Cathedral of St. Anthony

**mauser** · January-18-11, 12:48 PM

Hey everyone, I just met the folks at Cathedral of St. Anthony

Check it out:

http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=5035

This is the Romanesque church near Faygo and down a few streets from Packard, right near East Grand Boulevard. The school is still owned by the Archdiocese, but the Ecumenical Catholics have taken over the Cathedral.

These guys are all inclusive, no bigotry to fear, no stereotypes to worry about. Worship services are at 11 on Sundays.

Most importantly, they are working on becoming a real part of the community, and a real part of the solutions that this area needs. They are feeding people and want to grow their congregation.

If you are not of a religious nature, please consider them a new not for profit business which seeks to help rebuild the City and offer its citizens some mercy. Help keep an eye on that building, its been targeted and hit by scrappers pretty hard once already, and this beautiful place is just covered in copper. We all know what that means. And one of the citys biggest scrappers lives very near by.

More photos to come, I am going to be going up into both towers to photograph the clockworks and the bells - YEAH, the bells are still intact up there !!

Great people, Bishop Karl is a wonderful guy, and dont be afraid to stop by to visit a service or just after a service to take a look inside.

Detroit is losing its masterpieces, help save this one.

**mauser** · January-20-11, 10:44 AM

Here is part two, showing some of the stained glass and murals.

http://www.detroitfunk.com/?p=5040

This church is looking to hire somebody to play organ in the Sunday church service, [[ two tier with full pedalboard ) - someone who can also sing, even better. We are replacing some knobs on the controls, but that will be done pretty soon - so if anybody is interested in a Sunday gig, or knows of a person, give the church a call. I put the phone number at the bottom of the post.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-21-11, 01:23 AM

Wow what a beautiful church. I wish them luck. As a former Catholic, this group sure is more in line with my beliefs than the RCC.

**GOAT** · January-21-11, 11:14 AM

Wow. I was expecting the church to be in not very good shape. It looks great! Thanks for sharing the pictures Mauser. Your photography is still outstanding.

**detroiturbex** · January-21-11, 03:49 PM

Great pictures, Mauser. And a great cause.

**Kathleen** · January-21-11, 05:05 PM

Thanks, Mauser! It's been a few years since I last visited St. Anthony's. Looking good and glad to hear that it has been secured. That bodes well for the future of the building and its art treasures!

**lizaanne** · January-22-11, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by mauser

... Ecumenical Catholics have taken over the Cathedral.

Beautiful building and I'm glad to see that someone is taking care of it. But let no one be misled, these people are NOT Catholic. They support concepts and doctrine that is in direct opposition to the Catholic Church. Just be careful. Just because someone uses the name "Catholic" does not mean they are.

**swiburn** · January-23-11, 12:36 PM

Just an historical aside here-St. Anthony of Padua Church was never a "Roman" Catholic cathedral. I guess the "Ecumenical" Catholics can call it that, if they want. Glad that somebody is taking care of it, for sure.

**SWMAP** · January-23-11, 01:29 PM

I'm looking forward to seeing how all this works out. The congregation has to maintain that building and support the [[former) R. C priest and his new wife and family. It will sure be a lesson to the AOD in how married priests would work.
No wonder the former rectory is being rented. I think the Bishop bought a house in Indian Village.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-23-11, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by lizaanne

Beautiful building and I'm glad to see that someone is taking care of it. But let no one be misled, these people are NOT Catholic. They support concepts and doctrine that is in direct opposition to the Catholic Church. Just be careful. Just because someone uses the name "Catholic" does not mean they are.

Check out their websites. They make no claim to be a part of the corrupt Roman Catholic Church. They actually adhere to some of the more ancient Catholic doctrines, and reject some of the modern ones like celibacy that Catholics are led to believe were always in place.

**SWMAP** · January-23-11, 02:43 PM

I understand that the rule of celibacy was mandated as a practical matter. Priest's families and inheritors often had a hard time distinguishing what properties and incomes belonged to the man and what belonged to the Church. Also, there was always that strong admonition from St. Paul that a married man must serve his wife and unmarried man can serve God [[first).
Anyway, St. Anthony will be a good little laboratory. Interesting to see if the Pastor, having already quit one job, sticks this one out.

**mauser** · January-24-11, 06:11 AM

I would be the last person to claim to be authority on Roman Catholicism, but I can tell you that the vast majority of the worlds Christians are Catholic, but that many many of these are not Roman Catholic.

A Cathedral is a Cathedral and thats about all I can tell you about that. If you decide that nobody but the RC church can declare somebody a Bishop, well then that is pretty much where your interest is going to end here. However, for the rest of us - a Cathedral is declared as such because it has a resident Bishop, which St. Anthony does.

As for Dr. Karls resume - I would caution against poking fun at that, unless your own list of life accomplishments so far exceeds what he as done as to make his work look silly in comparison. His calling is to tend to those most in need as he sees it. And here he is, in Detroit - walking the streets, knocking on doors, and then simply giving people food. That's cool. If you meet him, you'll probably think Dr. Karl is pretty cool too. He is an interesting guy, been all over the world. He is a Detroiter now.

Anybody who walks those streets to hand out food has my personal respect, I dont care ...who exactly they are. to a degree.[not sure the reference i used was exactly appropriate].. I think most anyone can get behind the various religious leaders of the City - if only for basic humanitarian purposes.

Anybody who adopts and invests in a neighborhood such as the one east of Packard - also has my respect.

Anyone who can save a structure like St. Anthony - deep respect.

