Chapel of St. Theresa-the Little Flower
Encyclopedia
The Chapel of St. Theresa-the Little Flower is a church located at 58 Parsons Street in Detroit, Michigan
. It is currently known as St. Patrick Church. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1997.
on East Jefferson had been. Bishop Caspar Borgess gave the old Sts. Peter and Paul to the Jesuits
in 1877 after he moved to the new cathedral. In 1892, to serve the children of the community, the Sts. Peter and Paul Academy was built on Parsons west of Woodward, which was some distance away from the main church.
By the 1920s, the streets in the area had become so busy that the trek from church to school was considered unsafe for children going to school Masses. As a remedy, the parish constructed the Chapel of St. Theresa, the Little Flower in 1927, naming the chapel after Thérèse de Lisieux
.
In 1938, the cathedral function was transferred to Blessed Sacrament parish and St. Patrick's reverted to its original name. As the years passed, the area around the original St. Patrick church steadily declined, and more activities were held in the chapel and school. All activities were moved to Parsons Street in the 1980s and the old church was given to a community group. Essentially abandoned for a number of years, it was then vandalized and eventually burned in 1992.
style with a basilica
floorplan. It is constructed of red brick with limestone accents and a red tile roof. The entrance is recessed in twin arches framed by square bays. The bays are each topped by a limestone portico consisting of a barrel vault supported by four Corinthian
columns. The gabled roofs of the porticoes are covered with red tile matching the other portions of the roof. Above the entry doors on the clerestory
level are small arched windows and above the clerestory is a small rose window. Above the porticos are two small campanarios each holding a bell.
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"....
. It is currently known as St. Patrick Church. The building 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 1997.
History
St. Patrick Parish began in 1862, in response to the influx of Irish Catholics into Detroit. The parish built a chapel on Adelaide near John R Street, which was eventually expanded into a church. St. Patrick's became one of Detroit’s largest and wealthiest parishes, although the church was never one of Detroit's largest or most impressive. In 1890, the church was named the cathedral of the diocese and was renamed in honor of Sts. Peter and Paul as the prior cathedral churchSaints Peter and Paul Church, Detroit, Michigan
The Saints Peter And Paul Church is a Roman Catholic church located at 629 East Jefferson Ave in Detroit, Michigan. It is the oldest existing church in the city of Detroit, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971.-...
on East Jefferson had been. Bishop Caspar Borgess gave the old Sts. Peter and Paul to the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1877 after he moved to the new cathedral. In 1892, to serve the children of the community, the Sts. Peter and Paul Academy was built on Parsons west of Woodward, which was some distance away from the main church.
By the 1920s, the streets in the area had become so busy that the trek from church to school was considered unsafe for children going to school Masses. As a remedy, the parish constructed the Chapel of St. Theresa, the Little Flower in 1927, naming the chapel after Thérèse de Lisieux
Thérèse de Lisieux
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux , or Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, was a French Carmelite nun...
.
In 1938, the cathedral function was transferred to Blessed Sacrament parish and St. Patrick's reverted to its original name. As the years passed, the area around the original St. Patrick church steadily declined, and more activities were held in the chapel and school. All activities were moved to Parsons Street in the 1980s and the old church was given to a community group. Essentially abandoned for a number of years, it was then vandalized and eventually burned in 1992.
Architecture
The chapel is in the Romanesque RevivalRomanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style with a basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
floorplan. It is constructed of red brick with limestone accents and a red tile roof. The entrance is recessed in twin arches framed by square bays. The bays are each topped by a limestone portico consisting of a barrel vault supported by four Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns. The gabled roofs of the porticoes are covered with red tile matching the other portions of the roof. Above the entry doors on the clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
level are small arched windows and above the clerestory is a small rose window. Above the porticos are two small campanarios each holding a bell.
External links
- St. Patrick home page
- St. Patrick parish from the archdiocese of Detroit