Church Festivals: St. Sebastian and St. Joan of Arc

This weekend is the St. Sebastian Spring Festival.

Also the St. Joan of Arc Spring Festival.

I'm not very familiar with either of these festivals, but I would imagine that they are a lot of fun.

Check them out!

Church Festivals: St. Florian Strawberry Festival May 7-8

It's Spring, so it is the beginning of Church Festival season!

I probably missed one already, but tonight starts the St. Florian Strawberry Festival!

This is as good of an excuse as any (except Holy Mass, but you can go to that too) to visit 1929's best new church! Here is the Schedule:


If you come you can see vestments of Blessed John Paul II which are on display in the Sanctuary. (Or at least they have been all week) Other features to check out are the Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Czestochowa chapels which are located off of the vestibule. I don't know if they have guided tours, but the Church will be open.

Vestments worn by JP2 in his 1987 visit to Hamtramck

I'll try to keep you all apprised of other Festivals. These festivals are a great way to support the historical and beautiful Churches of Detroit!

What are you waiting for? Get down to St. Florian!

If you would like your church's festival featured send me an e-mail or write in the comments.

Three New Auxiliary Bishops AND a Patroness! (Plus SHMS Photos)

Today is a great day in Detroit! At 2pm this afternoon the liturgy of Ordination for Bishops Hanchon, Byrnes, and Cepeda began. CTND will be re-airing the Mass several times, and they stream online. At this liturgy a decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments was also read declaring St. Anne the official Patroness for the Archdiocese of Detroit. (I think I'll plan on going to Ste. Anne de Detroit for her feast July 26. Archbishop Vigneron will be celebrating Mass)

While I did not attend the Ordination Mass, I did go to the reception at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Whilst there I slipped into the chapel and took some photos. I also took photos of the exterior. These were all taken with my phone.

Sacred Heart Major Seminary (from whose site I gathered much of this information) was founded in 1919 by Bishop Gallagher, and they broke ground at Linwood and Chicago 4 years later. The first ordination class was in 1930. The chapel is beautiful with it's carved oak reredos and its share of the state's largest collection of Pewabic Tile.

We'll start with an external shot as viewed from the parking lot. The website tells me the Architecture is English Tudor Gothic.


Then we'll move into the chapel and have a look at the sanctuary. I think there was just enough light and it made for a pretty shot.


We find more carved oak at the Mary altar.


Here is an example of the stained glass.*


Oh yeah I almost forgot: I rubbed elbows with the youngest Bishop (Cepeda) in the United States.


Hurray for new Bishops! Benedicamus Domino! Ste Anne, pray for us!

Links and such:

• Ste Anne posts
• Bishop Hanchon will remain pastor of Holy Redeemer.
• Sacred Heart Major Seminary
• Meet the Bishops
• St. Anne Patroness of Detroit Press Release

*Update: I had originally indicated that the Stained Glass had been designed by Michigan resident Margaret Bouchez Cavanaugh. She indeed designed the glass for the 2 house chapels in the resident wings but not the main chapel. Her glass was featured in the Winter 2011 Mosaic Magazine, so you can check them out there. (Starts on page 30)
Thanks to reader Tim for the correction and the tip on Mosaic.