Anybody who can organize a church congregation that is all inclusive and has its arms open to EVERYONE who walks in the doors - well, that I definitely respect. It is quite simple to find out if your faith is compatible with any given denomination, and there is no sneakiness or pretending to be "Catholic" that goes on with the other Catholic denominations. You can check which of the three creeds that the church subscribes too, and the tenants of baptism, and also of Communion.

**lizaanne** · January-24-11, 12:54 PM

That's cool - I'm happy to know that he is doing a wonderful job helping people in the community. But just don't confuse him with a Catholic priest who is in line with the Magisterium of the Church. That's all. This has nothing to do with what he does in his free time, or how nice he is. It has to do with misleading people - that's all. This place of worship holds views that are heretical to the Catholic Church. That's the truth - not my opinion. It's not a slander, it's not calling anyone names, it's not saying he's a bad man. It's saying he's not Catholic. So anyone who is required to attend Mass every Sunday [[all Catholics are, this is not an option) need to understand that this is not where they should be going for Mass. That's all.

As for the building - I think it's lovely that it's being taken care of, it really is a beautiful piece of Detroit history.

**canuck** · January-24-11, 01:11 PM

Let's hope the coppers keep an eye on the copper!

bartock · January-24-11, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Check out their websites. They make no claim to be a part of the corrupt Roman Catholic Church. They actually adhere to some of the more ancient Catholic doctrines, and reject some of the modern ones like celibacy that Catholics are led to believe were always in place.

I'm missing the part where she said "Catholic Church." She said "Catholic." Big difference, to many of us.

**jcole** · January-24-11, 01:20 PM

Seems odd that the Archdiocese would sell St. Anthony's to this group.

**rjk** · January-24-11, 01:28 PM

This is the church right off Gratiot, correct?
My father went to St Anthony.
Anyone know when and why the switched the name to East Catholic?

When I think of EC I think of the dominate basketball teams they had for decades under Dave Soules.

**SWMAP** · January-24-11, 01:38 PM

"Seems odd that the Archdiocese would sell St. Anthony's to this group"

Think the AoD just puts properties in a broker's hands. There are some minimum price thresholds now. Gone are the days when the Diocese sold churches to other denominations for $1 in a spirit of Christian solidarity. Some of those buildings were later abandoned by the new congreagations and destroyed. Think they are currently unwilling to sell a church to a Muslim group so that it won't be turned to a mosque - out of concern for the christian history of the site, but that is only restrction.

DetroitPole · January-24-11, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by SWMAP

"Seems odd that the Archdiocese would sell St. Anthony's to this group"

Think the AoD just puts properties in a broker's hands. There are some minimum price thresholds now. Gone are the days when the Diocese sold churches to other denominations for $1 in a spirit of Christian solidarity. Some of those buildings were later abandoned by the new congreagations and destroyed. Think they are currently unwilling to sell a church to a Muslim group so that it won't be turned to a mosque - out of concern for the christian history of the site, but that is only restrction.

How did Our Lady Help of Christians [[ironically named...) outside Hamtramck get turned into a mosque, then?
Personally as a Catholic I don't think they're misrepresenting themselves - they put on their website that they are a "separate denomination" from the RCC. Any diligent Roman Catholic should be able to deduce that - I did, after a little curiosity at who they are. Historically there have been many denominations who claim to be Catholic that are both in Communion with Rome or not, so it isn't really anything new - everyone from the Orthdox Christians to the Anglicans to the Eastern Catholics to the Old Catholic Churches.
I don't care if they're Mormons with magic underwear, if they're taking care of the building and giving back to the inner-city they're doing more than most people.

**swiburn** · January-24-11, 07:55 PM

SWMAP-there is no restriction to selling a church to a mosque-see the book Churches of Detroit by Roman Godzak, former archivist of the Archdiocese.
. It mentions that Resurrection Church on Miller was also turned into a mosque.
To RJK: As for St. Anthony, it is by Field and Sheridan. The high school merged in l969 with other parishes and became Detroit East Catholic. It closed in 2005, I believe.

GUSHI · January-27-11, 06:54 PM

The Archdioese is unloading properites, or atleast trying to, they own alot of properites in the city and suburbs. I have no problem with them selling these churches to other christian org. but I don't agree with them selling them to moslim or jewish org. Resurrection and Our Lady Help of Christians or now mosks.

GUSHI · January-27-11, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by swiburn

SWMAP-there is no restriction to selling a church to a mosque-see the book Churches of Detroit by Roman Godzak, former archivist of the Archdiocese.
. It mentions that Resurrection Church on Miller was also turned into a mosque.
To RJK: As for St. Anthony, it is by Field and Sheridan. The high school merged in l969 with other parishes and became Detroit East Catholic. It closed in 2005, I believe.

I was a alter boy at Resurrection, once they sold the church and school to Yemans it was a crying shame. they defaced the statues built in the face of the school and the church and broke all the stainglass windows thay were donanted by past members. I think the pews were went to a church in Canada. I lived down the street from Resurrection.

**SWMAP** · January-27-11, 08:34 PM

Believe that stories like this are the reasons why there is now a reluctance to have mosques replace the former Catholic churches. But I could be wrong, altho I heard it from a connected person.

**FrWayne** · June-28-11, 07:25 AM

As a priest of the ECCC, and Vicar-General for New Zealand, I must take issue with you saying we are not Catholic. We are not Roman Catholic, but we are Catholic. The Roman church does not have a monopoly on the title "Catholic". There are Old Catholics, Anglo-Catholics, Greek Catholics, Orthodox Catholics, Melkite Catholics, Syrian Catholics, etc etc. Not all are in communion with the Holy See, and yet are recognized as having valid orders and sacraments. Perhaps you should study your church history before you make the remarks you have made.