The Cathedral Cafe

What a fun way to start our morning hike at the Gauley River in West Virginia.  I knew I needed breakfast, and my brother knows I love churches.  So, the Cathedral Cafe in Fayetteville was where we went.  This cute little stone church with beautiful stained glass windows offers wonderful, unique menu options.  I had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and dill.  Pretty darn good.

This isn't my typical posting for churches but a lot of churches are getting repurposed these days and I loved the way they kept the beautiful windows, wood floors, stone and added their own flair.  Books, hand made gifts, and wonderful teas were also available.

Anybody else been to this cafe or have experiences with other churches who have undergone changes?  I'd love to hear about them.

Pat Deere


LINKS:  The Cathedral Cafe Facebook Page

St. Joseph Shrine, Irish Hills

It had been a long time since I had been to this little stone church in the Irish Hills of Michigan.  And, to my surprise, they were dedicating their new altar the day I decided to visit on August 5, 2012.  What a beautiful ceremony it was, especially if a dedication of that kind was something you have never experienced before.

St. Joseph Shrine has a lot of memories for me because it was a destination spot my Aunt Anne used to bring me to when I was very little.  We lived in Wayne at the time and she would drive us out to the Irish Hills.  We would see the dinosaurs, go to Stagecoach Stop, jump on the trampolines (that are no longer there), and stop by the Stations of the Cross behind this historical church.  The stations are still there and are in various stages of repair.  When you go to the church you will see a cemetery that leads to a set of stairs going down the hill behind the church, on the lake side.  If you have never been, it really is a nice way to spend the afternoon, be silent for a while, and take in the beauty - both man made and natural.

On this Sunday I had the opportunity to put my kayak in the water and paddle a bit before church, put my boat back in my truck, and drive down the road just a bit to park for church. If I wanted to, I could have paddled my boat right up to the church property, and get to the church from the shore where the Stations of the Cross are located.  I have done that in the past and it is a great little stop.

And, the best part about it, the people here make you feel welcome.  I encourage you to stop by if you are in the area and let me know what your experience was!

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Photos From St. Joseph Shrine Altar Dedication
              Photos of the outdoor Stations Of The Cross at the Shrine

Post from a friend and a photo from another!

Excerpt from Jesus Calling from 1 Peter 5, Proverbs 16:9  and Psalm 37:5."You will not find My peace by engaging in excessive planning; attempting to control what will happen to you in the future.  That is a commonly practiced form of unbelief.  When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp; yet it always eludes you.  Just when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion.  I did not design the human mind to figure out the future.  That is beyond your capability.  I crafted your mind for continual communication with Me.  Bring Me all your needs, your hopes and your fears.  Commit everything into My care.  Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace."

It's been a while since I have posted but these to things came across my mind today and thought people out there would enjoy them on this beautiful, sunny, Michigan Sunday morning.

Thanks Dana for your photography - I have the link to Dana posted below.  I absolutely love her work! Too funny ... I just realized I created the stained glass in the windows on the bottom left of this photo.  When they were installed, the statue wasn't in front of them and the plants were not there either! Thanks Bev for the inspirational excerpt you posted.  It really hit me today.

Pat Deere  Sending out joy and blessings every day using this amazing tool (link below).

LINKS:  Dana Du Jour Photography

               Send Out Joy and Blessings Today

Fishers Of Men

A couple of weeks ago I was called by a woman whose husband passed away and she wanted to do something memorable with the money given to her after his death.  Although their church is quite old and very beautiful, it did not have any stained glass.  So, she approached her church to see if they would allow her to have a stained glass window put into the church in his honor.

LaVada along with myself and the church committee met at the church to discuss what they are looking for.  They liked the look of a design drawn by Pamela Shapiro and created by myself a few years back.  But, they wanted it to be their own design and include significant remembrances.  There were to be two hearts signifying the love between herself and her husband.  He loved to fish, they wanted to include a fish net representing the story of Jesus and the fishermen, and the sky should be oranges, yellows and reds.  This is still a preliminary drawing but I like the direction it is going in.

As often happens, the money they had set aside for this project and the cost did not match.  I will be working with LaVada and the church to work out possible solutions.  My approach when working with churches or any customer for that matter, is to come up with a design that fits their budget if possible.  From there, I will continue designing until I come up with a design I am really happy with.  Sometimes I can do that within their price range and sometimes I can't.  For this project, the drawing shown here will be beyond their financial abilities at this time.  My suggestion to them will be to consider the simpler design that may not exactly fit their vision, or choose the design they really like and do the project in steps.

