St. Florian Church (Hamtramck, Michigan) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Florian Historic District
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Facade of St. Florian
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Joseph Campau Ave., Holbrook Ave., Dequindre, Norwalk, Lumpkin, and Yemans Sts., Hamtramck, Michigan |
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| Area | 83 acres (34 ha) |
| Built | 1908, 1926 |
| Architect | Ralph Adams Cram |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, Polish Cathedral style |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001865 |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1984 |
St. Florian Church is a beautiful Roman Catholic church located in Hamtramck, Michigan. You can find it at 2626 Poland Street. A famous architect named Ralph Adams Cram designed this church.
Contents
Who Goes to St. Florian Church?
St. Florian Church is home to many Polish families. Their ancestors were immigrants from Poland who came to Hamtramck. They settled here after the Dodge car factory opened in 1910. The priests who serve the church are from the Society of Christ.
Why Was St. Florian Church Built?
By 1907, many Polish immigrants worked in car factories like Ford, Dodge, and Packard. They lived in Hamtramck or nearby areas of Detroit. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit saw that these Polish residents needed a church. So, they started a new parish named after St. Florian, who is a patron saint of Poland. At first, church services were held in a storefront.
Many Polish immigrants arriving in the area created a need for more churches. St. Albertus (built in 1872) was the first Polish Catholic Church in Detroit. After that came St. Florian in Hamtramck (1907), and six others in Detroit. These included Sweetest Heart of Mary (1888), St. Casimir (1882), St. Francis of Assisi (1889), St. Josaphat (1889), St. Stanislaus (1890s), St. John Cantius (1902), St. Hedwig's (1903), and St. Hyacinth (1905).
Work on the first church building began in March 1908. The first stone was placed on July 12, 1908, and the church opened on January 10, 1909. As more people joined the church, this first building quickly became too small. The church members saved up a lot of money, $500,000, to build a much bigger church.
The Amazing Present Church Building
Ralph Adams Cram, a famous architect known for making Gothic style popular in the United States, was chosen to design the new church. He created a magnificent building that looked like a modified English Gothic church. It was so impressive that American Architect magazine gave it an award in 1929.
Cram used modern building methods for the church. He built it with a strong steel frame and used bricks for the outside walls.
Construction on the current church started in January 1926. The church was officially opened on October 21, 1928. Nearly 5,000 people came to celebrate the opening! The cornerstone (a special stone laid at the start of construction) has writing in both Latin and Polish.
A Tall and Grand Building
St. Florian Church is a very grand building, showing off the "Polish Cathedral style". Its tall spire reaches almost 200 feet into the sky. It was designed to stand out against the factory smokestacks of Hamtramck. St. Florian is the tallest building in Hamtramck, and its shape is even used in the city's logo. It's even taller than the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit! The church can seat 1,200 people, and its beautiful altar was made in Italy.
The church's award-winning beauty reminds everyone of the smaller building that was there before. The generosity of the church members made it possible to build "one of the most attractive churches in the metropolis." The front of the church has a wide Gothic Arch with two tall, delicate-looking spires on each side. The brickwork is also very special, with different patterns of bricks in horizontal bands.
Inside St. Florian Church
The inside of the church has a main area called the nave, with six sections. The ceiling is a rib vault painted blue with vines. Two smaller aisles run along the sides of the main aisle. High up on the walls, each section has a small rose window. On the sides, there are large stained glass windows. These windows are "striking and fitting" and were made by the Kase Company in New York. A large, fancy rose window is above the organ area.
Each window along the main aisle tells a familiar story using pictures. One window even shows Nicolaus Copernicus, a famous astronomer. The windows near the altar show five Polish saints: Casimir, Florian, Hedwig, Hyacinth, and Stanislaus. The windows in the nave show stories from the rosary and the life of Jesus Christ.
The church has a large Pipe organ built in 1928 by Austin Organs, Inc. It has three keyboards and 26 sets of pipes. It was updated and rededicated on April 13, 2008.
