Monday, May 05, 2014

Return to St. Florian



St. Florian Parish was established in 1907 and the current edifice was finished in 1928. The church is the tallest building in Hamtramck as its spire reaches a height of nearly 200 feet.

Detailed Stations of the Cross mimic the Neo-Gothic architecture of the building.


Scenes from the Gospel are featured among the intricate high altar.

An elaborate ceiling features angels adoring the Blessed Sacrament.


The St. Joseph side altar; a large crucifix near the Blessed Mother's side altar.
  

The Feast of St. Florian falls on May 4 and the parish always celebrates with a large festival during the first weekend of May. The annual Strawberry Festival features Polish food/drink, church tours, as well as polka music and dancing.

St. Florian is the patron of firefighters and, on the first Saturday of May, a parade of firefighters marches to the church and joins in the procession for Mass.

Images of the patron are found throughout the church.

Murals of St. Florian and St. Maximilian Kolbe adorn the rear of the nave.

A chapel to Our Lady of Częstochowa is located in the east side of the vestibule.

A Divine Mercy chapel is located on the west side of the vestibule. Here, relics and memorabilia from Pope St. John Paul II are on display.

Pope St. John Paul II visited Hamtramck twice. In 1969, while still a cardinal, he celebrated Mass at St. Florian. In 1987, he addressed the public nearby.


As expected, JP2's likeness is found throughout the church.


Pope Park, a memorial of Karol Wojtyła's first visit to Hamtramck,  stands a few blocks away from St. Florian. A volunteer group is planning to renovate the park by fixing broken pavers and adding more lights.



The parish is administered by the Society of Christ — a religious order whose mission is to serve people of Polish descent living outside of Poland. Fr. Mirosław Frankowski, S.Chr., serves as pastor with the assistance of Deacon Arthur Majkowski.


MASS SCHEDULE
Sun  10am (Polish), Noon (English), 6:30 pm (Polish)
Mon 8am (Polish)
Tue   6:30pm (English)
Wed 8am (Polish)
Thu  6:30pm (English)
Fri    6:30pm (Polish)
Sat    8am (Polish), 4pm (English)

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Fri     3:00pm – 6:00pm




For more info: parish website & Wikipedia
Previous posts about St. Florian: here & here
More photos: AOD Fim ServicesSherlock Photo, Flickr

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