St. Damian-Westland

St. Damian Catholic Church was established in 1956 on the northern end of the city of Westland.

When we arrived at St. Damian’s we were warmly greeted by a gentlemen who introduced himself as “Russ” who said he would be our host. After our greeting, we entered a large but very inviting vestibule area. This vestibule area, at St. Damian’s, is not unlike other church vestibule areas. It contained several religious statutes and other art work as well areas for church and community news and information. Of course, it also offered a place for congregants to meet and socialize a bit before and after the mass.

The entrance into the main church is made of a glass wall with 2 double doors. Inside the church, the seating arrangement is made up of 4 rows of pews; 2 long and 2 short. The pews are modern oak with cushioned seating.

The center aisle leads up to the main altar. The altar is a simple oak table with 2 bowing Angels underneath on both sides. Behind the altar are 2 large white walls that stand side by side; both were draped with a large green holy cloth. Directly over the altar hangs a large crucifix.

Fr. James Lopez was the celebrant at the mass we attended. Fr. Lopez spoke on the importance of identifying with God as Christians. He emphasized that Jesus suffered on the cross for us and that we too should expect some suffering in our lives but not to worry as God will provide for us.

A major part of the celebration, at St. Damian’s was the music that accompanied the mass. The cantors filled the church with their voices filled with God's love. They helped add a special aspect to the mass and made it much more pleasant.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to St. Damian Church; from the way we were warmly greeted as we entered the church, to the music that filled the air and all the people we came in contact with. St. Damian earned a special place in our hearts.

Up Next: St. Basil the Great-Eastpointe

St. Damian Catholic Church

Exterior Shot of St. Damian

Exterior Shot of St. Damian

St. Damian

 

Art work at St. Damian

 

Crucifix that hangs over the altar

 

Jesus Portrait

 

Joseph and Mary

 The altar at St. Damian

 Angels bowing in prayer underneath the altar

Our Lady Star of the Sea-Grosse Pointe Woods

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church is located in Grosse Pointe Woods. When we approached the church we were inspired by the beautiful facilities and grounds. We were also drawn to the prayer garden which we found to be an uplifting place for personal prayers and reflection.

We entered Our Lady Star of the Sea through double glass doors that had a large cross imprinted on them. The entrance area wraps around the entire church allowing for easy access to the church from various points.  The church is mostly made up of pews with cushioned seats and kneelers. In the back of the church there a few rows of regular seats.

The altar is large and expands up 2 stories. The wall behind the altar is made up of a cream colored marble complete with a large statute of Jesus. On the left side of the altar is a large wooden cross with a white cloth draped over it.

Monsignor Gary Smetanka is the pastor at Our Lady Star of the Sea church. We attended mass on Pentecost Sunday, during the mass Msgr. Smetanka spoke of the importance of allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to strengthen us as Christians and bring us closer to God.

The congregation at Our Lady Star of the Sea is made up of a mix of young families, single adults and seniors. The come together as a community of believers to share the good news of Jesus Christ through words, actions and deeds. These include collecting food and supplies for the less fortunate and offering a variety of services to those in need.

We were impressed with our visit to Our Lady Star of the Sea, the people and staff were warm and friendly and they helped make our visit feel extra special.

UP NEXT:  ST. Damien-Westland.

 

Our Lady Star of the Sea in Grosse Pointe Woods

 

 

Exterior shot of Our Lady Star of the Sea

 

Mary and baby Jesus statute

 

Entrance to Church

Prayer Garden at Our Lady Star of the Sea

 Prayer Garden at Our Lady Star of the Sea



 Art work at Our Lady Star of the Sea

 Jesus statue that hangs over the altar

 The altar at Our Lady Star of the Sea

 The Altar

 Mother Mary

 Joseph with baby Jesus

 

 

St. Thomas a Becket

Our journey to the Catholic churches of the Archdiocese of Detroit took us to St. Thomas a Becket in Canton for the month of April. It was founded back in the late 70’s to serve the people of the growing city of Canton.

The church was named for Thomas a Becket who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his death in 1170. He was canonized by Pope Alexander III shortly after his death. His feast day is December 29.

When you enter the main doors of St Thomas a Becket Catholic Church you walk into a large gathering area where parishioners often congregate before and after each mass. This gathering area leads into the main church area.

The altar at St. Thomas a Becket is large and has a sort of oval shape. The main altar is made of oak and has a square shape. A large crucifix also adorns the altar. The congregation sits facing the altar in a semi-circle. St. Thomas A Becket parishioners sit on cushioned seats without kneelers.

St. Thomas a Becket has large cathedral ceilings with skylights over the altar area. These skylights seem to allow the light of Jesus to shine upon the people of St. Thomas a Becket and gives an aura of God’s presence in everything that happens at the church.

