St. Jude Church/School Nostalgia

[7andkelly]

On the O'Reilly Factor Pinheads and Patriots segment last night Bill made Dontrelle Willis a Patriot for his win the night before and mentioned how much he had struggled to return to form. I thought that was pretty cool

Thanks for posting this, Z.

It's good to hear someone in the national media say something [[anything) nice about anyone connected with Detroit.

[zitro]

Thanks for posting this, Z.

It's good to hear someone in the national media say something [[anything) nice about anyone connected with Detroit.

That's why I was pleasantly surprised, it seems like it's only fashionable anymore to use Detroit as a whipping post.

[jcole]

That's why I was pleasantly surprised, it seems like it's only fashionable anymore to use Detroit as a whipping post.

Couple verses of the Allman Brothers here?

[zitro]

Couple verses of the Allman Brothers here?

I hope Home Depot has an ample supply of brooms

[Eastburn]

Ah, the Saturday afternoon matinees are my favorite memory of the old Civic. Mom would drop us off for a double feature, and if we were lucky, we'd stop over at the Sanders afterward for a treat. I can still here the kids in the audience boo when the screen flashed that sign that advertised for the matinee "All seats 50 cents". Sure, that was great if you were an adult, but the kids were getting robbed! Regular admission for a kid was 35! The nerve!

.25 in my day. In fact, the Flamingo theatre on 7 [[6?) Mile [[later a roller rink) was a dime.

[EMG]

And who can forget the majestic Civic Theatre?

Thanks - yet another I'm downloading for my own files, though how I wish someone had a picture of that theatre in better days. How often I remember riding west on Whittier approaching it; you would be driving right up to it until Whittier took that little jog to the left to become Houston-Whittier and on to the rest of the Civic Center.

Speaking of which....

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In the olden days, Cunningham's Drugs would have been at the end of the right hand side of that picture, the northeast corner of Houston-Whittier and Hayes. Papes - a sort of indoor furnishing store - was just across H-W to the south. My grandmother spent many an hour shopping in that boring store, while I usually hung out in Cunningham's. I also remember around about 1980 or so and I was in my very late teens, Pape's closed and was replaced by a bike shop in the same building - and I often took my bike there for repairs. Then of course also at the Civic Center were Kresge's, Winkleman's, I think another one called Robelle's or something like that, and of course GRINNELL'S, the music store, right next to the theatre. I took piano lessons at Grinnell's for a while, though most of my lessons were taken at a private home at 14403 Madelein near Gratiot. And of course the most important store of the whole bunch - Sanders, home of the 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Hot Fudge Sundae Happy Hour with two scoops for the price of one! If anybody has any pictures of any of that Civic area preferably back in its glory days, they would be most appreciated!

[EMG]

The lion was cool, but if you slipped, you got poked with a golden mouse in your nether regions and it hurt like hell. It was better to just look at. The hippo was smooth and slippery and you could sort of use it like a slide.

I guess I'm lucky that I didn't slip then! I certainly do remember using that mouse as a "stepping stone."

Now I wonder....someone mentioned it getting "stolen" frequently but I wonder if it more likely just got broken off from kids climbing it?! I don't ever remember seeing it missing whenever I was there...but still, maybe that's why they've got it roped off as of the time of my picture. Either that or too many lawsuits from the parents of children with punctured nether regions!!!!

[EMG]

All of the following are pictures I got from the Virtual Motor City site - http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...vmc;page=index

The first is presumably the interior of St. Jude's church. I was never personally in there so I'm taking their word for it. The others are of our friend the Lion and Mouse - and this juggling sculpture I had long forgotten but which came back to me instantly once I saw the picture - back in the old days of Eastland probably in the late 50's, early 60's before it was made into an enclosed mall in the mid-70's.

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[Eastburn]

Thanks EMG, that's the St. Jude [[& Eastland) I remember.

[Eastburn]

I'd like a couch from Pinkey's back room as long as some of the tales that were told from it came along. Also, a ten pin from Fantasy maybe two so I could diplay one and shoot the other.

Z, are you into pin shooting?

[7andkelly]

Thanks - yet another I'm downloading for my own files, though how I wish someone had a picture of that theatre in better days. How often I remember riding west on Whittier approaching it; you would be driving right up to it until Whittier took that little jog to the left to become Houston-Whittier and on to the rest of the Civic Center.

Speaking of which....

Attachment 1304

In the olden days, Cunningham's Drugs would have been at the end of the right hand side of that picture, the northeast corner of Houston-Whittier and Hayes. Papes - a sort of indoor furnishing store - was just across H-W to the south. My grandmother spent many an hour shopping in that boring store, while I usually hung out in Cunningham's. I also remember around about 1980 or so and I was in my very late teens, Pape's closed and was replaced by a bike shop in the same building - and I often took my bike there for repairs. Then of course also at the Civic Center were Kresge's, Winkleman's, I think another one called Robelle's or something like that, and of course GRINNELL'S, the music store, right next to the theatre. I took piano lessons at Grinnell's for a while, though most of my lessons were taken at a private home at 14403 Madelein near Gratiot. And of course the most important store of the whole bunch - Sanders, home of the 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Hot Fudge Sundae Happy Hour with two scoops for the price of one! If anybody has any pictures of any of that Civic area preferably back in its glory days, they would be most appreciated!

