Our Lady of Sorrows

Our Lady of Sorrows was established in 1959, in the picturesque city of Farmington, MI. At Our Lady of Sorrows they come together each week to celebrate the Eucharist and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

The main entrance to Our Lady of Sorrows leads us into a large gathering area that in turns leads us into the main church area. In the church one is immediately drawn to the altar at the front and center of the church. The altar is green and white marble and has a long rectangular shape. A matching lectern is set off to the left of the altar. The altar is surrounded by brick and wooden fixtures; the brick interior also continues around the rest of the church. Behind the altar is a mural painting showing various events in religious life including Moses, Mary and Joseph. The mural reaches up to the ceiling over the altar.

On either side of the altar are prayer/devotion areas. These areas are elegantly decorated with mosaic paintings of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. There are also candles that people can light in prayer for their loved ones.  These areas provide a quiet area to pray and reflect before and after mass.

The inside of the church is constructed in a semi-circle. Along the back walls, the Stations of the Cross are displayed. The pews at Our Lady of Sorrows are arranged around the altar. They are made of medium oak with soft cushioned kneelers.

The pastor at Our Lady of Sorrows is Fr. Mark Brauer. They also have an associate priest; Fr. Paul Snyder, as well as 2 retired priests who help out as weekend assistants. We attended a Saturday evening mass where Fr. Snyder acted as the celebrant. In his homily, Fr. Snyder talked about the relationship between Jesus and the blind man Bartimeaus.  Fr. Snyder encouraged the congregation to follow the example of Bartimeaus and to be humbled and follow in the ways of the Lord.

We enjoyed our visit to Our Lady of Sorrows. It’s a beautiful church filled with a mix of families, young adults and seniors.  They are true believers and they proclaim the good news that is Jesus Christ in words and actions!

UP NEXT: Our Lady Queen of Apostles-Hamtramck

Our Lady of Sorrows

Entrance to Our Lady of Sorrows

 

Waterfall in front of church

 

Steeple at Our Lady of Sorrows

 

Exterior view of Our Lady of Sorrows

 The altar at Our Lady of Sorrows

 

Close up view of altar

 

Artwork at Our Lady of Sorrows



St. Bartholomew-St. Rita

St. Bartholomew-St. Rita is symbolic of the northeast Detroit neighborhood in which it sits. It is old and shows it age but somehow manages to retain its beauty and charm.  The church has managed to grow and become more diverse to keep current with its neighbors. They have managed to build on this rich diversity to grow in worship, service and celebration.

The altar at St. Bartholomew-St. Rita is the main attraction and it shows in the loving care that is displayed there. This loving care is highlighted by a beautiful hand carved depiction of the Last Supper in front of the altar. There is also a large cross that hangs on the wall, over the altar, with a crucifix superimposed into the cross.  The church also has many beautiful pieces of religious art work including large statutes of Mary and Joseph which sit at the foot of the cross at the altar.

At St. Bartholomew-St. Rita music fills the church and is an integral part of the mass. The entrance hymn for this week was “Lord of All Hopelessness”. The song offers a hopeful and faith-filled voice to the Lord.

Fr. Ronald Borg is the pastor at St. Bartholomew-St. Rita. In this week’s homily, he gave a vibrant talk on the need to humble one’s self to the Lord. The readings for the week focused on Matthew 20:16, the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Fr. Borg spoke of the need to put God first in our lives and to be humble in our service to God and others.

The parishioners at St. Bartholomew-St. Rita, as in most inter-city Catholic churches, travelled to church from nearby suburbs. They return each week with loyalty and devotion to this place of worship they call home. They were very friendly and welcoming to our family. Many of them reached out to us; thanked us for visiting and encouraging us to return whenever we’re in the neighborhood. They made our visit an enjoyable and memorable one.

Up Next: Our Lady of Sorrow-Farmington

 

A tribute to Mary sits in a glass enclosure outside the church

St. Bartholomew-St. Rita Parish

 Front of the church

 The cross that hangs over the church

 Joseph with baby Jesus

 a hand carved depiction of the last supper

 in front of the altar

 Some of the art work that adorns the church

 A large cross sits in back of the alter, with a

crucifix super-imposed into it

 The altar at St. Bartholomew-St. Rita



St. Dunstan-Garden City

St. Dunstan was one of the most popular saints in all of England prior to St. Thomas A Beckett. He lived during the 10 century and was the Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury.  He is the patron saint of goldsmiths and silversmiths because of his work as a blacksmith, painter and jeweler. St. Dunstan’s feast day is May 19.