What it will require to make this work is for a carpenter to remove the existing woodwork behind the altar, create a door on hinges that will allow the church to change light bulbs as needed, and create a framework that will allow the stained glass to be installed in sections that will give the longest life to the stained glass.

The glass I will be recommending is Youghiogheny Stipple glass.  I love this glass because it looks beautiful with or without light.  If the church does not have the money to backlight the window at this time, the windows will still be very beautiful with the existing lighting in the church.  Money for the lighting can be collected and the project finished when they are able to afford it.  Generally speaking, there are always options... changing the kind of glass used, changing the intricacy of the design, adding elements as money becomes available.

One thing I know for sure, after my trip to Europe, I repeatedly had overwhelming feelings of serenity by visiting the numerous churches I visited.  The artwork told the stories of people who lived, struggled, prayed, celebrated, and died before me.  It drew me into a variety of churches where I was able to then experience the goodness of the people that kept each of the churches alive.  For that, I am very grateful.


Pat Deere 

LINKS:  When researching photos to help me draw a boat that would look like one that may have been used during Jesus time, I found these three web sites.  Two of them have information about an ancient boat that was pulled from the mud along the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee in 1986.
Sea Of Gallilee
Sacred Destinations, Jesus Boat Museum
Be Fishers Of Men

An Important Email I Got From A Friend...

(Although this is not a stained glass issue... it affects all of us.)

Dear Friends,

I have received a letter from Great Lakes Geophysical, Inc. in collaboration with the

Patrick Petroleum and West Bay Exploration companies to seek permission to cross my land in search of gas and or oil reserves via seismic testing. I assume

that the residents in my subdivision are also being approached to fill out the survey. 

My home, along with the rest of the residents in the subdivision, is surrounded by

three lakes. I shutter at the consequence of this request.

The area in which I live and to a greater extent, the Irish Hills, is being drilled

for oil now. I drive down Wampler's Road and see constant flaring, 24/7, of the natural 

gas the companies are not interested tapping into, at this time. The last three

words are italicized, because it is inevitable that the flaring of the untapped gas will 

be of great interest, in the future.  

Families already under contract for the leasing of their mineral rights are aware of

the wording that states any means of extracting gas/oil is admissible. However, at the

time of their signing, it was not common knowledge of the controversial oil/gas extraction

method called hydraulic fracturing. Fracking will be used in our area when the situation

is warranted and that will present huge environmental challenges.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fracking

With the numerous oil/gas disasters, large and small, from the Gulf of Mexico; to the

Kalamazoo River; to Napoleon Township, just miles from my home, where they are still

dealing with the contamination of many private wells from a gasoline spill that happened over

20 years ago-- the list goes on. It doesn't matter where it is, what size it is, or what contaminate

was involved, environments are direly affected. Man included.

Community dialoge must take place to better understand the risks involving all aspects of

oil/gas extraction-- from the toxic biocides used in the well bore to kill living organisms; to the

toxic chemicals and vast volumes of water used in the fracking and stimulation of the wells;

to the carcinogens emitted from flaring into the air; to the disposal of the contaminated fluids.

Adding to this needed dialogue is the use of seismic testing, to uncover the oil reserves.

Communities are becoming acutely aware of the adverse impact seismic testing has on wildlife

and the ecosystems around the testing sites.

http://www.wildlandscpr.org/biblio-notes/shake-rattle-roll-understanding-seismic-testing

Guidelines for seismic testing on DEC administered state land - New York- have stipulated

that 'no holes will be drilled in any road, trail picnic areas or other locations where the public

tends to congregate, nor will they be drilled in any wetland, unique natural community or area

of special concern.'  http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/sfseismic.pdf

Canada's native population is embroiled in legal battles to stop seismic testing on the ocean floor

 because of the stress and ultimate destruction of the marine life.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/09/15/nl-seismis-animals-915.html

http://article.wn.com/view/2010/09/15/Seismic_testing_harms_wildlife_environmentalists/

All communities will face the same issues. It doesn't matter if it involves wetland, ground or ocean,

seismic testing is affecting fragile ecosystems across the board.

