussian Poland, was baptized at St. Mary's on February 18, 1866. After graduating from Detroit College and studying at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1889 he returned to Detroit and was the first native-born Roman Catholic priest of Polish descent to be ordained in the United States. He died of illness in 1890.[5]

St. Mary's school opened in 1844 with lay teachers. The Christian Brothers began teaching male upperclassmen in 1852, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame assuming responsibility for teaching the girls and younger boys. The building was replaced in 1855 and the current building, designed by Pius Daubner, was erected in 1868. The school operated until 1966.

The church, school and rectory were listed as Michigan Historic Sites in 1979 and markers were erected at all three.[6]

## Architecture[edit]

The church is constructed of red brick in the Romanesque style, with Venetian accents.[7] The west façade is dominated by twin towers which frame a large rose window. The Romanesque-Venetian style was also used for the rectory and former convent. The church is 176 ft (54 m) long. The nave is 80 ft (24 m) wide and reaches a height of 90 ft (27 m).

A striking feature of the church interior are the ten polished granite columns that divide the main and side aisles. The columns are each cut from a single piece of granite. They were originally intended for the Michigan State Capitol building then under construction in Lansing. For unknown reasons, the columns were not used in the Capitol. The church purchased all ten for only $4,625, bringing the total construction cost to $81,210.[3]

## See also[edit]

* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
* Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
* Greektown Historic District

## References[edit]

1. ^ Collum, Marla O.; Krueger, Barbara E.; & Kostuch, Dorothy (2012). Detroit's Historic Places of Worship, p. 64. Wayne State University Press.
2. ^ a b Old Saint Mary's, Old St. Mary's Parish, c. 1984
3. ^ a b "History of St. Mary Detroit". oldstmarysdetroit.com. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
4. ^ Hill, Eric J. & John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3.
5. ^ Alan R. Treppa. "Rev. John A. Lemke: America's First Native Born Roman Catholic Priest" (PDF). StAlbertus.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2007. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
6. ^ "St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church". Michigan State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
7. ^ Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

## Further reading[edit]

* Godzak, Roman (2000). Archdiocese of Detroit (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-0797-0.
* Godzak, Roman (2004). Catholic Churches of Detroit (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3235-5.
* Godzak, Roman (2000). Make Straight the Path: A 300 Year Pilgrimage Archdiocese of Detroit. Editions du Signe. ISBN 2-7468-0145-0.
* Tentler, Leslie Woodcock with foreword by Edmund Cardinal Szoka (1992). Seasons of Grace: A History of the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2106-2.
* Tutag, Nola Huse with Lucy Hamilton (1988). Discovering Stained Glass in Detroit. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1875-4.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, Detroit.

* Old St. Marys Church
* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit

* v
* t
* e

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit

* v
* t
* e

Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Detroit

Bishops|

* Frederick Rese
* Caspar Borgess
* John Samuel Foley
* Michael Gallagher

Coadjutor bishop|

* Peter Paul Lefevere

Archbishops|

* Edward Aloysius Mooney
* John Francis Dearden
* Edmund Szoka
* Adam Maida
* Allen Henry Vigneron

* Catholicism portal

* v
* t
* e

Churches in the Archdiocese of Detroit

Cathedral|

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament

Parishes|

| Detroit|

* Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church
* Most Holy Redeemer Church
* Our Lady of the Rosary Church
* Sacred Heart Church
* St. Albertus Church
* Ste. Anne de Detroit Church
* St. Catherine of Siena Church
* St. Charles Borromeo Church
* St. Josaphat's Church
* St. Joseph Church
* St. Mary Church
* St. Patrick Church
* Saints Peter and Paul Church
* St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Church
* Sweetest Heart of Mary Church

|

Monroe County|

* St. Mary's Church, Monroe
* St. Michael's Church, Monroe

Wayne County|

* St. Paul Church, Grosse Pointe Farms
* St. Florian Church, Hamtramck
* Our Lady of the Scapular Parish, Wyandotte

Former|

* St. Boniface Church, Detroit
* St. Theresa of Avila Church, Detroit
* St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Detroit