Thanks for posting these EMG. I worked at Kresge's back in 77/78, and spent a bit of time enjoying bowls of Sanders cherry vanilla ice cream with cherries on top with a glass of milk on my breaks. It was a fun place to work, although I might have said something different on the days we brought the bags of top soil up from the basement.

I too have recent pictures of my old haunt, but the block is such an awful eyesore these days.

[kellyroad]

Ah, the Saturday afternoon matinees are my favorite memory of the old Civic. Mom would drop us off for a double feature, and if we were lucky, we'd stop over at the Sanders afterward for a treat. I can still here the kids in the audience boo when the screen flashed that sign that advertised for the matinee "All seats 50 cents". Sure, that was great if you were an adult, but the kids were getting robbed! Regular admission for a kid was 35! The nerve!

Two of the most memorable movies at the Civic Theater: 1. A Hard Day's Night during a Saturday afternoon mantinee for 35 cents in 1964... not an empty seat in the theater, girls screaming just like on the Ed Sullivan show. 2. 2001: A Space Oddysey...the symbolism at the time was way above my head but it was an enjoyable evening with my dad.

[Mkap]

WB - I never had dreams like the ones you must have had LOL. I had to go to the theater to get my fix.

I can also remember going to see "Love Story" at the old Warren up on eight Mile at about thirteen. I could not, for the life of me, figure out why all the girls were crying. What was the big deal, thousands of guys died on "Combat" and "Rat Patrol" every week. I guess I was an incensitive brute back then.

[7andkelly]

WB - I never had dreams like the ones you must have had LOL. I had to go to the theater to get my fix.

I can also remember going to see "Love Story" at the old Warren up on eight Mile at about thirteen. I could not, for the life of me, figure out why all the girls were crying. What was the big deal, thousands of guys died on "Combat" and "Rat Patrol" every week. I guess I was an incensitive brute back then.

So you're saying Love Story was a war movie? Don't remember seeing it. "All the girls were crying"? ... thanks for the warning.

[Eastburn]

[quote=Mkap;23019]WB - I never had dreams like the ones you must have had LOL. I had to go to the theater to get my fix.

Dreams? Those weren't dreams....honest.

[Eastburn]

In fact, 35 year old women still pursue me.

[zitro]

Z, are you into pin shooting?

Only 10 pins!! $%^%$$

[jcole]

In fact, 35 year old women still pursue me.

I believe you EB. But are they pursuing you or chasing you away?

[Eastburn]

Some of them have guns.

[zitro]

All of the following are pictures I got from the Virtual Motor City site - http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...vmc;page=index

The first is presumably the interior of St. Jude's church. I was never personally in there so I'm taking their word for it. The others are of our friend the Lion and Mouse - and this juggling sculpture I had long forgotten but which came back to me instantly once I saw the picture - back in the old days of Eastland probably in the late 50's, early 60's before it was made into an enclosed mall in the mid-70's.

Attachment 1305

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What I found striking in the photo of the church is that the lighting fixtures were different. They must not have had these in there for long before switching over to the ones we were accustomed too. The Parish must have been flushed with money during those days.

[7andkelly]

What I found striking in the photo of the church is that the lighting fixtures were different. They must not have had these in there for long before switching over to the ones we were accustomed too. The Parish must have been flushed with money during those days.

The old ones got dusty.

I see the stations are the same, just hung the way they used to be.

[kellyroad]

What I found striking in the photo of the church is that the lighting fixtures were different. They must not have had these in there for long before switching over to the ones we were accustomed too. The Parish must have been flushed with money during those days.

The altar canopy, light fixtures [[which included nave ceiling illumination) and new stations of the cross [[the ones in the picture are the original wood rectangular ones that eventually ended up in the basement church along with the pictured altar) were all added around 1963. Yes the parish had some extra coin laying around.

[Eastburn]

What I found striking in the photo of the church is that the lighting fixtures were different. They must not have had these in there for long before switching over to the ones we were accustomed too. The Parish must have been flushed with money during those days.

We sure were. Most folks were making about 4 grand a year. Supporting the church was a serious responsibility. Plus there were a lot fewer outfits competing for charity dollars. Most folks gave only to the church & maybe United Way.

As I recall, the parish bought Fr. Ording a new Buick Roadmaster every 2 - 3 years. Couldn't have the pastor of such a grand church driving a heap.

[Eastburn]

The biggest things when the church opened was that it was air conditioned [[unheard of for a church at that time) and that the aisles were carpeted.

[kellyroad]

The biggest things when the church opened was that it was air conditioned [[unheard of for a church at that time) and that the aisles were carpeted.

It's been said that St. Jude Church was the last "grand" church built in the Arch Diocese of Detroit. Considering the romanasque architecture, marble, persian rugs, carpeted aisles, and, of course, the air conditioning, it probably is true. Imagine building a church like that now. ......Fr. Ording did it right.

Eastburn: Do you know if Fr. Ording actually chose that style of church or did the Arch Diocese have a heavy hand in its design?