Saint Joseph's Catholic Church (Glen Arbor, Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saint Joseph's Catholic Church
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 5899 County Road 669, Maple City, Michigan |
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| Nearest city | Glen Arbor, Michigan |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1884 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th-century vernacular |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001997 |
| Added to NRHP | January 22, 1992 |
Saint Joseph's Catholic Church is a historic church building. You can find it at 5899 County Road 669, near Maple City, Michigan. It's also east of Glen Arbor, Michigan. This church was built in 1884. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. This means it's an important building worth protecting.
Contents
The Church's Story
Early Days and Building the Church
In 1853, a group of people from Bohemia moved to this area. They had come from Chicago. These Catholic families needed a place to worship. Traveling priests would visit them a few times each year. They held church services in people's homes.
One of these traveling priests was Ignatius Mrak. He had already started a mission in Peshawbestown. Later, Mrak became a bishop. He was in charge of the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette.
Bishop Mrak retired in 1878. In 1884, he came back to the Bohemian community. He helped them start a committee to build a church. Construction began that same year. The church was finished in 1886. It was officially blessed in 1888 by Bishop Henry Richter. He was from the new Diocese of Grand Rapids.
Life as a Mission Church
Saint Joseph's Church was always a "mission church." This means it never had a priest living there full-time. It was, and still is, the only church in Cleveland Township. This area doesn't have many people.
In 1899, a tower and a bell were added to the church. Small additions were built at the back in the 1940s. In 1951, Saint Joseph's became connected to Saint Rita's Church in Maple City. The Catholic community used Saint Joseph's until 1970. That's when the Saint Joseph parish joined with Saint Rita's.
The church building is still owned by the parish. It is used twice a year for special church services. Sometimes, it is also used for weddings.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Building
Saint Joseph Catholic Church is a simple, traditional building. It is made of wood and covered with overlapping boards called clapboards. The roof is shaped like a triangle, called a gable roof, and is covered with metal. The church sits on a foundation made of concrete blocks.
In the middle of the front, there is a three-part tower. It has decorative bands that look like saw teeth. The top part of the tower holds the belfry, where the bell is. A pyramid-shaped roof sits on top of the belfry. At the back of the church, on each side, are two small additions. These were built in the 1940s.
The sides of the church each have four windows. These windows have a decorative top part. The main entrance door is at the bottom of the tower. Above the door, in the gable, there is a small, diamond-shaped window.
Inside the Building
When you go inside, you first enter a small entrance area called a narthex. It has wooden boards fitted together. Beyond that is the main part of the church, called the nave. It is shaped like a rectangle and has a ceiling that curves upwards. At the very back is a rounded area called the apse.
The beautiful altarpiece is against the back wall of the apse. There are two varnished wooden doors on either side of the altar area. One door leads to a small room for confessions. The other door leads to a closet room for the priest.
See also
- List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord
