The research was conducted by The University of Michigan-Dearborn Pluralism Project.

History

Ste. Anne Roman Catholic Church is Detroit's oldest religious center, founded on July 26, 1701, two days after the founding of Fort Ponchatrain, which would become the city of Detroit. Moreover, it is the second oldest Roman Catholic parish with a continuous record of operation in the United States; only St Augustine in Florida is older. From 1767-1832, Father Gabriel Richard, one of the area's most important early religious leaders, served the parish, 30 of these years as its pastor. In addition to his religious duties, Father Richard was dedicated to civic life and the development of public education in Detroit. He started six schools, in addition to special schools for girls, Indians, and the deaf. He was one of the four founders of the University of Michigan, set up the first printing press in Michigan, and was a delegate to the United States Congress. From 1833 until 1848, Ste. Anne served as the cathedral of the newly formed Diocese of Michigan and the Northwest. In addition, for many decades, Ste. Anne was the focal point of the growing city of Detroit as the French families who made up the early parish dominated the city's political and civic life.

Description

The present church, which is an excellent example of Gothic Revival, was designed by Leon Coquard, a well-known church architect. It was built in 1886 and dedicated on October 30, 1887. The red brick church is a cruciform plan and follows the twin-towered French prototype. Giving respect to its former pastor, the body of Father Richard was removed from the crypt beneath the altar of the old church and placed in the Gabriel Richard Chapel in the new church. At the time of the dedication, the church was assigned to the Basilian Fathers, headquartered in Toronto, and has remained in their charge ever since.

Changing Membership

As the area surrounding Ste. Anne began to age, the French community began to dwindle and disperse, and the last French language mass was celebrated in 1942. In the early 1940s, Latino Americans began to move into the area along Bagley Street and Father James Barrett became chaplain to Detroit's Spanish-speaking Catholics. He offered mass in the chapel at Ste. Anne Church, organized cultural activities, and published and mailed a monthly bulletin, La Voz Catholica Mexicana. In 1944, with the encouragement of the League of Catholic Women, Spanish language services were begun in earnest. In 1946, Father Collins was formally assigned to Ste. Anne to specifically look after the spiritual needs of the Spanish-speaking residents of the area.

Challenges and Revival

During the 1950s there was considerable change in the area as homes were demolished to make way for freeways. The future of Ste. Anne looked bleak as its high school closed in 1959. Civil disturbances in Detroit in 1967 heightened the flight of many of the city's white residents to the suburbs, and many more homes surrounding Ste. Anne were abandoned. Hispanics along with a few retirees came to make up the congregation. A further blow to the church was the closing of the parish grade school in June 1971. In the face of these challenges, the Hubbard Richard Community Council was established in an attempt to save the neighborhood and change the city's master plan that called for the razing of Ste. Anne. Hispanic influence increased and the services in Spanish was moved from the chapel into the main church. Several societies, such as the Caballeros Catholicos and the Damas Catholicas were formed during this time to work with the growing Hispanic population. The present Ste. Anne is an active parish serving the neighborhood Hispanic residents, not only spiritually and culturally, but also socially especially in neighborhood restoration.

The Church

The center of the Hispanic Cursillo Movement was established at Ste. Anne in 1973. Father Robert Power spearheaded efforts not only to save the church but to renovate it. In 1975, Ste Anne's Church and its complex of buildings were declared a National Historic Site. Throughout the 1980s church improvements continued, in addition to the large Spanish style plaza built in front of the church. In 1997, the city of Detroit designated Ste. Anne's Church and surrounding buildings a historic district.

New Housing

The urban setting of Ste. Anne is just a few blocks from the Ambassador Bridge, connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario. Many of the older homes are small and in poor condition. However, the area is being rehabilitated by the Bagley Housing Association. Twenty-five homes have thus far been renovated and twenty-two new ones have been built. In the coming year, two hundred new homes are expected , along with a sixty-five unit building to house senior citizens. An ethic mix of fifty percent Hispanic, twenty-five percent black, and twenty-five percent white is hoped for.

Other Amenities

In addition to the church, the Ste Anne complex consists of four additional buildings: a rectory, parish hall, school, and convent. The parish hall includes an auditorium that is used for plays and musicals, as well as parish functions. The convent is currently leased to Freedom House and is used as a residence for refugees. The school has also been leased and will become a charter school for at-risk teenagers in the seventh through the twelfth grades.

In the Community

The church has extensive contacts with the larger community, including with Jeremiah project/M.O.S.E.S (Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength) to promote neighborhood development, the Mexican Town Center, Project Rachel, Project Life, food deliveries to sick and shut-ins, Ste. Vincent de Paul, the Knights of Columbus, and GRACE (Gang Retirement and Continuing Education). One of its best-known activities is sponsorship of Raizes Mexicanas, a folkdance troupe that performs in the Detroit area and elsewhere.

Activities and Schedule

The parish today has about 800 members. About seventy-five percent are Hispanic and the other twenty-five percent is largely blacks and whites. Sunday masses are at 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. (Spanish), and noon. Evening masses are said throughout the week at 5:15 p.m.