St. Stephen Parish (New Boston)

Polish immigrants first arrived in Michigan during the mid-1800s. Some settled in Huron Township, near the Huron River. The first Masses began in 1874 and were hosted in the home of Anthony Reiser on Sibley Road. Fr. Louis Florent Gillet, CSsR, traveled on horseback from Monroe to minister to the community. Fr. Gillet was also once of the founders of the IHM Sisters.

Fr. Louis Florent Gillet, CSsR

Msgr. Edward Joos

    
St. Stephen Mission was soon established; a  small, brick church was built and the first Mass was on November 26, 1875. However, the church was not dedicated until September 14, 1884. Fr. Edward Joos conducted the ceremony and he later became the first Detroit priest to be designated Monsignor.

The congregation was under the direction of different parishes for years from the Capuchins of St. Bonaventure Monastery,to Dearborn's Sacred Heart Parish. Later, St. Stephen was a mission of St. Joseph, Ypsilanti. After nearly 50 years as mission, Bishop Gallagher appointed Fr. Alphonse Nowogrodszki as the first resident pastor in 1920.

The cornerstone was laid on October 14, 1923

Fr. Nowogrodzski sought to build a new church and ground was broken on September 31, 1923, and the cornerstone was laid on October 12 of that year. Built during World War I, labor and materials were very expensive at the time. The church cost approximately $23,000 at the time, or $320,000 after inflation.

St. Stephen Church in its original condition

The pastor sought to minister to the impoverished community in nearby Belleville. Fr. Nowogrodzski bought an Episcopalian church, remodeled, and renamed it St. Anthony. He ministered to both congregations until 1942 when Fr. Francis Lukasiewicz arrived as an assistant. 

Fr. Nowogrodzski died on December 14, 1947, and buried four days later. The day after that, Fr. Edward Miotke was assigned pastor. Felician Sisters soon began teaching catechism classes on Saturday mornings and the parish sought to add a school. 

In 1949, architect Arthur DesRoisers drew plans and, on Pentecost Sunday, May 28, 1950, groundbreaking took place on the new school. Shortly thereafter, Fr. Ignatius Czapski was named pastor.

Msgr. Tobias G. Morin at the dedication of the Blessed Virgin Mary shrine in 1957

Contractor Andrew Bodary built the school and it opened the next year with an enrollment of 180 students staffed by Felician Sisters. Fr. Ignatius Czapski died from a heart attack in 1959 and was succeeded by Fr. Ladislaus Golas. Fr. Golas was transferred in 1967 and replaced by Fr. Alexander Wytrwal.

Bishop Walter Schoenherr blesses the school addition on February 16, 1969.

The parish celebrated a centennial in 1974 and published a book to mark the occasion. It features many historic photos and is viewable online in the digital library of Central Connecticut State University. 

For the last 68 years, St. Stephen has hosted an annual Polish festival every spring, this year's festival is scheduled for May 20-22nd.

   

Fr. John Hedges has been pastor since 2005 and also serves as spiritual director for Riverview's Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima.

A monument stands in front the rectory, the Ten Commandments are on one side and the Beatitudes on the reverse.

   

St. Stephen the protomartyr stands in front of the church; St. Joseph with Child Jesus near the rectory.

    

Plaque in memory of former pastors and assistant priests; a crucifix and Vatican flag in the vestibule.

 

Lettering above the main doorway references Isaiah 56:7 (and consequently Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46).

A Divine Mercy image and St. Faustina Kowalska at the main entrance.

   

Masses are celebrated ad orientem with the priest facing the tabernacle during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

A side altar featuring a crucifix, the Blessed Mother, St. Therese, St. Anthony, and two Divine Mercy images

The Sacred Heart of Jesus stands near the St. Joseph side altar.

Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:00pm. Sundays brings Mass at 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am and 5:00pm. Confessions are heard 30 minutes before each weekend Mass.

   

First Saturdays bring 8:00am Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Center in Riverview. Remaining Saturdays bring 8:00am Mass at St. Stephen followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, morning prayer, and Flame of Love Cenacle. 

   

Daily Mass schedules vary according to the time of year, refer to the parish bulletin. The parish also hosts Wednesday night bible study.

The parish is located a few miles southwest of Metro Airport

For more info: parish website +  school website + bulletin archive
For more photos: AOD Film Services

Upcoming events: May 5-15

Thursday, May 5, 7:00pm
FEAST OF THE ASCENSION (EF)
St. Josaphat Church
Extraordinary Form Mass
- for more info: parish website + bulletin

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Friday, May 6
FIRST FRIDAY
Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Saturday, May 7
FIRST SATURDAY
Honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary

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Saturday, May 7, 5:00pm-11:00pm
Sunday, May 8, 1:00pm-9:00pm
STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
St. Florian Church
Firefighter's Mass, Saturday at 4:00pm
Sunday Mass at 10:00am (Polish), Noon (English) and 6:30pm (Polish)
- for more info: parish website + bulletin

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Saturday, May 14, 10:00AM
ARCHDIOCESAN PRESBYTERAL ORDINATIONS
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Five new priests will be ordained; Mass celebrated by Archbishop Vigneron and dozens of priests of the AOD
 - for more info: DetroitPriest.com

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Saturday, May 14, 7:00PM
VIGIL MASS OF PENTECOST
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Mass celebrated by Archbishop Vigneron
- for more info: AOD.org

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Sunday, May 15, 10:00AM
DETROIT MASS MOB
Holy Family Church
- for more info: DetroitMassMob.com + facebook event

Sacred Heart Church (Dearborn)

European immigrants first settled in Dearborn during the 1780s but it was a rural area for decades. Fr. Gabriel Richard, the first priest to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, petitioned Congress to fund a highway between Detroit and Chicago in March of 1824.  Permission was granted and the route was surveyed the following year. Construction started in 1829, residences were built up along the path, and Chicago Road was finished in 1833.

Dearborn Township was established the same year and the interior Dearbornville founded in 1836. At that time, Fr. O’Kavanaugh, pastor of Detroit's Most Holy Trinity Parish, traveled to Dearbornville and celebrated Mass in the homes of Irish-Catholic immigrants. Locals began the process of establishing their own parish in 1840. Eight years later, with the support of Fr. John Farnam, what was then called St. John's Parish was established.

Fr. Patrick Kelly, previously an assistant to Fr. Richard, was assigned pastor on April 26, 1856. He later changed his name to O'Kelley to distinguish himself from the area's many Kelly families. Father O'Kelley died on October 7, 1858, and Mt. Kelly Cemetery, a mile northwest of the church, was established in his memory. Fr. O'Kelley's remains were interred beneath the cemetery chapel. Fr. O'Kelley Knights of Columbus, representing Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, also bears his name.

Chapel on a hill in the small cemetery - source

In 1874, the church was moved but soon underwent massive renovations to the point that only the original frame and steeple remained. The renovations were completed the following year and the pastor,  Fr. Matthew Schaeken, sought to consecrate himself and the parish to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Bishop Borgess soon came and rededicated the parish as Sacred Heart.
 

Fr. A.X.M. Sharpe began his 37-year pastorate in 1916 and sought to expand the parish immensely. A new convent was built in 1926 but the Great Depression delayed construction of a new church. Finally, after years of sacrifices, the new church was dedicated on the Feast of Christ the King, in 1937, a century after the first Mass in the area.


The church wasn't completed for another two decades until the stained-glass windows were added. A parish high school opened in 1954 but closed in the mid 1970s. The grade school remains in operation today.
 

A medallion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus above the main doorway; an excerpt from George Washington's 'Prayer for the United States' in the vestibule
 

Several plaques in the vestibule remember previous pastors, veterans, and benefactors respectively.
 
 

St. Cecilia, along with other saints and angels, above the choir loft.
 

Images of saints appear in the clerestory and transept windows


      

Painted Stations of the Cross line the walls and are framed by windows depicting scenes from the Gospels.
  

  

At some point, the main altar was moved, the choir and organ are seated where the high altar once stood.



The tabernacle stands at what was once a side altar; a large crucifix and baptismal font on the opposite side.
 


The Blessed Mother stands in the east transept; St. Joseph & Child Jesus on the west side
 

A museum houses artifacts from the parish and is open after most weekend Masses. Daily Mass is offered at 9:00am, Monday-Friday. Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:30pm preceded by Reconciliation at 3:00pm; Sunday Mass is at 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:30am.
  
For more info: parish website
News article: AOD Changing Lives Together

More photos of the church: AOD Film Services
More photos of the cemetery: My Michigan Trails

  

Come, Encounter Christ! at SS. Peter & Paul (west side)

The Come, Encounter Christ series is quickly coming to a close. Next week will see the last one in Detroit and one of five remaining in the archdiocese.

Sunday, April 24 - Tuesday, April 26
7:00pm - 8:30pm
COME, ENCOUNTER CHRIST!
SS. Peter & Paul Church (west side)
7685 Grandville, Detroit, MI 48228

Three nights of Eucharistic adoration, private confession, preaching and live gospel-style music

Clergy: Fr. Steve Mateja + Fr. Craig Giera
Music: Keir Ward + John Thorne

Light refreshments in the lower church hall at the end of each night

For more info: AOD.org

Parish Dialogue Sessions: Spring 2016

In preparation for Synod '16, most parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit will host a dialogue session. At these sessions, the faithful will have facilitator-led conversations about issues facing the Church. A scribe will record the conversation and that will be brought to the synod for further consideration.

The dialogue sessions will be taking place until mid-June. The faithful may attend a session at their parish or at another parish. For a schedule from parishes across the archdiocese: AOD.org