Most Holy Redeemer Church (Detroit) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Most Holy Redeemer Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 1721 Junction Street Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | Donaldson and Meier |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Part of | West Vernor–Junction Historic District (ID02001503) |
| MPS | West Vernor Highway Survey Area, Detroit, Michigan MPS |
| Added to NRHP | December 12, 2002 |
The Most Holy Redeemer Church is a very old and important church located at 1721 Junction Street in Southwest Detroit, Michigan. It's part of a special area called the West Vernor–Junction Historic District. This church was once thought to be the biggest Roman Catholic church in all of North America! The area around it, near Mexicantown, is a lively neighborhood with a growing Mexican community.
Contents
History of the Church
The church's story began in 1880. A priest named Aegidius Smulders, from the Redemptorist group, started the parish. At first, most people attending the church were Irish immigrants. Many of them worked in tobacco factories nearby.
Early church services were held in unusual places. They started above a general store and later moved to what was once a saloon. The first floor of the saloon was used for church services, while priests lived on the second floor.
The very first church building was made of wood. It was designed by a Redemptorist Brother named Thomas and was called the "Little Church on Sand Hill." It opened in 1881. Later, in 1896, a second, larger church was built. This one was in the Gothic style.
Over time, many Irish and German families moved away from the area. People of Latin American descent from the Corktown area of Detroit began to move in. Because of this, a special mass in Spanish started in 1960.
In 1999, the Redemptorist priests handed over the church to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit. The church's school was started in 1882 by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. More recently, in 2017, Sisters from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) came to work at the school and help the church. Young men studying to become priests (called seminarians) from SOLT also live at the parish. They study at a nearby seminary.
Church Architecture and Design
The church building you see today was built in 1921. It was officially opened on April 1, 1923. The famous architecture firm Donaldson and Meier designed it. The church is built in the Roman basilica style, which is a type of Romanesque architecture. It has a grand front (façade) and can seat about 1,400 people.
Around 1924, a tall bell tower, called a campanile, was built next to the church. This tower was built to remember the church members who died in World War I.
The beautiful stained glass windows along the aisles were designed by Charles Jay Connick. The windows on the south side show stories (parables) that Jesus told. The windows on the north side show the miracles Jesus performed. The windows higher up in the church were made by a company called Detroit Stained Glass works. The floor inside the church has special mosaic tiles made by Pewabic Pottery and designed by Mary Chase Perry Stratton.
What You'll Find at the Parish
The Most Holy Redeemer parish is home to an old elementary school. It also hosts the Detroit Cristo Rey High School, which has been operating since 2008. This high school is located inside the building of the former Holy Redeemer High School.
Like other areas in Southwest Detroit, West Vernor Highway is the main street for shops and businesses. Churches, parks, recreation centers, and theaters are important parts of these neighborhoods. The Most Holy Redeemer parish is a very important landmark at the West Vernor-Junction intersection.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia del Santísimo Redentor para niños
- Architecture of metropolitan Detroit
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
