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.

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