Church of the Holy Family-Novi

The church of the Holy Family is a neighborhood church in the southeast part of Novi MI.

When you enter the church you come into a large vestibule which then leads into the main church.  A large baptismal font sits near the entrance of the church.  The seating in the church consists of green clothed chairs with no kneelers. This lends its self to the modern feel of the church.  

The altar stands in the center of the church. It is made of medium oak and has a matching lectern. Both the altar and the lectern were draped in white cloth during our visit.

The church is decorated in a minimal fashion.  A statute of Joseph and Mary sit to the right of the altar with a modern looking crucifix over the altar. The crucifix shows Jesus appearing to be lying on his side.

Father Robert LaCroix is the pastor at Holy Family. At the mass we attended, newly ordained priest, Fr. Jeffrey Allan presided at a mass of thanksgiving. In his homily, Fr. Allan implored the congregation to accept the love of the Holy Trinity; the Father, Son and Holy Ghost into our lives and to work toward strengthening our relationship with them.

The congregation at Holy Family Catholic Church is a very caring and compassionate group of people. They give of themselves very generously in many different ways. One of the things they do is run a “Clothes Closet” which allows the less fortunate and those suffering from a recent tragedy (i.e. fire or flood)  to come in to get clothes for themselves and their families. They also host a variety of community events for seniors, children and those in need.

We were very impressed with the people and staff of the Church of the Holy Family and enjoyed our visit very much. We also enjoyed being part Fr. Jeffrey Allan’s mass of thanksgiving and wish him all God’s blessings as he begins his life as a Catholic Priest.

Up Next: St. Collette’s-Livonia

Church of the Holy Family in Novi

Main Entrance to Holy Family 

Garden area of the church

Joseph and Mary w/Baby Jesus

Baptismal Font with Altar in the background

Altar at Holy Family

Crucifix that hangs over the altar

Mary and Joseph

Garden area of Holy Family

Holy Family church steeple

St. Mary-Greektown Detroit

The historic old St. Mary’s Catholic Church is located in the Greektown section of Downtown Detroit.  St. Mary’s was founded in 1834 by Fr. Martin Kundig. The current church was built in 1884-1885 and is the 3^rd oldest parish in Detroit.

The historical significance of St. Mary’s is evident from the moment you set eyes on it. The outer facade is a brick structure with its steeple that is crowned with a cross visible from great distances and it has four bells that were given to the church by Antoine Beaubien and his wife.  You continue to see and feel the historic significances of St. Mary’s as you enter the church through large wooden doors. The glorious proportions are evident throughout the church from the highly polished granite columns to the richly frescoed ceilings. There are also many striking paintings and sculptures at St Mary’s that help complete the look of this glorious church. One of the more prominent paintings at St. Mary’s is of the church patroness; the Virgin Mary that is located on the ceiling of the church. The high altar of the church was retained from the original church and is a great example of the hand carved handiwork that is prevalent throughout St. Mary’s.

St. Mary’s is also known as the church of the grottos; it houses 3 of them within its sanctuary. They are; The Gethsemane which depicts God’s agony; The Baptismal which depicts Jesus baptism and the Lourdes; a replica of the French Shrine. Together, they add to the charm and awe of the church.

Fr. Wayne Epperley is the current pastor at St. Mary’s and he gave the homily at the Sunday afternoon mass that we attended. In his homily he implored the congregation to focus on being faithful to God and being willing to receive Jesus in our hearts and minds in order to protect us from all the evil and destruction that is in our world. He said we should turn to God for his love and guidance.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to St. Mary’s in Greektown and the opportunity to tour the church and to immerse ourselves in its history. We marveled at the hand carved sculptures, the ceiling paintings and all the richness of its times past and the beauty of its present.

St. Mary’s is one the true gems of the Detroit Archdiocese and we will remember our visit for a long time to come.

Up Next: Holy Family-Novi

Old St. Mary's in Downtown Detroit

St. Mary's historical plaque

Sculpture of Mary w/ baby Jesus at entrance to church

View of outside of church

Doors to St. Mary's

view one of the steeples

Welcome to St. Mary's

one of the many sculptures at St. Mary's

Jesus on the cross

The baptismal grotto

The altar at St. Mary's

Sculptures of St. Anthony flanked by St. Rita to the left and St. Theresa on the right

Jesus at Gethesemane grotto

Old St. Mary's in Downtown Detroit

St. John the Evangelist-Allenton

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church is located on a country road in the rural community of Allenton, MI in St. Clair County. It was started in 1915 as a mission by Belgian and German immigrants determined to see a Catholic Church in this rural community. It was given the status of a parish in 1948 by Cardinal Edward Mooney.

On September 20, 2003 the current parish was blessed and dedicated by Cardinal Adam Maida. Inside the church the eyes are immediately drawn to the altar that is adorned with flowers from the recent Easter Masses. The main altar is made of oak and is draped with a single white cloth. To the left of the altar is a cross sitting on (built in) shelving. Above the altar is a simple statute of Jesus with his arms outstretched over the congregation. Cathedral ceilings give St. John the Evangelist church a sense of embracing all who enter its province. Large picture windows help complete the look of the church and allow us to look out on the beautiful country scenery and to reflect on God’s beauty.

