New pastor, church staff work to make Michigan’s oldest parish a pilgrimage destination

DETROIT — In Detroit, city history and Catholic history are hard to distinguish, and at Ste. Anne de Detroit, they are one and the same.

The city traces its roots to French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his crew, who landed on the banks “by the straight” on July 24, 1701. Two days later, French Jesuit priests established Ste. Anne de Detroit Church, today the second-oldest continually operating Catholic parish the United States.

Named for St. Anne, the maternal grandmother of Jesus Christ whose feast day is July 26, the history of the parish and the history of the city are forever intertwined. Without one, there isn’t the other.

Parish staff wants to emphasize the church’s historical significance, encouraging Detroit residents and visitors alike to take in the origins of Catholicism in Michigan.

“St. Anne has two extremely meaningful elements to it,” said Danielle Center, program director at Ste. Anne de Detroit, who was hired in June to encourage more pilgrimages to the southwest Detroit parish. “First, it’s the second-oldest Catholic parish in the United States — its history is strong — and the parish is still very vibrant.”

Center said there’s hardly a day that passes when visitors don’t stop to ask for a tour of the parish’s current church, built in 1886 on the corner of St. Anne and Lafayette near the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge. The present building is the eighth structure in the parish’s history, but records from 1704 still exist from when the parish was right next to where Cadillac landed.

“We have the oldest stained-glass windows in the city of Detroit,” Center continued. “The remains of (Detroit pioneer and University of Michigan founder) Fr. Gabriel Richard are here; I can’t say enough incredible things about him. He was a proponent of the education of women, Native Americans and the deaf, cofounded the University of Michigan, was a representative for the Michigan Territory and asked for a grant to get a road that connected Detroit to Chicago — that road is Michigan Avenue, you can still see his impact.”

The parish is in the process of encouraging more pilgrims to visit Ste. Anne as a “must-see” destination for Catholics in in the archdiocese — and indeed, the state — similar to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament or the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak.

Throughout the week building up to Ste. Anne’s feast day July 26, groups had been visiting the church for the annual novena to the archdiocese’s patroness, and on July 23, young adults from across the archdiocese completed a walking pilgrimage from the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament to Ste. Anne. The six-mile journey gave pilgrims a chance to reflect on the life of the grandmother of Jesus and their own relationship with God.

Christina Sobolak, who took part in the pilgrimage, told The Michigan Catholic during the walk down Woodward Avenue that she thought the opportunity would be “a good chance to build on my faith.”

“I just got a job teaching at a Catholic school after graduating from Grand Valley State University. I think this is a great way to meet other young adult Catholics after moving to the area,” said Sobolak, a teacher at St. Fabian School in Farmington Hills. “Going on a pilgrimage is a great way to reflect on what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how to follow His path.”

For walking pilgrim Ted Schultz, the Saturday afternoon pilgrimage was a chance to reflect on what God is asking from him.

“I’m new to the Catholic Church, just came in this Easter,” said Schultz, a parishioner of St. Augustine and St. Monica Parish in Detroit. “I’m looking to learn more about my faith, and what it means to me. Obviously, I’m going to be thinking about St. Anne while on the pilgrimage, but I’m also going to think about being more open and learn more about my faith.”

During the July 26 Mass at Ste. Anne, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron said SS. Anne and Joachim are two examples of devout people living according to God’s plan.

“Keep in mind during the feast of St. Anne, that Anne and Joachim lived an ‘up and down’ life,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “They weren’t blessed with children for a long time, but then God gave them a daughter while waiting for the coming of the messiah. Through being a family, Mary was born, from whom God in the form of the Son took flesh.”

Offering people a chance to undertake a physical and spiritual journey though the 315-year-old parish is a goal for Center and Ste. Anne’s newly appointed pastor, Msgr. Charles Kosanke.

“We want it to become a pilgrimage site, but that’s a work in progress,” Center said. “One thing that’s surprising from working here is how much of it is already a pilgrimage destination. Today, I took three women through, one who lived in France. Last week there were 40 to 50 high school students doing service projects. Before that, there were three Jewish men who asked to see the church. After I showed it to them, one was moved to tears, because he said it was one of the most beautiful things he’s seen.”

Serving the dual role of being home to a vibrant parish family in southwest Detroit as well as being a monument to Catholicism’s rich history in the city, Ste. Anne de Detroit aspires to be both a spiritual and physical destination.

“I know there is a vision we’re working on,” Center said. “We want it to become a point of prayer and culture, where people can come, be encouraged and leave inspired.”

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Visit Ste. Anne de Detroit

1000 St. Anne St., Detroit
Tours available 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Call the parish office for group tours, (313) 496-1701 or visit www.ste-anne.org

Grandparents’ Day
Ste. Anne de Detroit will host a Grandparents’ Day on Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The day will feature events, church tours, a scavenger hunt for kids and “a few surprises.” Visitors are encouraged to visit the parish gift shop; proceeds go to the upkeep of the historic church.