St. Albertus Catholic Church
St. Albertus Roman Catholic Church has played an important role in the life of Detroit's Polish-American community for over 100 years. Designed to emphasize the Polish origins of its congregation and to set it apart from other churches in this area of the city, St. Albertus is the mother church to some 30 parishes in Detroit.
During the mid-19th century, the population living in the area surrounding St. Albertus was predominantly German. About 300 Polish immigrant families, who had settled in this neighborhood in the 1870s, decided to start their own parish. These families met in a simple frame structure and their parish quickly grew to 1,000 people by 1882. With the help of their priest, Father Dominik Kolasinski, a Krakow native, the parishioners began a fundraising drive to erect the present church.
Dedicated on July 4, 1885, St. Albertus is a symbol of the hard work and industry of the Polish families who first settled in this area of Detroit. Contrasting with the plain, brick exterior of the church, the interior boasts ornately painted ceilings and cross vaults, gilded panels, colorful stained glass windows, and marble communion rails. The twelve lunette panels over the nave arcade, completed about 20 years after the dedication of the church in 1885, depict various churches located in Western Poland.
St. Albertus is located at 4231 St. Aubin Street, seven blocks east of the Chysler Freeway and 10 blocks south of the Edsel Ford Freeway (Interstate 94). Though no longer an active parish, St. Albertus does have Mass once a month; for more information, contact Mrs. Jean Kulwicki, 313-872-4387, or Mrs. Theresa Manning, 313-527-9321.
Information and photos courtesy of the National Register for Historic Places Detroit, MI Travel Itinerary, a subsidiary of the National Park Service.
