St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
The St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church is a church located at 4151 Seminole Street in Detroit, Michigan
. It is now the St. Augustine and St. Monica Roman Catholic Church. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1991.
The St. Catherine of Siena Parish complex consists of four buildings: the parish school (1913), convent (1926), rectory (1926), and the church itself (1929). All buildings are bacsically Romanesque
in style, with some Byzantine
elements.
The church is the most visually catching structure. It is built in the form of a Latin cross, of mixed red and brown tapestry brick. The main facade has a gable from with a Romanesque arcaded portico containing the entrance and three tall windows above. A wheel window is placed in the pediment. Single-story wings with entrance doors flank the front, anda tower is located on one side of the church.
Dwindling population in the latter part of the 20th century led to a merger of St. Catherine with the nearby St. Edward's Roman Catholic Church in 1970; the buildings of St. Edward's were demolished. In 1989, the St. Catherine parish was closed. A new parish, christened St. Augustine and St. Monica, was formed from the older St. Catherine/St. Edward's and the nearby St. Bernard's. and currently uses the buildings in the complex.
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 now the St. Augustine and St. Monica Roman Catholic Church. 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 1991.
Description
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
in style, with some Byzantine
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
elements.
The church is the most visually catching structure. It is built in the form of a Latin cross, of mixed red and brown tapestry brick. The main facade has a gable from with a Romanesque arcaded portico containing the entrance and three tall windows above. A wheel window is placed in the pediment. Single-story wings with entrance doors flank the front, anda tower is located on one side of the church.
History
This collection of buildings is significant for its architectural quality. The first building of the parish, the school, was completed in 1913 by Donaldson & Meier at a cost of $52,000. The school building included a chapel and parish hall. The convent and rectory were both completed in 1926, and the church, costing $130,000, was completed in 1929.Dwindling population in the latter part of the 20th century led to a merger of St. Catherine with the nearby St. Edward's Roman Catholic Church in 1970; the buildings of St. Edward's were demolished. In 1989, the St. Catherine parish was closed. A new parish, christened St. Augustine and St. Monica, was formed from the older St. Catherine/St. Edward's and the nearby St. Bernard's. and currently uses the buildings in the complex.