We attended a Saturday evening mass that was well attended by the faithful of the area. There were families of all ages as well as young adults and seniors in attendance. The celebrant at the mass was Fr. “Doc” Ortman.  Due to the playing of a taped CSA message from Archbishop Allen Vigneron and the baptism of a newborn at the mass, Fr. Ortman’s homily was brief and mainly centered around the baptism celebration as he asked us to renew our baptism promise.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church has had a long and faith filled history dedicated to spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Today it continues the traditions of those Belgian and German families that started the parish almost 100 years ago. They recently installed a statute of St. John the Apostle that adds to the beauty and splendor of the church grounds.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the picturesque and serene community of Allenton and the chance to meet many of the wonderful members of St. John the Evangelist church.

Up Next: St. Mary Greektown-Detroit

The old church still stands on the property

St. John the Apostle statute, dedicated in 2011

The new church dedicated in 2003 sits behind the old church

Mary

Joseph holding baby Jesus

A cross adorned with flowers at St John the Evangelist

Wall statutes of Joseph, Mary and boy Jesus

Built in shelving holds a cross and other items

The Altar at St. John the Evangelist

Statute of Mother Mary

St. John the Evangelist in Allenton, MI

St. Joseph South Lyon

St. Joseph Catholic Church is located in the historic and charming town of South Lyon in Western Oakland County. The history of St. Joseph parish dates back to the 19^th century. The current church was built in 1986 and was dedicated on December 20^th of that year.

As you enter the church, you walk into a modest sized gathering space. The focal point, of which, is the Baptismal font that sits at the entrance of the church.

The interior of the church is made up of 5 rows of pews that surround the altar in a semi-circle. The pews are made of light oak with matching kneelers. The oak theme continues up to the altar. A statute of Jesus hangs over the altar with his arms outstretched while on a cross.

Fr. Stanley Tokarski is the pastor at St. Joseph. The celebrant at the mass we attended was Associate Pastor Fr. John Nedumcheril. Fr. John’s homily focused on the gospel where the Samaritan woman met with Jesus as he offered her water. Fr. John also spoke on how we should fill our hearts and minds with the light of Christ. He told the congregation that God’s light will guide us and protect us and that we should clear our hearts and minds of all things that would prevent God’s light from shining in us.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church is a large parish, with approximately 2,800 registered families; however it maintains the small town charm and personality of the surrounding area. The Parishioners are very active in demonstrating acts of kindness by giving to those less fortunate and by participating in many different activities and organizations such as St. Vincent DePaul and Catholic CYO.

The parishioners that we met were gracious and very friendly. They made us feel welcomed and comfortable in their church and we enjoyed our visit to St. Joseph Catholic Church in South Lyon very much.

Up Next: St. John the Evangelist-Allenton

Entrance to St. Joseph

Steeple at St. Joseph

Statute of St. Joseph

Mary

Cornerstone at St. Joseph

Jesus over the Altar

Stain glass at St. Joseph

Statute of Mother Mary

St. Joseph Altar

A Crucifix sits in the corner

National Shrine of the Little Flower-Royal Oak

The National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan was founded in 1925 by Father Charles Coughlin just prior to the canonization of St. Thèrése of Liseux who was known as the “Little Flower”. Today it remains a vibrant and flourishing parish with over 4,300 registered families. It was designated a National Shrine by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1998.

Inside the church the altar is in the center of the room while the congregation surrounds it from every angle. It is symbolic of our need to keep Christ as the center of our lives. The altar, itself, is made of Carrera marble that comes from Mt. Cavella in Italy. The front of the altar is adorned with 2 peacocks drinking from a fountain-a symbol of everlasting life. The opposite side of the altar has the wounded and victorious lambs symbolizing the Risen Christ.

Over the altar hangs the Baldacchino, a canopy of fabric carried in church processions or placed over an altar, throne or dias. It is made of oak and is covered with inlaid gold leaf. It has 4 figures on each corner that represents the 4 gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in the form of man, lion, calf and eagle. It also has roses carved in the wood as a tribute to St. Thèrése of Liseux the patron saint of the National Shrine of the Little Flower.

Fr. Patrick Gonyeau was the celebrant at the mass we attended. In his homily, he spoke of “God’s radical love” in which we are called to love and give unconditionally and without question. He talked of God’s plea to turn the other cheek when slapped and to offer your clothes when you are asked for your tunic as example of God’s radical love.

During our visit we stood in awe of the history and beauty of The Little Flower. We enjoyed exploring every crevice and corner of the church, both inside and outside. We were impressed with all it had to offer and the faithful people who have keep the National Shrine of the Little Flower a rich and glorious place to worship and praise God in all we do.

UP NEXT: St. Joseph-South Lyon

Tower at National Shrine of the Little Flower

Close up of Crucifixion at Little Flower

The Baldacchino over the Altar 

Altar at the Little Flower

St. Jude Statute at Little Flower

Tribute to St. Joseph

St Joseph

St. Sebastian Statute at Little Flower

St. Therese of Liseux

One of the original doors of the church