St. Matthew's Catholic church on Whittier

[gcalan]

Hi all,

I'm working on a project for school and need to know what year St. Matthew's was built [[completed) and the architect who designed it.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Gus

[JLeurck]

Founded in 1927, the present church was built by Donaldson and Meier and dedicated in 1955. See this link:

http://books.google.com/books?id=f57...page&q&f=false

If it will allow you to see Page 31, there is a picture and small blurb about St. Matthew's.

[gcalan]

Thanks JLeurck.

That's exactly what I needed.

[tarkus]

There's a old thread on here about St. Matthews in the archives somewhere.

[Hermod]

St Matthew's parish was very heavy in southern [[Catholic) Germans with a dollop of Bohemians, Moravians, and Slovaks.

[the rock]

There is also a group of wonderful Filipinos who are members of St. Matthews, a very caring priest, and a very talented musical director.

[stromberg2]

Rock, Are you going to the DYes picnic?

Stromberg2

[the rock]

We are out of town that weekend, Stromberg. One of these days, I will make one of those nice happenings. A whole new generation of Detroit Yesers have added a new dimension to the website. I had a tough time just keeping up with the old timers. Lowell continues to do an amazing job.

[tammypio]

There is also a group of wonderful Filipinos who are members of St. Matthews, a very caring priest, and a very talented musical director.

Fr. Novelly is a great priest and his homilies are always very good and are usually very thought provoking. Our music minister IS very talented....he has managed to double the size of the choir in just a few years and always enhances our big Masses with very talented musicians. He is a treasure to our parish....not only a great organist, but a great singer too!
This past Easter was probably one of the most beautiful ever! We are very blessed at St. Matthew.
Come join us....10 a.m. on Sunday mornings!!

[kryptonite]

St. Matthew is quite attractive for a somewhat modern building. I attended a funeral there and a few memorial masses for a former neighbor in that neighborhood who attended St. Matthew and was very involved with the church. I enjoyed the services at St. Matt's and also attended one of their fundraiser Mardi Gras dinners, it's worth visiting the church if you have not been there.

[Hermod]

There is also a group of wonderful Filipinos who are members of St. Matthews, a very caring priest, and a very talented musical director.

I was talking 1940s and 1950s when the whole area around Whittier between Harper and Kelly was heavily German [[both Catholic and Protestant).

The old St Matthew's church was also quite attractive.

[EMG]

I was talking 1940s and 1950s when the whole area around Whittier between Harper and Kelly was heavily German [[both Catholic and Protestant).

The old St Matthew's church was also quite attractive.

There was an "old" St. Matthew's church? Where? At the same location? Any pictures available? The one that stands today is the only one I have ever known.

[Hermod]

There was an "old" St. Matthew's church? Where? At the same location? Any pictures available? The one that stands today is the only one I have ever known.

Yes, there was a Catholic church and school there at St Matthews when I became aware in the 1940s. My next door neighbors, Barbara and Maxine Oleczak, went there until the 8th grade, then they went to Dominican H.S. Several other kids on the block went to St Matthew's school. We had moved away when the current church was built, so i can't say if the old church was torn down to build the new one or if the building remains converted to some other use in the church-school complex.

[Kathleen]

Tarkus: "There's a old thread on here about St. Matthews in the archives somewhere. "

Here you go...
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/92431.html
It's mostly about the school and the parish rather than the building but some may still find it of interest.

[mckenzie]

I am new to this forum but can provide some ancient history about St.Matthew's. I attended school there or eight years, graduating in 1950. My first grade teacher was Sr.M.Theodine. The pastor of the parish was Father Joseph Fillion, assisted by Father Harris and Father Al Sadler. The church itself became the school gym. Yes, I made my first communion and was confirmed right there in the gym. But it was a church indeed back then complete with an organ and choir loft. Father Fillion's life project was to save enough money to build a "real" church. He had fund raisers which I recall. He was famous for his "feather parties" which was really a card night with a turkey as a grand prize. When he got close to his cash goal,as I understand it, he passed away without ever really seeing the new church. By the time that happened our family had moved a few blocks over to Guardian Angel Parish and then was included into the new St. Brendan's parish. I saw some pictures of the gym interior as it appears today and from what I see, the basketball hoop located between the two doors that go into the school, is directly over the location of the alter in the old church.

[Gistok]

Welcome to the forum mckenzie!!

