Westside Catholic Religious Items and Books

Does anyone out there remember the names of any of the "old" Catholic Religious Items and Book Stores on the Westside of Detroit during the late 1940s on into the entire 1950s? This would be a store/warehouse that sold things like 1st Holy Communion prayer books and rosaries, church candles, chalices, religious saint cards, scapulars, etc. If you remember the names and their locations that would be helpful for my purposes. Maybe one of you has an old phone book from that era that would be helpful. Thank you for your help.

There was one called Mateja & Sons on Michigan avenue near Springwells. It was open at least until the 80s - I think they moved to Dearborn.

Mateja's is now on Ford Road in Garden City.

I don't know if these existed in the 40s and 50s, but there was Alba House in Dearborn at Warren and Pinehurst in the 70s [[still open, I believe) and my mother tells me there was McDevitt's at Woodward and Farmer in the 60s.

There is still a Mc Devitts around, at 7 mile and Farmington Rd. in Livonia. Not sure if you are looking to purchase something or just trying to remember the name of a particular place.

We were Eastsiders but every once in awhile the Felician Nuns at our grade school needed to go to a Catholic Religious Items and Book Store on the Westside. It was always a major project to do that because as all Detroiters know you usually stayed on your side of town. It was just a little idiosyncrasy that only Native Detroiters knew about. When I mention that to people from other cities they look at me like I just landed from Mars because it didn't work that way in their towns. As a matter of fact I wonder how it came to be that way? Maybe it was just a geographical "thing" or maybe some ethnocentric tribal carryover from the caveman days. But, I've never run into that Eastside/Westside dichotomy in other cities like in Detroit. Getting back to Catholic Religious Items and Book Store there's a guy named MikeM [[?) or something like that that usually comes up with pages from an old phone book that might be helpful in my search. Thanks, again.

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Originally Posted by mommydearest

Mateja's is now on Ford Road in Garden City.

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Between Middlebelt and Merriman on the north side of Ford Rd.

Unfortunately I am not familiar with any west side locations as I was was far east sider; however, I do remember McDevitt's which was located in the concourse of Eastland shopping center in Harper Woods; also there was The Catholic Supply House on Seven Mile a block or two east of Gratiot.

There was also a place on Beech Daly near Mama Mia's restaurant in Redford Township.

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Originally Posted by Downtown Lady

I don't know if these existed in the 40s and 50s, but there was Alba House in Dearborn at Warren and Pinehurst in the 70s [[still open, I believe) and my mother tells me there was McDevitt's at Woodward and Farmer in the 60s.

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Alba House lost the property on which they are located. They are not open and in the process of liquidating their remaining inventory to other religious stores. They may open sometime if they can relocate, but it's not likely. Right now they're referring customers to Mateja's.

Mateja's location on Mich Ave was pretty big. However, their location in Garden City isn't as big, but no slouch either. There is also the Catholic Bookstore downtown on Washington Blvd btwn Mich Ave & Grand River. It's a couple of doors north of the Book Cadillac. There is G. A. Fuchs on Stevenson Hwy in Madison Hgts. Downriver also has December's located on Eureka in the Southgate/Wyandotte area. I'm not sure if you're looking for an item, a person, or a memory, but perhaps these will help you.

There are also two religious stores in Warren, The first is the Catholic Supply House on 12 Mile [[east of Van Dyke) and the second is Saints Gifts and More on Ryan [[south of 14 Mile).