St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
The St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church is a church located at 5818 Dubois Street in Detroit, Michigan
. The church is now used by the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church and the school is used by the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1989.
. A church and school were purchased for the parish from the Protestant Bethel Church, and in 1900 a new elementary school was constructed. Reverend F. G. Zella was assigned as the first pastor. However, between 1905-1910 the population of the church doubled, and a new church was desperately needed.
In 1911, work was begun on a magnificent Baroque
church with a lavish Beaux Arts interior, which was completed in 1913. In 1921, a convent was built for the Felician Sisters
who ran the school; seven years later, a high school was constructed. By the late 1940s, St. Stanislaus was the largest Polish parish school
in Michigan.
After World War II
, the demographics of the neighborhood changed as the Polish Catholics moved out of the city and into the suburbs; in addition, the construction of I-94
split the parish and displaced a number of families. Enrollment in the parish school declined, and the grade school was closed in 1968, the high school in 1973, and the convent demolished soon after.
The parish underwent a resurgence in the late 1970s, but the 1989 reorganization of the Archdiocese of Detroit
eliminated the parish.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The church is now used by the Promise Land Missionary Baptist Church and the school is used by the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1989.
History
In 1898, the parish of St. Stanislaus was established to relieve the overcrowding in the Polish congregation of at St. AlbertusSt. Albertus Roman Catholic Church
St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church is a church located at 4231 St. Aubin Street in Detroit, Michigan in the Forest Park neighborhood area on the city's central East side...
. A church and school were purchased for the parish from the Protestant Bethel Church, and in 1900 a new elementary school was constructed. Reverend F. G. Zella was assigned as the first pastor. However, between 1905-1910 the population of the church doubled, and a new church was desperately needed.
In 1911, work was begun on a magnificent Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
church with a lavish Beaux Arts interior, which was completed in 1913. In 1921, a convent was built for the Felician Sisters
Felician Sisters
The Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice, or Felician Sisters, are one branch of the Third Order of St. Francis. The active-contemplative order was founded in Warsaw, Poland, in 1855, by Sophia Truszkowska, and named for a shrine of St. Felix, a 16th century Franciscan saint especially devoted to...
who ran the school; seven years later, a high school was constructed. By the late 1940s, St. Stanislaus was the largest Polish parish school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
in Michigan.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the demographics of the neighborhood changed as the Polish Catholics moved out of the city and into the suburbs; in addition, the construction of I-94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
split the parish and displaced a number of families. Enrollment in the parish school declined, and the grade school was closed in 1968, the high school in 1973, and the convent demolished soon after.
The parish underwent a resurgence in the late 1970s, but the 1989 reorganization of the Archdiocese of Detroit
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne...
eliminated the parish.