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A HUMBLE
BEGINNING
In a very real
sense, Transfiguration Catholic Parish began in the
villages of Poland.
Our ancestors there
developed a strong faith in God and the Catholic
Church.
To be Polish was to
be Catholic. Life was difficult.
People worked hard.
People prayed hard.
And when it came
time to seek a better life here in America,
many people came
almost empty-handed.
They left behind
material possessions.
They left behind
close relatives who were sad to see them go.
But, they wanted a
new life.
The Polish
immigrants who organized Transfiguration
Catholic Parish
came to Detroit via
Pennsylvania, New York and other places because
jobs were available
in the automobile factories.
They settled on the
east side of the City near St. Albertus Parish
and then around St.
Casimer's on the west side.
In the early
1920's, many Poles came to the area bounded by
Mt. Elliott,
Conant, Charles and McNichols.
There were about
200 Polish speaking families in this area.
While these families attended
Church, they were disappointed
that the existing parishes did not cater to the needs of Polish Americans.
Sermons were in English and there were no priests available
who could hear confessions in Polish. Nor was there a parish school
that could educate the children of these immigrants
without destroying their cultural heritage and traditions.
A PARISH IS
CREATED
A group of families formed a delegation and
petitioned Bishop
Gallagher for permission to organize a Polish
Parish.
The members of that
delegation were:
Frank Drost,
Chester Dykowski, Wallace Juniewicz, Bronislas
Kadykowski,
Albert Klepczyk,
Louis Kolodziejczyk, Alphons Kolowicz, Stanley
Krajenki,
Anthony Lutomksi,
Michael Piotrowski and Frank Sengstock.
They also
recommended that the first pastor be Rev. Simon
Kilar.
Bishop Gallager
granted permission to organize Transfiguration
Catholic Parish
and appointed Fr.
Kilar the founding pastor. This happened on
September 23, 1925.
Their prayers had
been heard, but now there was work to be done.
A tiny wooden
Church was built on a plot of farm land.
Everyone worked together in constructing the first
Church.
On October 25, 1925, the Church of the Transfiguration was blessed
by Msgr. John J. Doily. Now it was no longer necessary for Fr. Kilar
to have
Mass in the basement of the Nelson home on Buffalo Street.
The Polish settlers realized the value of education, and so,
the first
Church was also the first school. Until the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth arrived, the school teachers were Fr. Kilar, Victoria Zielinski and Helen Dreslinski.
Transfiguration Catholic Parish was in full swing!
These early events indicate that Transfiguration
Catholic Parish was -
and still is - a community. Numerous scholars
have noted that Polish Parishes in
America are more than places of worship. They
are centers of cultural and social activities.
They bring people together and serve as a basis
for organizing a neighborhood.
The parish is a community; a group of people
with an identity,
a religious and social life based on the Parish,
and a commitment to one another and our Holy
Mother the Church.
OUR PARISH GROWS
On July 25, 1926, the cornerstone of the new brick building -
designed to serve as a
Church, school and Convent -
was consecrated by his Excellency Bishop Michael Gallagher.
Only three months later, Bishop Joseph Plagens consecrated the
completed multi-purpose structure. Soon, however, this structure could not
meet the needs of an ever-expanding
Parish. In 1927,
the Rectory was built on the corner of Luce and Syracuse Streets.
In 1929, a beautiful
Convent was completed. In 1939,
the Grotto to Our Lady of Czestochowa was constructed, which symbolizes
our Polish heritage and serves as a constant reminder of who we are.
It also illustrates the dedication and perseverance of Fr. Kilar,
who with the help of many parishioners, was responsible for building the
Grotto.
In 1950, the "new
Church" was completed.
It has a
Romanesque design with mosaic murals, stained
glass windows
and a serene beauty which allows one to worship
in an environment
conducive to quiet contemplation and meditation.
In 1952, the present
Rectory was built and in 1961, the Activities Building was erected.
In 1987, the
Convent was sold to the Capuchins,
who used this building as a house of formation for their community.
A few years later, this building was sold to
Hutzel Hospital as a learning
center for mothers with substance abuse problems.
The Sisters moved into the small home
behind the Rectory.
Although no major construction has been
undertaken
in a number of years, the buildings have been maintained and kept in shape,
as they are used each day.
These are the buildings that presently
comprise the Parish plant:
the
Church,
the Grotto, the
Rectory, the Sisters' home, the
Academy and the
Social Hall.
    
WE ARE PROUD
MEMBERS OF THE
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