What I see happening in my own back yard is a community known for its abundant natural resources

allowing oil and gas companies to transform its identity for corporate gain. Resources that make up

the land we are living on, farming on, playing on are being extracted for corporate profit. 

Yes, this is capitalism. But when a community's health, quality of life and well-being could be compromised, 

wouldn't it make sense to be asking the right questions before the irreversible has taken place?

Serious questions for serious times.

Pam

St. Patricks Church, Providence Ohio

What a thrill today.  My friend Pam and I were looking for a place to take our first kayak trip of the season, once the weather breaks and the ice turns into water that can be navigated.  Actually, I should back up a bit and say we started at 7am by serving breakfast at the Salvation Army in Adrian.  From there, we were looking for a church in Toledo on Locust Street that we never found that has a Latin mass on Sunday mornings.  Neither one of us speaks Latin, but we wanted to experience that.

 

After finding a really fun looking place to launch our boats in the spring, we were reading about the historical significance of this particular area along the Maumee River.  One of the three original buildings left was St. Patricks Church.  Our luck had us drive right by it on the way home and find people in the church removing their Christmas decorations.   We were talking to some of the parishioners of the church and as we left they were nice enough to bring us a couple of historical books about the church.  One was from their 100th year anniversary and the other from the 150th.  The plaque on the outside of the church and the books refer to land donated by Peter Manor, 40,000 bricks made in a nearby kiln, and 5,000 feet of black walnut lumber to help with the building project.  The foundation of the church measured 30'x50', although what we saw was greatly expanded.

The stained glass in the main body of the church was simple but colorful. According to the records I was given, the windows were installed in 1894 and donated by a number of people.  Reference to the artist and origin of the windows is not given. The glass used was pastel and let a lot of light in, which would have been important back in 1845 when the church was first used.

I was personally intrigued by the stained glass window shown at the bottom.  Make note of the reflection of the glass on the windowsill and bible and the closeup of the stained glass.  Although a simple idea, what appears to be a rolled rag method of painting around the border adds a lot of character to the piece.

The words at the bottom of the plaque outside the church read:  "Through the grace of God, this little church stands today, the oldest in continuous use in the Toledo Diocese.  It survived the town fire of 1846 and the cholera plague of the 1850's that eventually caused the demise of Providence, Ohio."


If you get the opportunity, take the time to stop by this great little historical church.  A link to them is below.


Pat Deere

LINK:  St. Patrick's Church, Providence, OH

Voting

Going to vote!  Getting out early before the crowds.

Too many to detail... but Mont St. Michel France Today

Although we do have internet, the signal is very low.  So... a few comments about where I have been and I'll post pictures and details when I get home.

This is part of the Abbey at Mont St. Michel.  It is on an island where the tide comes and goes quickly, surrounding the island.  This picture is one of my favorites taken within the interior of a set of columns.

Yesterday started out church at Notre Dame in Paris.  Yesterday afternoon and today we visited many more churches.  Great bunch of pictures, lots of time to pray and reflect, and it feels good to put my feet up for a while.

Pat Deere

Churches while in Paris

It's already midnight and we are getting up to go to 8:30am mass at Notre-Dame de Paris.  Super exctited about that. If we are late, we will make it to the 10:00am mass.

Churches we saw today that I will blog about when more time and better technology permits...
Notre-Dame de Paris (batteries ran out of my camera... will take more pictures tomorrow).
St. Eustache ... wonderful old church we caught the end of their service on this evening.
St. Merri ... another beautiful church I would like to spend more time in.

Today I was able to spend some quite time at Notre-Dame, light a candle and pray for the people I love and all that I am thankful for, reflect on all of the many artists whose labor of love has gone into the church buildings we visited today.

Much more to come,

Pat Deere

St. Mary le Bow Church, Cheapside, London

And the European church and chapel hunt begins. Today we were lucky enough to stumble upon St. Mary le Bow Church. Tomorrow I am going to buy a tripod for my camera, but for today I have posted a couple of photos from within the church.

Working on this internet system is not like working on my own system so for now, this is all I will post about this church.  But, their link is below and when I am able to work on a keyboard I am familiar with and not on a timed internet card, I plan to add more information about this beautiful church.

Links:  St. Mary le Bow Web Site

Pat Deere

Tomorrow... off to Westminster Abbey.