St. Dunstan church in Garden City is named for this popular saint. The church has a modern look and feel to it. The floors are carpeted and the windows look out on the grounds of St. Dunstan.

The altar is at the head of the church with pews surrounding the front and sides of it. The pews are L- shaped, possibly to provide an excellent view of the altar no matter where you sit. The altar is made of slatted oak and has a matching lectern. There are statutes of Jesus and Mary that adorn either side of the altar and a small crucifix sits centered over the altar.

Fr. Don LaCuesta is the pastor at St. Dunstan and he presided at the mass we attended. In his homily, Fr. Don explained the readings for the day and implored the congregation to follow God’s word in order to grown closer to Him.

St. Dunstan is made up of a mix of young families and seniors. This helps give the church a youthful feel without diminishing the important role that the seniors play in the church.

In recent years the parishioners at St. Dunstan have gone through some trials and tribulations that were highlighted by a well publicized financial scandal and high priest turnover. However, through it all they have remained steadfast in their faith and believe in God and each other. It was obvious to us that it was this faith and believe in God that has sustained them and made St. Dunstan a vibrant community to worship and serve the Lord. This was most evident when Fr. Don announced at the mass that they had met their CSA goal for the first time in several years--A great triumph over all their recent trials and tribulations.

 

Up Next: St. Bartholomew/St. Rita-Detroit

 

St Dunstan Catholic Church

Statute of St. Dunstan

 

Jubilee Garden at St. Dunstan

 

Entrance to St. Dunstan

 

Baptismal Font

 

Baptismal Font

 

The altar at St. Dunstan

 

Mary Statute

 

Joseph statute

 

Art work at St. Dunstan

 

Art work at St. Dunstan

 

Grounds of St. Dunstan

 

Our Lady Queen of All Saints

Our Lady Queen of All Saints is located in the quiet, bedrock, community of Fraser. It is located in an ordinary looking church building in an ordinary looking working class neighborhood.

When you enter the parking lot at Our Lady Queen of All Saints, you are immediately drawn to 2 very different and distinct things. First is the large picture of Mary inside a glass enclosure that is attached to the front of the church. The second is the prayer garden off to the side of the church. This is a nice area to sit and reflex in a relaxing setting. It’s also a nice area to pray for Mary’s intercession in our lives.

We entered the church through large wooden doors and stepped into a small vestibule area. We were warmly greeted by one of the ushers who held open the doors to the main church area.

Inside the church, the main aisle had wooden pews with kneelers on either side. This aisle led up to the altar of the church. The altar, lectern and sacristy table were all covered in a two-tone green cloth. A statute of Jesus sits in front of the altar while a crucifix hung on the wall over the sacristy table. The sacristy table was adorned with statues of angels kneeling in prayer that faced either other on both sides of the table.

Fr. Ron Babich is the pastor at Our Lady Queen of All Saints. He spoke in a very fast, almost, ferocious tone during the mass. His homily focused on recent current event as he implored the congregation to take time to appreciate all the good life has to offer and to not get caught up in worrying and being negative.

Our Lady Queen of All Saints appeared to be made up mostly of seniors. However, they did host a vacation bible school program this year and they have an active religious education office. Together, they indicate a strong commitment to families and children.

Our Lady Queen of All Saints is a simple, yet beautiful, church in which to worship, pray and for the community to come together in service to the Lord. We enjoyed our visit and the opportunity to worship with the people at Our Lady, Queen of All Saints.

Up Next: St. Dunstan-Garden City

Our Lady Queen of All Saints Catholic Church

Prayer Garden

 Walkway leading to the prayer garden

 Prayer Garden

 Our Lady Queen of All Saints

 Angels kneeling in prayer

 Lectern

 The main altar at Queen of All Saints

 Alejandro and Carmen at Queen of All Saints

 Steven and Maria at Queen of All Saints

Our Lady of Victory-Northville

Our Lady of Victory is located in the historic village of Northville. It is a neighborhood church surrounded by beautifully built and well kept homes, most of which were built around the late 19^th or early 20^th century.

