Rev. Romuald Byzewski First Pastor

There are many stories about the founding of our parish, none of which can truly be confirmed because there were no real records kept. If one talks to the families of the "Founding Fathers" you will be told of numerous meetings held to decide whether a new church was needed and where it should be built. Based on these stories, the actual founding of the parish would have taken place in 1888. These stories could be corroborated by a newspaper article in one of the polish papers entitled: The History of Detroit Polonia Upon the 250th Anniversary of Detroit. What we do have are the minutes of a meeting held on February 24,1889 at St. Casmir’s parish and a second meeting held on February 28,1889 at the home of a Mr. Joseph Malicld. It was at this second meeting that six lots on Wesson and Buchanan and six lots on Campbell and Buchanan were purchased for the amount of $2,900 with a down payment of $275.00.

In 1889 the City of Detroit Directory showed that Buchanan ran from Grand River Avenue to Junction. Wesson was not listed in the directory. Michigan Avenue was a street of wooden planks and only 30 feet wide. There was a creek running down what is now Military Avenue. The area where the church was built had been a wheat field and in recent years had changed to vegetable gardens for homes nearby. This western border of the city was overflowing with new people and new homes. Most of the people were Polish and attended mass at St. Casmir, St. Boniface and also St. Albertus. As time passed, the distance proved tiring for the adults and difficult for the children. The people realized that the churches were becoming over-crowded as well. So looking to the future, they decided it was time for a new church and school.

When the first committee was formed, they chose the area of Wesson and Buchanan over a previously suggested area of Gilbert and Clayton, known as the clay banks. A few men went to Bishop Foley and told him of their plans and asked for a Polish priest to aid them. The Bishop assigned Fr. Romuald J. Byzewski to assist the men in starting the new parish. Fr. Paul Gutowski, pastor of St. Casmir’s also aided the group in their quest.