Journey to the Catholic Churches of Detroit.: Our Lady of Refuge Orchard Lake

In November, we continued our journey to the Catholic Churches of the Archdiocese of Detroit with a visit to Our Lady of Refuge in Orchard Lake. Our Lady of Refuge was founded in 1940.

As you approach the church off Commerce Road you will see the unique design of a bell tower with 3 bells stacked one on top of the other. The bells get larger as you look at them from top to bottom. Off to the side of the church is a beautiful garden that has an area for outdoor prayer and reflection. It is made of brick pavers with 2 large marble benches and a statue of Mary.

We entered the church through glass front door into a large gathering area. The thing that most stood out in this area was the large tapestries of Jesus and Mary. From the gathering area we entered into the church.

The church has an auditorium look and feel to it. You actually walk down the aisles to your pew. The pews surround the altar on 3 sides giving you an excellent view of the altar no matter where you sat.

There is a large statute of Jesus that hangs over the altar and looks out over the church. The statute is flanked on either sided by stained glass pictures in wooden frame boxes. The pictures represent Gabriel, the archangel, the life of Jesus and the fight against evil.

When we attended mass at Our Lady of Refuge, the church was mostly filled with young families. This was most evident when the pastor (Fr. Gerald McEnhill) invited the young people in the church to bring their contributions to the altar. Fr. McEnhill gave a concise and meaningful homily that really helped bring the weekly readings to life.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Our Lady of Refuge as well as to the City of Orchard Lake which we found to be a beautiful place. We especially enjoyed a short drive alongside the lake and the natural small town beauty of the area.

Up Next: St. Anne’s-Warren