On the weekend we visited some of the children of St. Thomas a Becket were receiving their 1^st holy communion. Retired priest William Murphy was the celebrant at the mass. His homily was short but meaningful. He discussed God’s love in our lives focusing on its importance and how it makes our lives, and everything in it, a lot better.

We enjoyed our visit to St. Thomas a Becket and watching the children receive their first communion. The people, we came in contact with, were very warm and friendly and filled with God’s love and goodness.

 

Up Next: Our Lady Star of the Sea-Grosse Pointe Woods

St. Thomas a Becket in Canton

Exterior shot of St. Thomas a Becket

 

Church Steeple

Entrance to St. Thomas a Becket

 

Stained Glass Window at St Thomas a Becket

Crucifix adorns the altar 

Altar at St. Thomas a Becket

 

Main altar 

 

A shot of the cathedral ceilings

Mother Mary w/baby Jesus

 

 St. Thomas a Becket

 

St. Sebastian-Dearborn Heights

St. Sebastian Catholic Church is located on the south end of Dearborn Heights, MI. It is named for St. Sebastian an early Christian Saint and Martyr. He was born in 256 and died in 288. St Sebastian is commonly depicted in art and literature tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows. He is a popular male saint especially among soldiers and athletes who often wear his metals or relics. His feast day is January 20.

St Sebastian has a modern feel to it. The church is made up of mostly cushioned pews with some individual seating available.  The pews surround the altar in a semi circle. The main entrances to the church are on either side of the altar. The church has more of a rectangular shape which makes it a challenge to navigate if you’re unfamiliar with the layout of the church. However it’s “quirky” layout is kind of symbolic of how we must navigate through life trusting in God and turning away from the evils of the world.

The main altar appears to be made of marble while the lectern is made of carved oak.  A variety of flowers adorned the altar on the weekend that we visited including Easter lilies, carnations and peonies. On the brick wall in the back of the altar a crucifix sits high above while a portrait of Jesus sits in front of the altar. On right side of the altar are life size statutes of Joseph holding a baby Jesus and Mary with Anne.

Fr. Robert White, a visiting priest, was the celebrant at the mass we attended. Fr. White is from an organization called “Food for the Poor”; a group dedicated to ending hunger around the world. Fr. White’s homily was dedicated to talking about hunger and starvation around the world. It was a very moving and eye-opening experience especially when he talked about his first hand experience in working with the poor, hungry and destitute.

The people of St. Sebastian were about as diverse a group as we have seen on our journey. There were many young people, families, singles and senior. It was great to see them come together in a common love for Jesus Christ and to share in the good news of our Savior.

 

Up Next: St. Thomas A Beckett-Canton

Statute of Mary

Stone garden dedicated to Mary

 

A large cross adorned with a cloth at St. Sebastian

Patron Saint of St. Sebastian

Altar at St. Sebastian

 

Garden dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi

Portrait of Jesus sits in front of the altar at St. Sebastian

 

Joseph, Mary and the boy Jesus

 

Mary with Anne and Joseph holding a baby Jesus

St. Sebastian Catholic Church

St. Sebastian in Dearborn Heights

 

Sacred Heart-Detroit

Sacred Heart Catholic Church is an historic church located near Downtown Detroit. It was built in 1875 to serve the large German community that lived in the area at that time. Over the years, as the neighborhood changed, it developed into a mainly African American church. Today, Sacred Heart continues to serve this area of Detroit with a mainly African American congregation.

The church is made up of 2 rows of cushioned pews with a center aisle that leads up to the altar. On one side of the altar is a large statute of Mother Mary while a large statute of Jesus adorns the wall on the other side of the altar. Around the outer walls of the church the Stations of the Cross is displayed with mostly black characters including a black Jesus.

Fr. Norman Thomas is the pastor at Sacred Heart. During our visit, on the first Sunday of Lent, Fr. Thomas spoke on the importance of God and our relationship with him especially during this Lenten season.

The mass at Sacred Heart followed the basic path of a Catholic mass but it also incorporated some aspects that helped it relate to the (mostly) African American congregation. These included allowing a member of the congregation to give testimony on why he became a Catholic and allowing the Eucharistic Ministers to be on the altar during the mass and giving them a greater speaking role. Member of the congregation were also allowed to offer up prayer requests during the prayers of the faithful.

The congregation at Sacred Heart really made us feel welcomed. They were very friendly and allowed us to fully participate in the mass, including helping to bring up the gifts to the altar. We will, long, remember the people of Sacred Heart and the positive impression they left on us.

Up Next: St. Sebastian-Dearborn Heights

Sacred Heart Catholic Church founded in 1875

 

Plaque commerating the 100th Anniversary of Sacred Heart 

 

Part of the outer fascade of Sacred Heart

 

Plaque proclaiming Sacred Heart a historic site

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

 

Sacred Heart on a snowy day.

 

The altar at Sacred Heart

 

Stations of the Cross

 A crucifix with a black Jesus

 

Part of the altar at Sacred Heart