Shrine|

* National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak

* v
* t
* e

Education in the Archdiocese of Detroit

Higher education|

* Madonna University
* Marygrove College
* University of Detroit Mercy

Seminaries|

* Sacred Heart Major Seminary
* SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary

High schools|

| Macomb County|

* De La Salle Collegiate High School, Warren
* Regina High School, Warren
* Austin Catholic High School, Ray Township

|

Monroe County|

* St. Mary Catholic Central High School, Monroe

Oakland County|

* Academy of the Sacred Heart High School, Bloomfield Hills
* Bishop Foley Catholic High School, Madison Heights
* Brother Rice High School, Bloomfield Hills
* Detroit Catholic Central High School, Novi
* Everest Collegiate High School and Academy, Independence Township
* Marian High School, Bloomfield Hills
* Mercy High School, Farmington Hills
* Notre Dame Preparatory, Pontiac
* Our Lady of the Lakes High School, Waterford
* Shrine Catholic High School, Royal Oak
* St. Mary's Preparatory, Orchard Lake Village
* St. Catherine of Siena Academy, Wixom

St. Clair County|

* Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Marine City

Wayne County|

* Cabrini High School, Allen Park
* Detroit Cristo Rey High School, Detroit
* Divine Child High School, Dearborn
* Gabriel Richard Catholic High School, Riverview
* Ladywood High School, Livonia
* Loyola High School, Detroit
* University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, Detroit

Former|

| Higher education|

* Duns Scotus College
* Maryglade College

|

High schools|

* Girls Catholic Central High School, Detroit
* Holy Redeemer High School, Detroit
* Notre Dame High School, Harper Woods
* Sacred Heart High School, Roseville
* Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School, Wyandotte

* v
* t
* e

Clergy of the Archdiocese of Detroit

Auxiliary bishops|

* Moses Anderson
* Allen James Babcock
* Gerard William Battersby
* Leonard Paul Blair
* Earl Boyea
* Joseph M. Breitenbeck
* Kevin Michael Britt
* Michael J. Byrnes
* Arturo Cepeda
* Patrick R. Cooney
* Henry Edmund Donnelly
* John Anthony Donovan
* Robert J. Fisher
* Daniel E. Flores
* Thomas Gumbleton
* Donald Hanchon
* Bernard Joseph Harrington
* Walter A. Hurley
* Joseph Leopold Imesch
* Edward D. Kelly
* Arthur Henry Krawczak
* Dale Joseph Melczek
* Jeffrey M. Monforton
* John Clayton Nienstedt
* Joseph C. Plagens
* John M. Quinn
* Francis R. Reiss
* Paul Fitzpatrick Russell
* Walter Joseph Schoenherr
* Allen Henry Vigneron
* Stephen Stanislaus Woznicki
* Alexander M. Zaleski

Priests|

* Alexander Joseph Brunett
* Solanus Casey
* Charles Coughlin
* Francis Kelley
* Camillus Paul Maes
* Jeffrey Marc Monforton
* William Murphy
* John A. Trese
* Kenneth Edward Untener

* Catholicism portal
* Michigan portal

* v
* t
* e

Religious landmarks in metropolitan Detroit

This includes houses of worship, but does not include schools.

Religious landmarks
along Woodward Ave.
(address #)|

* St. John's Episcopal Church (2326)
* Woodward Avenue Baptist Church (demolished)
* First Unitarian Church (2870)
* First Presbyterian Church (2930)
* Temple Beth-El (3424)
* Cathedral Church of St. Paul (4800)
* Our Lady of the Rosary (5930)
* Metropolitan United Methodist Church (8000)
* First Baptist Church (8501)
* Woodward Avenue Presbyterian Church (8501)
* North Woodward Congregational Church (8715)
* Temple Beth-El (8801)
* Saint Joseph's Temple Baptist Church / King Solomon Baptist ChurchEpiscopal Church (8830)
* Central Woodward Christian Church (9000)
* Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament (9844)
* Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (12375)
* Trinity United Methodist Church (13100)
* First United Methodist Church (16300)
* Central United Methodist Church (23 East Adams)
* First Congregational Church (33 Forest)
* Highland Park Presbyterian Church (14 Cortland)
* Mariners' Church (170 East Jefferson)

