St. Josaphat Pictures (and one at St. Joseph)

I went to Mass this morning at St. Josaphat and brought my camera this time.

St. Joseph Altar at St. Josaphat


High Altar, Altar Boy snuffing out candles.


St. Josaphat with the axe of his martyrdom.


View from the pew.


Mary Altar.


St. Therese is everywhere.


This is Mass at St. Joseph

St. Aloysius and State Deli

St. Aloysius (named for the Jesuit Aloysius Gonzaga) is a bit of an oasis in downtown Detroit nestled among the skyscrapers of Washington Street. St. Aloysius was founded in 1873 when Bishop Borgess purchased "Westminster Presbyterian Church" which was constructed in 1860. In 1877 St. Aloysius supplanted SS. Peter and Paul as the Cathedral for the diocese of Detroit. This was likely an easy transition for Bishop Borgess who lived across the street. The site of Bishop Borgess's home is "now occupied by the Book building." (Make Straight the Path, 72)

In March of 1916, the Church started a noon daily Mass to accommodate the workers of this business district, and this Mass continues to this day. It was on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week that I met a friend who works nearby for Mass and a meal.


This picture hardly does St. Aloysius justice. St. Al's has 3 levels, the loft you can see and the main floor, but behind the daily mass altar there is a semicircular hole looking down to the crypt level of the church. Above the high altar is a large mosaic of Christ the Good Shepherd.


The church as it stands today was constructed in 1930 by the Donaldson and Meier Firm who did the Chancery building to the left 4 years previous as well as Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

The parish has been under the care of the Franciscans since 1992.

After 12:15 Mass you can head next door to the State Deli and Grocery for a Deli Sandwich or even a burger and fries. If it's nice out Washington Street is a really nice area to sit outside and eat. You could also head down to Michigan and Lafayette and go to American or Lafayette Coney Island, but I didn't want to ignite any debate by choosing sides, so I've left that choice up to you, dear reader.

The book I referenced heavily for this post is Make Straight the Path: A 300-year Pilgrimage, Archdiocese of Detroit. This 12"x12" coffee table book is filled with the stories of the Churches of the Archdiocese and contains many beautiful pictures. The link above is to Amazon, and is the one the AOD provides, but you can probably find it in area Catholic Bookstores. There is a book store next to St. Aloysius in the former Chancery building. How convenient!

St. Albertus Pictures

My friend DC took some pictures at St. Albertus. Here they are.

Holy Mass being celebrated in the Extraordinary form by Fr. Lee Acervo.


Here I stand in front of this fine edifice.

Sweetest Heart of Mary and Milano Cafe

Sweetest Heart of Mary is a bit of a Felix Culpa - not quite on par with the necessary sin of Adam but a happy fault nonetheless. The origins of this beautiful Cathedral-like church are steeped in controversy. Investigations, marches on the Bishop Borgess' residence, warring factions of Poles, interdict, schism, you name it.

From the SHM Website:

"On June 5, 1892, a cornerstone-laying ceremony presided over by a 'bishop' of dubious antecedents took place. On December 24, 1893, Christmas Eve, the church was officially dedicated with great pomp and circumstance by a so­-called Old Catholic bishop, Joseph Rene Vilatte."

Thankfully,

"On February 18, 1894, in a memorable ceremony, he and his congregation were officially received into the Diocese of Detroit."

The story doesn't end there, so read the whole history. You can also go on virtual tour with images with good descriptions of the manifold beautiful features of this church.

Pictures? Pictures:

St. Michael


Inside.


St. Therese


The high altar with matching free-standing altar.


60' x 30' Stained Glass depicting the Holy Family
(dimensions come from Discovering Stained Glass in Detroit By Nola Huse Tutag, Lucy Hamilton)

Be sure to check out the parish website's photos, and get down here for Mass sometime! Every Friday there is a noon Mass followed by Devotions to the Sacred Heart and Benediction. Here is the rest of the schedule and a who's who of the parish.