August Window of the Month from the Michigan Stained Glass Census

The Michigan Stained Glass Census is one of the coolest things in Michigan in my opinion.  If you ever get a chance to browse through the years of work they have been collecting, you would be amazed.  Their goal is to document all stained glass in the state of Michigan using volunteers to help in that effort.  If you have a passion for stained glass and have some time to help, let them know.

The first paragraph from the Michigan Stained Glasss Census web site for August reads as follows.  Click on the link to get information about the rest of the church, more photos of the stained glass, and information about the organization that does all of this documentation.

Founded in 1914, the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak is in its second church home, a modern Gothic grey limestone building designed by Philadelphia architect Harold E. Wagoner and built by Walter L. Couse of Detroit. Following completion of the sanctuary in 1955, a chapel and buildings for education and fellowship were added during the 1960s. The windows of First Presbyterian Church were designed by Marguerite Gaudin (1909-1991) and Eric Sundean (1924-2003) and fabricated from 1954 to 1980 by the Willet Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia. They include 88 stained glass figural windows in the sanctuary, chapel, and Christian Education wing, and five faceted glass symbolic windows in the Fellowship Hall. Inspired by French thirteen -century stained glass, the neo-Gothic figural windows are twentieth -century versions of biblical and historical events, encompassing a uniformity of design and color as a collective whole. The pictorial narrative of the windows unfolds thematically around the west and east walls of the sanctuary, depicting Old Testament prophets, the life of Christ, Reformation leaders such as Francis Makemie, the founder of the Presbyterian Church, medieval church figures, apostolic scenes, and the parables and miracles of Jesus.

When I got onto the website for the church, I found a lot of spirit around giving back to the community.  For more information about this volunteer opportunities, click onto the web link for the church below.  Some of what they are involved in includes:

Hands On Missions
These ministries are accomplished by the grace of God and your efforts.
~Gleaners Community Food Bank
~Volunteers spend three hours at the Detroit warehouse.
~World Medical Relief
~Greening of Detroit
~Detroit Habitat for Humanity
~South Oakland Shelter (S0S)
~South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless (S.O.C.H.)
~South Oakland Community Lunch Program
~Joy of Jesus Camp Clean Up
~Yucatan Peninsula Mission
I noticed many of these opportunities are available for families including smaller children.  What a great way to get involved.

Pat Deere

Links: 
Pictures In Glass information on Stained Glass for Churches and Commercial Settings
First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak
Michigan Stained Glass Census, August Window Of The Month

St. George Church photographed by Dave Lamarand Photography

Wow.  I have never been to a Greek Orthodox church but have always wanted to go.  Seeing this photo is pushing me to make it happen.

My niece, Shelby Downing, got married this summer.  Dave Lamarand was her photographer and is credited with this photo.  As I was browsing through his photos on Facebook, I came across this.

When I began searching for a website for the church, I couldn't find much.  I did find a link on the Greek Orthodox web site that gives information about the church including their hours, etc.  And, I also posted the link to an article about Art and Architecture in the Greek Orthodox Church that is very interesting.  Even if I go I know I won't get a photograph to turn out this good.  Thanks for sharing it Dave!

Pat Deere

Links:
Dava Lamarand Photography
Orthodox Art and Architecture Article
St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Southgate, MI

Washington National Cathedral

When friends of mine, Arnold and Jennifer, went to the Washington National Cathedral, they were nice enough to take lots of stained glass photos.  I like to think they did this for me...

I have not been but will surely put this Cathedral on my list of places to go.  I really loved this window because it was so different.  Jennifer thought the center of the top circle was a piece of rock from the moon and that the window was made to acknowledge the advances in the science of space exploration.

Looking up on the web site, I found a lot of tours of the cathedral that highlight the architecture, the stained glass windows, and more.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Washington National Cathedral Tour Schedule

St. Paul's Cathedral, London

Although the beauty of a church building is what might initially attract me to walk into the building, what the people stand for who attend that church is what will keep me coming back. 

This is a church I feel I have to visit while in London.  I found this article on their web site.  It is worth checking out and pondering:

In the first project of its kind, St Paul’s Cathedral launches St Paul’s Institute, a think tank that aims to explore the moral themes surrounding business, finance and global economics.


