Location: Detroit Canfield and St. Aubin, a stone throw away from St. Josaphat and Sweetest Heart of Mary
Parish Founded/Church built: 1872/1885
Date visited: 6/13/2010 12pm
Much more than just a beautiful, historic church, St. Albertus is a symbol of Detroit's Polish community that once lives in this area and was so numerous there were many giant churches all within sight of each others spires to house the faithful, each seating a few thousand people for over a century until...
This parish was officially closed in 1990 but the volunteers of the Polish American Historic Site Association keep up the building. Mass is said there once a month at least, with a Tridentine (Latin) Mass said four times a year. I was there for one of these Latin masses and I stumbled upon it by accident mainly. I was on my way to St. Elizabeth's noon mass when I drove by St. Albertus and saw the parking lot filling up. I couldn't resist going to mass at a church that is only open a few times a months.
It was a great surprise to be able to go to St. Albertus, especially for a Latin mass. I chose a pew near the front and sat down seconds before mass started. Just my luck this was one of the creakiest pews I've ever sat in. I couldn't move, bringing to mind the horror stories I hear from the generations before me that tell me about how they had to sit for hours in mass not moving, not twitching, nothing.
Of course for Tridentine mass one tries to be on her best behavior. Kneel, sit, stand, try to follow the Latin: credo in unum Deum... oh shoot that's about as far as I go! But I realized not only was my pew creaky but my kneeler didn't fold down. There is a lot of kneeling involved in a traditional mass, so there I was kneeling on the 1885 (one hundred years before my birth) wooden floors, praying to the patron saint against splinters.
The neighborhood around the church is desolate now. Some blocks have no houses left, just burnt out shells. There is a traffic light which has no intact building at any of the four corners, and a sign "Traffic Light is being studied for removal". I think it's safe to be removed. Nature is winning the battle against the former school buildings. The church was robbed of copper by thieves not long ago. There is gated, guarded parking available and a gate surrounds the church. But like any good symbol of Detroit, this community will not be hindered by the blight that surrounds it. The volunteers and anyone involved in the upkeep of St. Albertus are the kind of people that give me hope for the future of the city.
The next masses as well as a music festival and play production are all on the St. Albertus website, under Calendar of Events. This is one you just can't pass up!
The neighborhood around the church is desolate now. Some blocks have no houses left, just burnt out shells. There is a traffic light which has no intact building at any of the four corners, and a sign "Traffic Light is being studied for removal". I think it's safe to be removed. Nature is winning the battle against the former school buildings. The church was robbed of copper by thieves not long ago. There is gated, guarded parking available and a gate surrounds the church. But like any good symbol of Detroit, this community will not be hindered by the blight that surrounds it. The volunteers and anyone involved in the upkeep of St. Albertus are the kind of people that give me hope for the future of the city.
The next masses as well as a music festival and play production are all on the St. Albertus website, under Calendar of Events. This is one you just can't pass up!
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