After Mass you can drive down to Mack and Russell and stop at the Milano Cafe. You can get a sandwich with your choice of side and a pickle for anywhere form 3.50 (Grilled Cheese) to 7.99 (Meat-laden behemoths). I got the Charlie on Rye, which is a tuna melt. It wasn't the best sandwich, I've ever had or anything, but it was good enough. They also have pizza and plenty of bakery treats. The counter staff was young and friendly. The place was neat and tidy. Not a bad place to go for a lunch, but they close early, so get your dinner elsewhere. Apparently it is the largest hearth bakery in Michigan, and they also baked the bread for the Guinness world record largest sandwich. Al Gore is also fan of this joint apparently. They had an autographed photo on the wall.

SS Peter and Paul (Jesuit) and Jacoby's

The church I visited today is the answer to the trivia question, "What is the oldest continuously used church building in Detroit?" The edifice has been standing since 1848, and it was at that time the Cathedral, the Seat of Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere. (Did he name it after himself?)

See the full history of Sts. Peter and Paul Jesuit here. The church has been run by the Jesuits since it was handed over to them by Bishop Borgess in 1877 in return for starting what is now the University of Detroit-Mercy. The law school is still adjacent to the church.

Daily Mass is celebrated at the side of the church upon a roll-away altar. I came today hoping to celebrate the Optional Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of SS Peter and Paul (white text on black... sorry),but it was instead the Optional ( in the US) Memorial of St. Rose Phillipine Duchesne. She seems pretty awesome. Ora Pro Nobis!

So I suppose you are wondering what it looks like.

The High altar, the stand-alone altar and tabernacle not in use for daily mass.
The altar is flanked of course by Peter and Paul. Above the Altar
and around the entire Church is the name of Jesus in several languages.
Jesuits like that guy.


Side Altars. Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary "Behold your Mother"
This is apparently before the proliferation of St. Joseph altars
on the right-hand side (facing the high altar). Anyone know the
history of Side Altars dedicated to St. Joseph? The shift must have
happened in the latter half of the 19th Century...


Here is where they celebrate daily Mass. The Eucharist
is reserved here at the side of the Church.


Sts. Mark, Andrew and Philip. You can see also the
continuing multi-lingual names of Jesus.

Ste. Therese of Lisieux in the Marble Vestibule.

After Mass you could head across St. Aubin St. to visit Nathan's Deli, but I decided to walk a couple blocks and head to Jacoby's, a 106 year-old German Restaurant and Bar. In addition to to German cuisine you get your burger and fries here too. I got the Sausage Soup and a bowl of Oma's recipe Saurkraut. Not bad for a $6 dollar meal. (tax and tip to 7.50) This would definitely be a good place to go with a crowd of up to 8 or 10 for dinner and beers. They have some counter-top-type tables with plenty of stools. They also have rock acts upstairs sometimes. I saw The Pizazz there once. Jacoby's is around the corner from St. Andrew's Hall and a short walk from Greektown and probably worth a stop in with their good eats and large selection of taps.

St. Joseph and Supino Pizzeria

St. Joseph at 1828 Jay street is my parish. The 12:10 Wednesday mass is followed by Novena prayers to St. Joseph, Benediction, and veneration of a relic of this just man. St. Joseph is a powerful intercessor, perhaps you should foster a devotion to him?

St. Joseph is a historically German church located just south of Eastern Market. It is visible, but not accessible from Gratiot. The Parish website has an excellent page describing the history of the parish and the Church's architecture. The Church was dedicated 133 years ago yesterday, but it went under a few upgrades since then as you can see in the linked page. A fellow parishioner runs a blog about St. Joseph. I linked it in the side bar. Check it out!

I took some pictures today.


Memorial of Pastor Friedland shows the original and 'current' churches.


All masses at St. Joseph are said Ad Orientem
Fr. Czarnota said Mass (Novus Ordo English) today
and was assisted by Deacon Stimpson.


The St. Joseph Altar


One of my favorite features is the stained glass.
Behind the altar are pairs of bishops with pithy
pro-Papal sayings. Ubi Petrus Ibi Ecclesia
Where Peter is, there is the Church.


I like to sit under my name sake.