Located within the heart of the City of London, St Paul’s Institute seeks to foster an informed Christian response to the most urgent ethical and spiritual issues of our times: financial integrity, economic theory, and the meaning of the common good.

Visitors to http://www.stpaulsinstitute.org.uk/  can find theological commentary, video interviews, original research and analysis, as well as daily news aggregation. St Paul’s Institute will also host a series of lectures, debates and study days.


Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury said;


"An ethical approach to economics requires us to move away from the illusion that economics can be considered separately from questions of the health and well-being of the society we inhabit. It also involves recognising that we exist in a world of materially limited resource – so that environmental degradation has to be taken into account in any assessment of the cost of projects or transactions. I suspect that getting this right would in itself introduce into the language of economics a sense that it couldn’t be only about the mechanics of generating money and might help keep issues of ethics, justice and trust in perspective. So I welcome the continuing focus the St Paul’s Institute brings to these issues by providing a challenging and well-resourced space for conversation and I wish the Institute every success in this new phase of its work”

This post is obviously before I have visited, and the words posted here come from their web site.  Once I experience it in person, I will give my my personal thoughts and photos.  Can't wait!  London, here I come.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  St. Paul's History Page

What better way to start out Mothers Day!

St. John The Baptist Church,  Ypsilanti, MI

What a great way to start Mothers Day.  I met my son, Travis,  for church this morning and he lives in Ypsilanti.  When I looked up churches that started about 9am, I found this one.  I thought it looked familiar, and sure enough... it is the same one I went to for an uncles funeral.  After church, we went to breakfast in Depot Town.  Breakfast was delicious and the link for them is listed below.

St. John the Baptist is a beautiful brick church filled with stained glass windows.  The roof has clay tiles.  The ceiling is very high and intricately painted.  The mass was very traditional and music was beautiful.  They had quite a large band with guitars, keyboard, horns, a harmonica, and more. Of course there was a prayer for mothers and they offered us carnations as we left the church.  If you live in the area and are looking for a church to attend... you may want to consider this one.

Getting onto their web site when I got home I saw the kind of community service you would hope for in a church.  They reach out to their local people by offering help to people who need their grass cut, painting, cleaning, etc.  They call it the Catholic Urban Project Fix-Up.

They also have their, Slice of Summer Kids Program, that is offered free of charge to children aged 6-12.  You can find more about it on the link below.

Whenever I visit a church or business with stained glass, I like to see if it is listed  with the Michigan Stained Glass Census.  Unfortunately, this one is not.  I'd love to help this church through that process and will offer my time to them if they have a volunteer to help me.  Let me know if this interests anybody.  Basically, we take pictures of the stained glass, measure the windows, answer questions on the provided forms, and give the information to the Census where it is stored in the library at Michigan State University in Lansing.  I found pictures of their stained glass on the web earlier, but can't locate them now.  If I help them with their survey, I can post pictures later.

Enjoy your day!

Pat Deere

LINKS:
St. John The Baptist Church, Ypsilanti
Cafe Luwak, Ypsilanti

Congregation Sherry Zadek, Southfield MI

This is a really interesting synagogue.  I haven't visited it yet, but I will in the future.  I have passed by, and been intrigued by it but have not taken the time to stop.  I found this congregation when searching the Window of the Month on the Michigan Stained Glass Census web site.  One of the most interesting facts I found on that page has to do with the artist of the stained glass, who is French born.  Since I am planning a fall trip to France, I will be researching more about this artist, Robert Pinart, before I go and trying to capture some good photos while there.

You can see this synagogue by going to: 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034.  If you have already been there, have pictures, or stories about it... please let me know.  A good history of the building, the stained glass, the congregation, and the artist can be found at the links below.

Pat Deere

LINKS:

Congregation Sherry Zadek
Michigan Stained Glass Census, March/April 2010
Robert Pinart, Wilmark Studios

Canterbury Cathedral, United Kingdom

Another out of the country suggestion from my brother.  The link I added below goes to a page where you can click on "From Dawn To Dusk" and see time lapse photography of the cathedral at different times of the day.  Also, just searching "Canterbury Cathedral" then clicking on "Images" gives you a wonderful selection of photos.  Makes you want to visit doesn't it?