My brother was married in St. Matthews, a very nice basilica. It is interesting to note that many church gyms were once churches... or still are. I remember Our Lady Queen of Peace was like that... and although I've never been inside... it looks like St. Philomina still is....

[Carey]

Many of the magnificent Detroit Catholic chuches we see today are the second generation places of worship for those parishes. Also on the far east side is St Ambose, for example. It is a lovely neo-Gothic building today. but many years ago, parishoners worshiped in a smaller building nearby that later served as the gym.
St Philomena, on the other hand, unlike Sts Mathews and Ambrose and Queen of Peace, never moved out of its original structure. The longtime pastor, Msgr Pete Lentine, has done a nice job renovating the interior over the years. Lentine is in his 90s and still an active priest. When he can no longer work, St Philomena likely will close because there is no priest to take his place.

[mckenzie]

Gistok & Carey:

It's hard to watch these churches closing. My wife's aunt was buried from St. Philomena's this past summer. I had cousins in that parish years ago. It is a beautiful place of worship. I'm thinking of going back to St.Matthew's for a visit but I better do it pretty soon or I'll never get to see the interior of the "new" church. Maybe even get a look into the school to bring back old memories.

[mckenzie]

Hey Hermod,

I'm new to this forum and was surprised to see your post. I knew Barb and Maxine very well. I also knew Bob Baxter, Patricia Rossi, Norbert Kramer, Gary Mallony and Jim Martenson from that block. I lived up the street on the corner of Grayton. Somewhere in my old, old keepsakes I have a birthday card sighed by Barbara as "your Ballet Ballerina". We were in the same class at St. Matthew's.

Yes, there was a Catholic church and school there at St Matthews when I became aware in the 1940s. My next door neighbors, Barbara and Maxine Oleczak, went there until the 8th grade, then they went to Dominican H.S. Several other kids on the block went to St Matthew's school. We had moved away when the current church was built, so i can't say if the old church was torn down to build the new one or if the building remains converted to some other use in the church-school complex.

[Hermod]

Hey Hermod,

I'm new to this forum and was surprised to see your post. I knew Barb and Maxine very well. I also knew Bob Baxter, Patricia Rossi, Norbert Kramer, Gary Mallony and Jim Martenson from that block. I lived up the street on the corner of Grayton. Somewhere in my old, old keepsakes I have a birthday card sighed by Barbara as "your Ballet Ballerina". We were in the same class at St. Matthew's.

I am a bit younger than you [[born in 1939).

Barb and Maxine were our next door neighbors to the south. Bob [[and Dennis) Baxter lived the third house south of us and Patsy lived next door to the Baxters. Bob and I used to play the old Cadaco-Ellis Ethan Allen All-Star Baseball game to while away the time.

It was Gary Malone [[a bit older than me) and his younger brother, Ronnie [[my age). Norbert lived on our side of the street accross the street from the Malones. Jim Martenson, I do not recall.

We lived on the west side of Nottingham about a third of the way up between Grayton and Yorkshire. I went to Wayne-Jackson-Denby.

Wait a minute, Tom McKenzie, you lived in the first duplex north of Grayton and had a younger brother as I recall.

[mckenzie]

Hermod,

Yep, you have me pegged alright! My younger brother you recall was Mike. He is retired from the Army now and lives in Arizona. But I'm still not certain who you are. But behind you, on Beaconsfield, lived Bob and Kenny Gutow, and behind Kramers there was Bobby Marshall; And there were the Whitig's who lived north of them - Roger, Janice and Dennis. Nice seeing your posts.

[Hermod]

Hermod,

Yep, you have me pegged alright! My younger brother you recall was Mike. He is retired from the Army now and lives in Arizona. But I'm still not certain who you are. But behind you, on Beaconsfield, lived Bob and Kenny Gutow, and behind Kramers there was Bobby Marshall; And there were the Whitig's who lived north of them - Roger, Janice and Dennis. Nice seeing your posts.

Dick Lindquist [[I had a younger brother, Jerry)

The Wittig's lived right behind us across the alley and we shared a telephone "party line" with them.

Kenny Gutow, Dick Wetzelberg, Ronnie Malone, David Hoffa, Gary Bernhardt, Bob Baxter, Micky Khouri, and Bob Clements were "my gang".

[tarkus]

St Matthew's parish was very heavy in southern [[Catholic) Germans with a dollop of Bohemians, Moravians, and Slovaks.

And lots of Belgians