Here is the high altar after Mass.
Yes, we do use the communion rails. :)

The pictures make this long, but I do want to mention the meal part! After Mass I went to Supino Pizzeria on Russel at the south end of the Eastern Market. Staffed by hipsters sporting ironic mustaches and t-shirts (The African-American gentleman who served me wore this t-shirt.), they serve up some delicious thin-crust New York style pizza. I got 2 slices of cheese 'za and a pop for $6.10. One of their specialty pizzas is the Bizmarck which has fried eggs and Prosciutto on it. Anyone want to get one with me? I definitely want to go back. The decor is pretty cool too. I was sitting on a stool at a refurbished work bench. There was also a giant spoon made out of spoons. This would be a great spot after Mass at St. Joseph, St. Josaphat, or Sweetest Heart of Mary, but they are closed on Sunday. Perfect for a stop after a noon weekday Mass since the lunch rush is over. Not sure what the name is about. I didn't have to lie supine to eat my pizza.

The Grandmammy of them All - Ste. Anne de Detroit

Grandmammy in 2 senses. St. Anne of course is the mother of Mary, which makes her the Grandmother of Jesus Christ our Lord. Ste Anne de Detroit is the oldest parish in Detroit being that it was founded in 1701. The current building however was erected in 1886 making it younger than the Church which I will discuss tomorrow.

Ste. Anne is the 2nd oldest continuously running parish in the United States, so naturally there is a lot of history here. One of her most famous pastors was Fr. Gabriel Richard whose body lies in the chapel where they have daily mass which I attended on November 16th. Featured in the chapel is the altar which Fr. Gabriel Richard used. I doubt the swimming Jesus resurrectifix was around in Fr. Gabe's day. Among other things he founded the University of Michigan and coined the city's motto: Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus. We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes. He should know. The church of Ste. Anne burned down in 1703, 1714 (on purpose), and 1805. Check the wikipedia link above or the parish web site for history.

The 5:15 Mass time would naturally be followed by dinner. After Mass you have several options for a meal, and if you are into Mexican or other Latin cuisine, you are in the right place. Mexican Town is just down the street. I however went the Guatemalan route and went to Pollo Chapin on Junction Street Between Vernor and Toledo. They are best known for their fried chicken, but their other dishes are pretty good as well. I recommend the macaroni and cheese and the cabbage and jalapeño salad. I also recommend that you do not fear the jar on the table. Enjoy the pickled vegetables! I put them in the soup and would eat it plain. For $2.50 you can take some home! All the meals are served with a hearty chicken noodle soup, and at least today was followed by sopapillas with honey and cinnamon.

YUM!

St. Josaphat

St. Josaphat is the third Polish Catholic church in Detroit, but the second that was actually legitimately founded under the diocese. (Sweetest Heart of Mary is the second Polish catholic parish founded, but... we can cover that in its own post.)

From 2004-2007 St. Josaphat had been the epicenter for the Tridentine Mass in Detroit, but since the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum I think it has shifted northeast a little bit to Assumption Grotto where they have an Extraordinary Form Mass daily. St. Josaphat still has at least 2 EF Masses every week. Lately I have been going to the Monday evening Low Mass, and this past Monday was no exception. The previous day (Nov 14th) was the feast of St. Josaphat in the EF calendar so the large portrait of St. Josaphat above the high altar was being displayed. It usually is covered by an image of Our Lady of Częstochowa. I didn't have my camera, so I was unable to take a picture, but it's very nice, and in the painting he is in the sartorial splendor of an Eastern (Ruthenian Byzantine) Bishop. At his feet lies an axe, the tool of his martyrdom. His people were ticked off at him because he was seeking unity with Rome. So they killed him. Hit with an axe, then shot, then thrown in the river. Read more on him in the Catholic Encyclopedia.

St. Josaphat is clustered with the aforementioned Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Joseph, both of which will be featured at some point.

St. Albertus

Sunday the 14th of November 2010, I heard Holy Mass at St. Albertus at St. Aubin and Canfield in Detroit. The Mass was celebrated in the Extraordinary Form, known as the Tridentine or Traditional Latin Mass.

St. Albertus was the first Polish Roman Catholic Church in Detroit. It unfortunately closed in 1990, but the The Polish American Historic Site Association (PAHSA) was formed in 1991 to preserve it.
It is a remarkably beautiful church, and there is very much the sense of national pride of the Poles who dedicated the current church building in 1885. Read up more at the wikipedia page linked above or at the PAHSA's website.

Interesting tidbit: Leon Czolgosz who assassinated President McKinley was actually baptized at St. Albertus.