The oldest window:  The oldest window at Canterbury shows Adam delving. It dates to about 1176 AD and is the first in a series of ancestors of Christ that used to fill the clerestory of the quire. In the 18th century these early windows were moved to the West Window and to the South-West Window. Adam delving now lives in the centre of the bottom tier of the West Window. The panels that can be seen in the quire clerestory today are 19th century copies of the originals.  (This paragraph and photo were taken directly from the cathedrals web site where more information about the stained glass and restoration can be found.)


Canterbury Cathedral, Cathedral House, 11 The Precincts, Canterbury, CT1 2EH United Kingdom

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Canterbury Cathedral History Page

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris

Unfortunately, this is not a place I have visited... yet.  Maybe I will get the chance when my son is in France for his senior year in college.  This suggestion came from my brother Jeff who has been here.  He has travelled outside of the country more than I and was nice enough to make some suggestions we might want to include.    I have included the link to the Wikipedia page that gives a lot of information about it.  The first paragraph from Wikipedia reads: The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, pronounced [sakʁe kœʁ]), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city.  Way too much infomation for me to include here, so go to the link and check it out.  Feel free to add anything, send pictures you have taken etc.  I'd like to see more about it. 

The second link is one that goes to the website for this Basilica.  You can chose to read it in English or in French.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_the_Sacr%C3%A9-Coeur
 http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Chicago Illinois

What a wonderful surprise!  While visiting my glass supplier in Chicago with a friend/customer, she suggested we don't just go home but take a sidetrip into the downtown area.  My supplier is actually in Warrenville, about an hour away.

So many times churches are closed due to fear of vandalism and you can't get in.  We saw people going in and out, scaffolding all around the church, and it was very intriguing.  So we walked in.  This church has beautifully painted murals on the ceilings.  Intricate iron grids over some of the window openings.  Very traditional stained glass throughout the church that is beautifully painted as well.

This is a very active church and while there a prayer vigil was going on.  Pam and I stopped for a while, kneeled down and prayed the rosary in English and Spanish - although the Spanish was not something either one of us could join in on.  The whole time we were taking in the beauty of the building and the vibrancy of the church.  I was impressed that during this depressed economic time, the church was able to fund a huge renovation effort including work to their bricks, roof, paint, etc.

A bit of info from the History page of their website includes:  W E L C O M E - B I E N V E N I D O

...to Our Lady of Lourdes - a wonderfully, diversified parish!  We are considered the "Mother Church" of this region, because of our original boundaries which included English speaking Catholics in the area bounded by Devon Avenue to the north, Belmont Avenue to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, and the Chicago River to the west - an area which now encompasses ten parishes.  In 1916, the Spanish Renaissance-style church with its distinctive red-tiled domes replaced the original frame church.

It is well worth a visit to their church, their website, and I would love to get pictures of the interior that can be shared if anybody has them.

Pat Deere

LINKS:  Our Lady Of Lourdes Church website.

National Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak, MI

National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, MI is kind of one of those hidden treasures.  I heard about it many times, passed by it on several occasions, and finally go the opportunity to stop by last year. 

The story of St. Theres can be read by clicking on the link below.  In part, it reads:  Thérèse was a spiritual prodigy. At age three, she began to "refuse nothing of what God asks of me." Recalling an ocean sunset observed at age five, Thérèse wrote in her autobiography, "In the evening, at that moment when the sun seems to bathe itself in the immensity of the waves, leaving a luminous trail behind, I went and sat on a huge rock with Pauline. I contemplated this luminous trail for a long time. It was, to me, the image of God's grace shedding its light across the path the little white-sailed vessel [Thérèse herself] had to travel ... I made the resolution never to wander far away from the path of Jesus in order to travel peacefully toward the eternal shore."

The history of the church can be read in full on the link below, but it starts out as:  In early May 1925, Michael J. Gallagher, the Bishop of the Diocese of Detroit, traveled to Rome to witness the canonization of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Determined to establish the first parish in her honor in the United States, he telephoned from Rome with instructions to name the new church after her. The Bishop chose Royal Oak for the new parish, although only 28 Catholic families resided there at the time because he foresaw that the booming auto industry would attract many Catholics to the area. The new pastor was to be a young priest who already had earned a reputation for stimulating Mass attendance: Father Charles E. Coughlin.

We would love to hear your feedback about this church, post photos you have taken, etc.

Pat Deere

LINKS: 
The Story of  St. Therese
National Shrine of the Little Flower Home Page