Detroit is a fabulous city to visit with young children and boasts a very rich Catholic heritage, dating back over three hundred years to when the French first established a small settlement on its shores under the protection of Ste. Anne. In the course of 48 hours in the city, you can pray at the tomb of a recently beatified friar; enter a fully re-created grotto of the Annunciation; touch a slab of stone from Calvary; and step back in time to the living room of the Martin family: the family of St. Therese of Lisieux.
A mini pilgrimage to Detroit literally begins the moment you pass by the aging Ambassador Bridge. In the shadow of the bridge’s imposing spans are the graceful spirals of the Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit. Established in 1701, it is the second oldest parish in America and houses a precious relic of the shoulder of Jesus’ grandmother, Good Ste. Anne.
It is also the burial place of Fr. Gabriel Richard, who took charge of the parish in 1802. He was also a civic leader who brought a printing press to Detroit and launched Michigan’s first newspaper; co-founded the University of Michigan and was the visionary behind building US 12/Michigan Avenue, the road that connects Detroit to Chicago. He was also the first Catholic priest to be elected to Congress, as a delegate representing the Michigan Territory.
From there, let the kids unwind and have some fun, at America’s premier museum of innovation: the Henry Ford. It is a unique and well-laid out museum, home to a priceless collection of old cars, historic airplanes, presidential limos, the chair in which Lincoln was shot, the bus on which Rosa Parks took her famous stand and so much more. The adjoining Greenfield Village is a step back in time to twentieth century America, where model T Fords cruise the streets and you can step inside historic buildings that once belonged to the Wright Brothers, Edison, and others.
Solanus Casey Center
“How short the joys of Earth – and the sorrows…Thank God. What a glorious contrast in Heaven.” -Blessed Solanus Casey
Detroit is one of the few American cities to boast a future saint among its midst. At the Solanus Casey Center in the downtown core, you can pray at the tomb of Solanus Casey, a recently beatified Capuchin friar.
The minute visitors pass through the gates into the monastery’s small cloistered garden, surrounded by the brown robed friars, it feels a world away from downtown Detroit. It was here that the message of God’s redemptive healing and mercy was made known in a very tangible way to the faithful of mid twentieth century Detroit, through a humble and prophetic friar who called this monastery home until his death in 1957, Blessed Solanus Casey. The monastery houses his tomb, as well as a museum on his life, including a number of exhibits and personal artefacts that bring Solanus’ story alive.
Born as “Barney” Casey to a working class farming family in Wisconsin, Solanus is the quintessential “all-American saint.” He grew up in the hard scrabble farming communities of northern Wisconsin, and spent time working a variety of jobs from electrical streetcar driver to prison guard in Minnesota, before accepting the call to the priesthood. Even the journey to ordination was not straight forward, and because of some perceived intellectual challenges, he was ordained a simplex priest, not allowed to hear confession or preach at mass. In spite of these restrictions, he became a trusted counsellor to thousands of Americans of all walks of life; a renowned healer, reader of souls, and spiritual counsellor, not just in Detroit, but also in Yonkers, Manhattan, and Indiana. In Detroit, he served as doorkeeper to the St. Boniface Monastery and he founded the Capuchin soup kitchen at the height of the Great Depression. He would spend 18 to 20 hours a day providing spiritual counselling to the thousands that came to see him in the monastery’s small porter’s room.
Unique among the pantheon of American saints and blesseds, he understood the travails and preoccupations of the working class American and journeyed with them in their faith life. His central message was to recognize the goodness of God in everything and to have a child like deference to the will of God. He would often encourage those he met to thank God in advance for all challenges and blessings, with that child-like confidence that the good Lord knows best. There are countless stories of the conversions and inner healings from this simple message.
From the Center, it was only a five minute drive to the gem of Detroit: Belle Isle Park. Situated on an island in the middle of the Detroit River, this expanse of parkland set against the river’s tranquil shores offers a number of free child-friendly attractions, from the nation’s oldest aquarium to an expansive conservatory, nautical museum, and a nature center. In addition to offering great views of the Detroit skyline and a magnificent European-style fountain, Belle Isle is where visitors will find America’s oldest public aquarium, a nature center, a full conservatory with exotic plants and trees, a manicured garden, and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, complete with a hydroplane and opportunity to sit in the pilot room of a Great Lakes steamer.
Downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit is ringed by the pedestrian friendly Riverwalk and by the elevated train – the People Mover – which is a monorail that encircles the downtown. The fifteen minute ride around the loop is generally a crowd-pleaser with children. The Renaissance Center – the world headquarters of General Motors – often exhibits some of its newest vehicles in the atrium of the skyscraper. There are also a number of famed Art Deco skyscrapers, particularly the Guardian Building, whose ornate atriums hearken back to a bygone era. The Campus Martius Park in the midst of Detroit’s skyscrapers is filled with greenery, public sculptures, a “beach” in the summer and a large skating rink in the winter. Closer to the riverfront is Hart Plaza, where St. John Paul II celebrated a large outdoor mass in 1987. It is filled with fountains and is a popular outdoor festival venue in the summer.
Also in the downtown is the trendy Greektown neighborhood. In the heart of Greektown is Old St. Mary’s Church, a beautiful Renaissance masterpiece that houses three faithfully recreated grottos depicting some of the most prominent stories of the New Testament: the Annunciation, the Baptism of Our Lord, and a third grotto dedicated to the Agony in the Garden and death on the Cross. It was here that our small children were actually able to step into the recreated Garden of Gethsemane and crouch to enter the fake tomb to observe the body of Christ book-ended by two beautiful angel statues.
Museum District and Eastern Market
Detroit’s Museum District is where visitors will find the Detroit Institute of Arts, a world class art gallery with works by Carravaggio and Diego Rivera. There is also Hitsville USA, the birthplace of the Motown Records label. A highlight of the visit is a view into Studio A, where legends like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and the Temptations hammered out their greatest hits. Nearby is the Charles Wright African American History Museum, which traces the history of African Americans in the country and the particular role Detroit has played in that story, as well as the Piquante Street Plant, with the opportunity to tour one of the most important production plants in U.S. automotive history, where the Model T was first produced.
The district is also where visitors to Detroit can experience the Eastern Market, Detroit’s famous outdoor Saturday street market; a “must-do” in Detroit. Here, it seems that all of Detroit, from the suburbs to the inner city, descends peacefully on the several blocks of converted warehouse sheds, parking lots, and buildings that had been transformed into a lively market. This was the quintessential soul of Detroit, where vendors were selling everything from street wear to farm fresh produce, Detroit’s famous square pizzas and Coney Island hot dogs (yes, they originated in Detroit and not in New York) and at least one food truck claiming to possess the world’s best meatballs. There was an indescribable energy in the air, set to the competing strains of live blues music and steel drum bands filling the air.
This refreshing experience was juxtaposed by the taste of Heaven we experienced just a few blocks north of the market, stepping inside the Sweetest Heart of Mary church. This is the only church so-named in the entire world. Built by the hands of Detroit’s Polish immigrants in the late nineteenth century, the interior is a fitting a tribute to the Queen of Heaven. It boasts unique stained glass windows and a medieval painting of Our Blessed Mother that once hung over the city gates of Lithuania’s capital city.
Royal Oak
In the suburb of Royal Oaks is where the Detroit Zoo and its famous penguin exhibit are located. Two miles from the zoo is one of the first shrines to have been built anywhere in the world to St. Therese of Lisieux: the National Basilica of the Little Flower Shrine. Among its many treasures are relics of St. Therese and her two canonized parents, a large stone slab from Calvary, a beautifully landscaped prayer garden complete with the requisite roses, and a special room dedicated to the family of St. Therese lined with pictures of the saint at different ages, and of her family. Complete with golden fleur de lis lined wallpaper, it felt as though we were walking through the saintly family’s private living room back in France. It is the perfect place to end a short mini-pilgrimage to Detroit.
CATHOLIC CONCIERGE 
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