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New calendar features Polish Catholic churches of Detroit and Hamtramck

From the Macomb Daily Tribune: New calendar highlights Polish Catholic churches

Certified public accountant Thomas Sosnowski grew up in a heavily populated Polish neighborhood on Detroit’s east side.

As a youngster he remembers going to Mass on Sunday at St. Hyacinth Roman Catholic Church on McDougall Street in Detroit and often riding with his parents in subsequent weeks to the west side to visit some of the other gorgeous churches in predominately Polish neighborhoods.

Sosnowski has published a colorful calendar full of pictures of these beautiful churches along with pertinent information concerning their history. Like thousands of other people, he has fond memories of attending Mass at the churches that were decorated to the hilt, especially during the Christmas and Easter seasons.

He said he hired a couple of photographers to take photographs of the stunning churches because he is proud of his Polish heritage and Roman Catholic religion.

“Catholics who were raised in these predominately Polish neighborhoods appreciate the beauty of these phenomenal churches,” Sosnowski said. “I’m sure people who grew up in Detroit and moved to areas like Macomb County experienced the same feeling I did in going to Mass on Sundays and holy days and now would like their children to see how beautiful these places of worship were back then – even if it is just a photograph.”

Sosnowski said unfortunately some of the churches were sold and a few have been demolished. But he said many of the older Poles belong to parishes outside of Detroit but still go to Mass occasionally at some of the older churches.

“I did the calendar as a labor of love for the Polish community,” Sosnowski said. “These churches were jewels back in the day and the inside of these churches were as gorgeous as the outside.”

The days of the week and months of the year in the calendar are written in both English and Polish. Sosnowski has included images of the oldest 35 churches that were predominately Polish, including Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church and Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hamtramck .

The colorful pictures of the churches are listed in chronological order according to the year they were founded.

Churches listed are Our Lady Queen of Heaven, St. Ladislaus, Transfiguration, St. Florian, Our Lady Queen of Apostles, St. Thomas, Immaculate Conception (Poletown), Resurrection, St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Louis the King, Ascension (Warren), St. Hyacinth, St. Bartholomew, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady Help of Christians and St. Lawrence.

Also, Corpus Christi, Shrine Parish of St. Joseph (Pontiac), St. Albertus, St. Casimir, Sweetest Heart of Mary, St. Josaphat, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Stanislaus B & M, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. John Cantius, St. Hedwig, SS. Peter and Paul, St. Barbara, St. Helena, St. Cunegunda, St. John the Baptist, Sweetest Heart of Mary, Our Lady Queen of Angels, St. Andrew, Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church, Our Lady Queen of Angels, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Andrew.

The calendars are $25 each plus another $3 for shipping and handling. For more information, call Mr. Sosnowski at 248-334-7522 or by E-mail.