St. Anne's Catholic Church

St. Anne’s Parish describes “who we are” in Detroit. Many people disagree with this belief because a place of religious worship cannot describe everyone in a city. The argument is reasonable, but St. Anne’s is more than a place of worship. St. Anne’s Catholic Church is a symbol that represents the positive and negative connotations of our city. We as a city seem to forget about our past, even though it continues to linger with us. St. Anne’s is a Catholic Church originally known as Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church. St. Anne’s was founded on July 26, 1701 and is the second oldest operating Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Father Gabriel Richard played a major role in St. Anne’s impact in the city. Father Gabriel Richard arrived in Detroit in 1796 and soon thereafter helped found a school which evolved into the University of Michigan. Father Gabriel Richard was an advocator of success and his part at St. Anne’s created a deep rooting in Detroit. (Farmer, 531-532)

St. Anne’s has played a major role in developing the city of Detroit and will continue to do so in the future. However, the structure of St. Anne’s is continuing to wither. The Church has been through eight restorations since its original founding. (Gay, 98-99) Throughout the inside of the Church, ceiling damage and plaster falling off walls can be viewed. The withering features of St. Anne’s Parish describes “who we are” in Detroit. St. Anne’s is a beautiful work of art that is falling apart because there is a lost sense of appreciation. St. Anne’s is filled with hand crafted statues and ceiling painting that would be considered magnificent in other cities, but are however viewed as a sign of the past in Detroit.

The physical aspect of St. Anne’s is un...

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...who we are.” The crucial point to gain from St. Anne’s Catholic Church is that Detroit is not perfect but not completely flawed either. When we look at “who we are” here in the city we can see a sense of balance. This balances gives us hope that one day Detroit will prosper like it once had. St. Anne’s represents not only a history, but a future for the city of Detroit.

Works Cited

Corpuschristi-detroit.org. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. .

Farmer, Silas. History of Detroit and Wayne Co. and Early Michigan. 531-32. Print.

The Founding of Ste. Anne's. Detroit Public Library: E & M 74D4 282 S134. Print.

Gay, Cheri Y. Detroit: Then and Now. 98-99. Print.

Roman Catholic Church. Ste. Anne De Detroit. 1234 Washington Boulevard, Detroit: Roman Catholic Church. Web.

Ste-anne.org. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. .