When you enter the church from the main entrance there is a short walk up to the back of the church. Once you’re inside the church there is a main aisle that leads to the altar at the head of the church. There is individual seating with kneelers on either side of the aisle. Stained Glass windows adorn the brick side walls and intersect with the Stations of the Cross.

The altar and lectern are made of solid oak.  Over the altar is a statute of Jesus on the cross. At the back, there are entrances into the church from either side of the altar. There is also a large gathering area for parishioners to meet and mingle.  Another feature of the church is the flags that hang from the ceiling. They have inspirational expressions such as...”This is the day The Lord hath made…let us rejoice and be glad”. They remind us of the love God has for all of us.

Fr. Denis Theroux is the pastor at Our Lady of Victory. He leads his parish, filled with young families, singles and seniors, in serving God and in growing in faith.  We attended mass at Our Lady of Victory on Father’s Day weekend. The celebrant at our mass was retired priest Fr. John Wheeler. Fr. Wheeler gave a brief but meaningful homily. After the mass the fathers were given a small gift as a token of appreciation from the Our Lady of Victory family.

The parishioners of Our Lady of Victory live their faith everyday which is evident by the many charitable endeavors they are involved in. Some of these endeavors include monthly food drives and meal ministries were they help those less fortunate.

We enjoyed our visit to Our Lady of Victory. We felt right at home among the many wonderful parishioners at the mass.

 Up Next: Our Lady, Queen of All Saints-Fraser

Our Lady of Victory

 Our Lady of Victory Parish in Northville, MI

 Hand carved sign at OLV

 Altar at OLV

 Lectern at OLV

 Mother Mary and Baby Jesus

 Alejandro and Carmen

 Jesus Statute

SS. Simon and Jude-Westland

We recently visited and attended mass at SS. Simon and Jude Catholic church. SS. Simon and Jude is centrally located in the city of Westland in a working class neighborhood.

At the entrance of the church is a large gathering area. It features a sitting area where parishioners can relax, enjoying reading or engage in prayer and reflection. It sets a positive and uplifting tone for parishioners and visitors as they attend mass at SS. Simon and Jude.

From the gathering area you enter the church. The first thing you see is a beautiful baptismal font. A small altar is located in the very center of the church; giving it a place of honor and respect. Beyond the altar is the lectern. The church is arranged so that the baptismal font, altar and lectern are lined up in the center of the church. Together they symbolize putting God and our faith first in our lives from birth to eternal life with our Heavenly Father.

SS. Simon and Jude is beautifully decorated both inside and outside. As you enter the church you are greeted by statutes of St. Simon and St. Jude. The Stations of the Cross are artfully portrayed on pewabic tiles. These tiles add another dimension of beauty and grace to the church. Another thing that adds a sense of beauty to SS. Simon and Jude are the large picture windows around the church.  These windows are the “eyes” to the beautiful and serene grounds surrounding SS. Simon and Jude.  The beautifully decorated church and grounds of SS. Simon and Jude offer a prayerful and peaceful respite from any trial or tribulation you may be experiencing.

Fr. Gerard Bechard has been the pastor at SS. Simon and Jude for over 20 years. He engages his congregation in his homily and really takes time to know them. During our visit he spent the first 5 minutes or so greeting guests, including ourselves and giving homage to those celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and other significant life events. He personally welcomed back a few parishioners who had been away due to illness and gave blessings to those about to leave for various reasons (i.e. school, military service). The parishioners responded positively to Fr. Bechard’s warmth and friendliness.

We carried away from our journey to SS. Simon and Jude a good and positive feeling. Fr. Bechard and the parishioners were warm, friendly and very welcoming.  The beauty of the church and the people will remain with us as we continue of journey to the Catholic Churches of the Detroit Archdiocese.

Up Next: Our Lady of Victory-Northville

Statute of St. Jude on church grounds

This large cross looms large over SS. Simon and Jude

The gathering area at SS. Simon and Jude

The lectern and altar (in the background)

The sacristy at SS. Simon and Jude

A view of the grounds surrounding SS. Simon and Jude

The altar at SS. Simon and Jude

The altar with the lectern in the background

SS. Simon and Jude

SS Simon and Jude Catholic Church