The Church Community
Pastor Fr. Thomasz Sielicki shared that St. Florian used to have as many as seven priests and 3,000 students in its school during its busiest times. Many people stayed with the church their whole lives. He said, "Many received all their sacraments from here. People are really very strongly connected to their church." Today, the church has about 600 members.
In December 2011, a group from the Archdiocese of Detroit made suggestions about keeping or closing different churches. They had three ideas for St. Florian's:
- By June 2012, the church needed to show a plan to pay back $1,850,000 owed to the Archdiocese.
- If the Society of Christ priests agreed to keep leading St. Florian, it would team up with Our Lady of Czestochowa in Sterling Heights. Both churches have the same priests and mission.
- If the Society of Christ priests left, then the church could become a special "mission church" for Polish immigrants in Hamtramck. Or, the church might be sold to pay off its debt. If it had no debt, its future would be discussed further.
Important Events at St. Florian
In 1969, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II, celebrated Mass at St. Florian.
The church was also used as a setting for some scenes in the movie Polish Wedding.
Detroit City councilman and former Mayor Kenneth Cockrel graduated from St. Florian High School, which is now closed.
St. Florian and Firefighters
The church is named after St. Florian, who is the patron saint of firefighters. He is known for saving Kraków from a fire. Because of this, for over ten years, the church has hosted an annual firefighters' mass. This special event happens on the first Saturday in May, along with the St. Florian Strawberry festival.
In 2008, a Mass was held on the Feast of Christ the King, and the church was completely full. Cardinal Adam Maida led the service. He gave a speech in English, and then Fr. Tomasz Sielicki gave one in Polish.
Cardinal Maida called that day "historic and joyful." He also thanked the Felician Sisters, who opened the church's elementary school 99 years ago and its high school in 1940. He also recognized the church members and groups who have given their time, talent, and money to support the church for many years. The Cardinal also spoke about Pope John Paul II's visit to Hamtramck in 1987.
On November 23, 2009, the church celebrated its 100th birthday!
Historical Marker
To mark the celebration, a Michigan Historical marker was put up. Fr. Sielicki said it's important to remember the church's history. He added, "We see in it recognition of our spiritual, cultural and social contribution of this parish to the life of Metro Detroit. It is for ourselves a reminder to do the same in the future." He believed it would make the church even more well-known.
The historical marker, called Registered Site L2189, was placed in 2007 on Florian Street in Hamtramck, Wayne County, Michigan. The marker says:
Saint Florian Church Saint Florian Parish was founded in 1907 to serve the Detroit area's rapidly expanding Polish Catholic community. By the 1920s Saint Florian was the second largest Catholic parish in Detroit, and it required a larger church. The Reverend John Bonkowski hired Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram to design this building, inspired by the Gothic churches of the Middle Ages. The church's medieval style contrasted with the modern industrial community. Nowakowski and Sons of Hamtramck built the church, and the J.M. Kase & Company made the stained glass in its New York Studio. The working-class parishioners sacrificed to build the church. In 1929 American Architect magazine named it the best new church in America.
The other side of the marker talks about the area around the church:
Saint Florian Historic District The Saint Florian Historic District is roughly bounded by Holbrook, Joseph Campau Ave., Yemans, and Dequindre Streets. Incorporated as a village in 1901, Hamtramck experienced rapid growth when Eastern European immigrants came to work at nearby Dodge, Ford and Packard automotive plants. The village's population boomed from 3,559 in 1910 to 48,615 in 1920. In the shadow of the magnificent Saint Florian Church, modest houses occupy thirty-foot-wide lots. Platted in 1909 as Whitney's subdivision, the densely developed neighborhood was built in anticipation of an influx of workers to the Dodge Main factory that opened less than one mile from here in 1910. The district reflects the tightly knit Polish community that first lived here.
See Also
- History of the Polish Americans in Metro Detroit
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Polish Cathedral style
- St. Florian's Cathedral Warsaw, Poland
