Old St. Mary's Church - Detroit, Michigan - one of the oldest churches in Detroit

Nestled in the shadow of the towering skyscrapers of downtown Detroit, Old St. Mary's Catholic Church provides a peaceful retreat for both worshippers and tourists alike. The parish from which the church takes its name is the third oldest in Detroit and was founded in 1834 by Catholic immigrants from Neustadt, Germany. Its full name is St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, although most residents today simply refer to it as Old St. Mary's.

In 1840, the founder of the parish, Father Martin Kundig was authorized to begin fund raising for a new church; and in 1841, a plot of land that was to be the site of the church was purchased for just one dollar. The cornerstone was laid the following year and the church's construction was overseen by Father Otto Skolla, replacing Father Kundig who had unfortunately suffered a nervous breakdown.

From the beginning, construction of St. Mary's was a team effort. Many of the almost 100,000 bricks used were carried to the construction site by women of the parish; a local resident Antoine Beaubien donated the tower's four bells. Even the children of St. Mary's parish weren't forgotten - balconies were installed in several parts of the church, in order to seat the local children.

In 1884, construction began on a new church to replace the older structure, under the supervision of Father Appolinaris Hattler. The new building was designed in the Roman style, although the design also contains elements of Venetian Renaissance and Pisan Romanesque. At the time of its construction, the steeple on Old St. Mary's was visible from miles around; today, despite the proliferation of taller buildings, it is still a major landmark in the city.

The interior of the church is just as beautiful as the exterior. Much of the inside has been decorated in different shades of blue, creating a calm and relaxing atmosphere. One of the highlights is the beautiful 90 feet high ceiling, with its elaborate frescoes and bright colors of blue and orange. The beautiful granite columns were originally intended to be used in the state capitol building. The church's Stations of the Cross date from 1907 and are all carved from wood.

Old St. Mary's prides itself on not only the quality of its music, but on its excellent acoustics and throughout its history has gained a well-deserved reputation for choral singing. One of the highlights of the Christmas and Easter seasons is the chance to enjoy the choir performing orchestral masses. The church's present organ dates from 1928 and is sister organ to the one in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Old St. Mary's Church is conveniently located a short distance east of downtown Detroit and is just off I-375 in the area of Detroit known as Greektown. As the name suggests, this part of the city was settled during the 18th and 19th centuries by Greek immigrants and it's a good chance to sample some traditional Greek food before or after a visit to the church.