St. Josephat Catholic Church

St. Josaphat Catholic Church

Highly visible from I-75, the Victorian-styled St. Josaphat Church has been a staple on East Canfeld and since 1893.

Constructed during the late 1800s for the vastly emerging Polish population within the area, the church was replaced in 1901 with a new church, rectory, and convent - all whih were designed by Detroit architects Joseph Kastler and William E.N. Hunter.


At one point while driving down I-75 southbound, the main spire
of the church lines up perfectly with the tall tower of the Renaissance Center

The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and proclaimed as a Michigan historic landmark in 1985.

In 2004, Cardinal Adam Maida allowed St. Josaphat's priests to begin performing the Tridentine, a pre-Vatican II mass in which everything is cited in Latin and the priests conduct the mass with their backs to the audience.

The authorization of this rare, traditional Latin mass by Cardinal Maida was a last-ditch effort to save St. Josaphat's, which was in danger of closing. As of today, the beautiful church is still open and is thriving.