City
(also Hamtramck)|

* Al-Islah Mosque (Hamtramck)
* Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church
* Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
* Chapel of St. Theresa-the Little Flower
* Christ Church Detroit
* Fort Street Presbyterian Church
* Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church
* Historic Trinity Lutheran Church
* Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church
* Most Holy Redeemer Church
* Sacred Heart Chaldean Church
* Sacred Heart Major Seminary
* Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Convent and Rectory
* St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church
* St. Aloysius
* Saint Andrew's Memorial Episcopal Church
* Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church
* St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church (demolished)
* St. Bonaventure Monastery
* St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church
* St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church
* St. Florian Church (Hamtramck)
* St. James Episcopal (Grosse Ile)
* St. John's-St. Luke's Evangelical
* St. Josaphat's
* St. Joseph Catholic Church
* St. Mary Roman Catholic Church
* Saints Peter and Paul Church
* Saints Peter and Paul Academy
* St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church
* St. Theresa of Avila Roman Catholic Church
* St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church (demolished)
* Second Baptist Church
* Sweetest Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church
* Temple Baptist Church – King Solomon Baptist Church
* Trinity Episcopal Church
* Trumbull Avenue Presbyterian Church
* Tushiyah United Hebrew School – Scott Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church

Suburban|

* Christ Church Chapel (Grosse Pointe)
* Christ Church Cranbrook (Bloomfield Hills)
* Dearborn Mosque
* Detroit Temple, Church of the Latter Day Saints (Bloomfield Hills)
* Duns Scotus College (Southfield)
* Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Grosse Pointe)
* Islamic Center of America (Dearborn)
* First Albanian Bektashi Tekke in America (Taylor)
* Kirk in the Hills (Bloomfield Hills)
* Mother of God Cathedral (Southfield)
* National Shrine of the Little Flower (Royal Oak)
* Nardin Park United Methodist Church (Farmington Hills)
* Piety Hill Historic District (Lapeer)
* St. Hugo in the Hills Catholic Church (Bloomfield Hills)
* St. Mary Church (Monroe)
* Saint Paul Catholic Church (Grosse Pointe Farms)
* Congregation Shaarey Zedek (Southfield)
* Temple Beth El (Bloomfield Hills)

See also: Architecture of metropolitan Detroit

* v
* t
* e

National Register of Historic Places in Michigan

Lists by county|

* Alcona
* Alger
* Allegan
* Alpena
* Antrim
* Arenac
* Baraga
* Barry
* Bay
* Benzie
* Berrien
* Branch
* Calhoun
* Cass
* Charlevoix
* Cheboygan
* Chippewa
* Clare
* Clinton
* Crawford
* Delta
* Dickinson
* Eaton
* Emmet
* Genesee
* Gladwin
* Gogebic
* Grand Traverse
* Gratiot
* Hillsdale
* Houghton
* Huron
* Ingham
* Ionia
* Iosco
* Iron
* Isabella
* Jackson
* Kalamazoo
* Kalkaska
* Kent
* Keweenaw
* Lake
* Lapeer
* Leelanau
* Lenawee
* Livingston
* Luce
* Mackinac
* Macomb
* Manistee
* Marquette
* Mason
* Mecosta
* Menominee
* Midland
* Missaukee
* Monroe
* Montcalm
* Montmorency
* Muskegon
* Newaygo
* Oakland
* Oceana
* Ogemaw
* Ontonagon
* Osceola
* Oscoda
* Otsego
* Ottawa
* Presque Isle
* Roscommon
* Saginaw
* Sanilac
* Schoolcraft
* Shiawassee
* St. Clair
* St. Joseph
* Tuscola
* Van Buren
* Washtenaw
* Wayne
* Detroit
* Wexford

Other lists|

* Bridges
* Historic districts
* Houses
* Michigan State Historic Sites (listings)
* National Historic Landmarks
* Properties of religious function
* Railway stations

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template