St. Matthias Sterling Heights

St. Matthias was supposedly chosen to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the apostles of Jesus. He lived from 1 AD to 80 AD and his feast day is May 14. He is the patron saint of carpenters and tailors among others.

St Matthias Catholic Church in Sterling Heights is a modest facility with very a very low cathedral ceiling level. The church consists of 2 rows of pews with cushioned seating and kneelers. The altar is made of marble with a white cloth draped over it. There is a baptismal font to the left of the altar and a statute of Joseph, Mary and the boy Jesus that sits on a mantle overlooking the baptismal font.

In back of the altar is the customary crucifix sitting against a green cloth background. To the right of the altar is the music area with a statute of Jesus, with his hands outstretched, seated on a mantle.

Fr. Francisco Restrepo is the pastor at St. Matthias and he was the celebrant at the mass we attended. Fr. Restrepo spoke on how we are all equal in God’s eye and that our works, no matter how menial they may seem, are important to God. Fr. Restrepo used many personal anecdotes and humor in his homily thus making it more enjoyable and easy to follow along.

The people of St. Matthias are a diverse group consisting of families with children, seniors and young adults. Their faith was on display when we visited especially during the praying of the rosary that took place before the start of mass. We also saw how the congregation at St. Matthias celebrated it’s faith in their singing voices and their participation in the mass.

We enjoyed our visit to St. Matthias Catholic Church. From Fr. Francisco Restrepo’s engaging homily to the friendliness and faithfulness of the congregation we will long remember our visit to this blessed community of the faithful.

 

Up Next: St. Sabina-Dearborn Heights

St. Matthias Church in Sterling Heights

The church bell at St. Mathias

 

St. Matthias statutue

 

Garden at St. Matthias

 

Statute of Joseph, Mary and boy Jesus

 

Baptismal Font

 

Crucifix

The altar at St. Matthias

 

 Statute of Jesus

 

 

St. Basil The Great-Eastpointe

St. Basil The Great Catholic Church is located in the working class community of Eastpointe. It is like most catholic churches in the Detroit Archdiocese with a mix of the traditional and modern reflected throughout the church.

One of the great things we enjoyed at St. Basil was the prayer garden. It is a wonderful place to pray and meditate. It even has a wall with the Stations of the Cross on it. We took pleasure in touring through the garden area and taking in all its beauty.

Inside St. Basil the Great Church the altar has a clean look with everything being symmetrical and in line. The main altar is small with gold trim. Behind the altar are mobile stained glass windows and beyond that, on the back wall, is a picture of Jesus on the cross with 2 disciples bowing in his presence.

The patron saint of the church is St. Basil the Great. He was born in 330 AD. He became a monk and founded a monastery in Pontus in modern day Northeastern Turkey. He eventually became a bishop and continued to be a man of vast learning, constant activity, genuine eloquence and immense charity. His feast day is January 2 and he is known as the patron saint of hospital administrators.

The celebrant at the mass we attended was Fr. Anthony Sulkowski. In his homily Fr. Sulkowski talked of the importance of having a balance between prayer and ministry. He said we are called to minister the good news of Jesus Christ and to give time to daily prayer in order to grow closer in our relationship with God.

We enjoyed attending mass at St. Basil the Great Catholic Church. It is a beautiful church that we loved exploring and discovering. The people were friendly and welcoming and made us feel at home in their church.

Up Next: St Matthias-Sterling Heights

St. Basil The Great

 

St. Basil The Great Catholic Church

 

Prayer Garden at St. Basil

Cross Design at St. Basil prayer garden

 

Stations of the Cross in the prayer garden

The altar at St. Basil

Mobile Stained Glass windows on the altar

 Jesus on the Cross

 

Statute of Mary and baby Jesus

 

 The altar at St. Basil

 

St. Basil the Great Catholic Church in Eastpointe

 

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