'God deserves praise for all he has done for this community,' archbishop says, celebrating milestone on Detroit's west side
DETROIT — With a history spanning 175 years, just about everything has changed at St. Mary of Redford Parish.
The parish that started in 1844 with a simple, wooden church on Grand River Avenue in what was then Redford Township has since been replaced by the stone Romanesque church built at the turn of the century.
Over nearly two centuries, the agrarian community that made up St. Mary's first surroundings has become more densely populated as the city of Detroit developed and grew in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Even the parish's location itself has changed — though it hasn't actually moved. In 1926, the city of Detroit annexed the eastern half of Redford Township, giving the parish's name a geographic quirk: St. Mary of Redford Parish is now actually in Detroit.
The changes haven't stopped in modern times, either. This summer, the parish received a breath of new life when the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit moved in.
But through all the changes, God continues to work miracles in the community, Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron told parishioners during the parish's 175th anniversary Mass on Nov. 4.
“This church has existed as a field hospital of mercy for 175 years,” Archbishop Vigneron said in his homily. “As I was coming here, I thought of all the phases of change that have happened in Redford, and throughout the past, how proclaiming Jesus has been part of this community’s vocation.”
Fr. Athanasius Fornwalt, FHS, administrator of St. Mary of Redford and formation director for the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit who study at nearby Sacred Heart Major Seminary, said it's important to recognize the countless parishioners who have maintained the faith in Detroit's northwest corner.
“Understanding the past is really important for context, especially concerning culture and understanding the mood for evangelization’s sake,” Fr. Fornwalt told Detroit Catholic.
“I see a community of tremendous resilience,” Fr. Fornwalt said. “When they built the first church here, it was an agrarian culture, a bunch of farms tied together. As this parish became part of the city, they built this magnificent church in the early 20th century.”
Parishioner Tommie Burton has worshiped at St. Mary of Redford for 45 years, serving as president of the school board (St. Mary of Redford High School closed in 1992), a member of the Knights of Columbus, and now as an usher.
“Days like today strengthen me to keep coming back and keep giving back,” Burton said. “Change is always difficult, but (the Franciscans) are doing a wonderful job. (Fr. Fornwalt) is a young man, with plenty of ideas, and it is a pleasant change. St. Mary's has always been about being there for the community.”
After Mass, Fr. Fornwalt gave Archbishop Vigneron an icon of St. George and a photograph of the Our Lady of Redford statues that graces the apse of St. Mary of Redford Church.
Pointing to the stained-glass window of the Annunciation above the parish's main altar, Fr. Fornwalt proclaimed the mystery to be the parish's feast day, a fitting one for a community called to go out and preach the Gospel.
“There are two mysteries working together, the Annunciation and the Visitation,” Fr. Fornwalt said. “The angel announced the Lord to Mary, so Mary visited Elizabeth. We have a certain duty to take the Gospel and present it to our neighbors in a loving, authentic way. That means taking our message to the streets, the grocery stores, the Dollar Generals, the fast-food restaurants. We need to go into the streets, go to peoples homes, knock on doors, and proclaim that Jesus lives, and that there is a very fine place of worship in the neighborhood in this beautiful church, with a community that cares.”
As the friars settle into their new home, Fr. Fornwalt said he hopes to combine the charisms of St. Mary's longtime parishioners with the charismatic spirituality of the friars in order to make St. Mary's a vehicle for the new evangelization.
“In the Gospel, Jesus says we should bring the old with the new into the storehouse of the Church,” Fr. Fornwalt said. “We should use all of the resources of age and tradition with all of the newness and vigor at our disposal.”
“Bishop (Thomas J.) Olmsted of Phoenix (where the friars are based) told me, 'Fidelity is the greatest virtue in faithfulness for our age,'” Fr. Fornwalt added. “In our age, it's very difficult to remain faithful to Christ, and along with that, faithful to the Church. The institutions the church built serve the mission of Christ in the world. I admire the little parish community at St. Mary of Redford, because they have remained faithful. Because of their fidelity, we still have a parish on the west side in this neighborhood.”
As the parish forges ahead on Grand River Avenue, Fr. Fornwalt said the mission of the parish remains the same: to present the love and joy that comes with a life in Jesus Christ.
“Above all things, the mission of the church is the salvation of souls,” Fr. Fornwalt said. “So I think a very clear, authentic, humble, proclamation of the Gospel, getting our hands dirty, is what the neighborhood needs. Christ has the power to transform culture.”
