History of St. Mary of Redford

from old website (Published in May 1992)

Photography by Mary Cullen
Preface by Rosemarie & Steve Milles
Written by by Roman P. Godzak – Archivist

HISTORY -1843-1925

St. Mary of Redford Parish came into existence on November 3, 1843 when John Blindbury, a Protestant, sold a one and a half acre of land to Detroit Bishop Peter Paul Lefevre for the sum of twenty-five dollars. The triangular plot, "intended for the use of a church and cemetery for the Roman Catholic Church," was situated south of Grand River Road, east of the town line between Redford and Greenfield known as Division Road.

Catholic families of French and Irish origin settled in the Redford area in the mid-1830's while German Catholics were concentrated in Greenfield Township. The St. Mary congregation was not yet large enough to warrant a full-time pastor. Instead the wilderness mission was attended to by visiting priests from nearby parishes. It was not until 1857 that the first resident pastor was assigned to the St. Mary mission.

Father Edmond Dumont of Belgium arrived in Detroit in the fall of 1856 and on November 10, 1857, was given charge of the mission. Dumont reached the budding parish in time to witness the near completion of a permanent church structure. By this time, the church had been moved from Grand River and Division Roads to a new northeastern site. There the Chaivre family owned a 160-acre plot of land from which a four-acre parcel in the southeast comer was deeded to Bishop Lefevre "for the erection of a Roman Catholic Church thereon and for other good and benevolent purposes as the said p.p. Lefevre or his lawful successors or assigns may from time to time determine."

The wooden church, measuring 60 by 36 feet, was located on the southeast comer of Grand River and present-day Mansfield Street. Its formal dedication took place on November 15, 1857. A residence for the priest was nearly finished when it was gutted by fire on January 5, 1859 while the church suffered a similar fate on April 30 of that year. Both incidents were believed to be deliberate acts of maliciousness, a part of the wave of anti-Catholic hysteria that swept many parts of the United States in the mid-nineteenth century. Despite these setbacks, Father Dumont's pastorship marked the beginning of a stabilized existence.

A new church of brick was constructed and dedicated on July 14, 1860. The resurgence was short-lived however, as a threat far more serious than fire beset the fledgling parish. In December 1861, Father Dumont left the United States for his native Belgium. In the wake of Dumont's absence, the parish drifted like a rudderless ship as the congregation fell away one by one. In December 1867, Bishop Lefevre wrote to Dumont of the status of St. Mary's, saying, “there must absolutely be a priest to attend them or else these people will soon lose their religion and their children grow up infidels. But what can I do, not having anyone priest available or suitable for that parish?" Lefevre was convinced that only Dumont could "do more good there than any other priest." The bishop attempted to entice the former St. Mary's pastor with the promise of a dwelling, "a two story brick house...which you designed yourself, but larger in dimensions." Lefevre's impassioned pleas were in vain, as Dumont never set foot in the United States again.

Construction of the new rectory that would have been Father Dumont's began in July 1866 but remained unfinished by late fall. Bishop Lefevre interpreted this procrastination as evidence of the congregation's indifference to their own plight and promptly recalled the pastor and closed the church. From November 1866 until mid-September 1868, the mission at St. Mary's was abandoned. Although Lefevre appointed another resident priest to St. Mary's on September 10, 1868, for the next three decades there was a steady turnover of pastors whose terms ranged in length from four months to four years. This marked a period of stagnation in the parish's history, if not regression.

In 1870 there were 100 registered families attending St. Mary's. That number increased to 125 by 1875 and peaked at 150 by 1880. By 1885 however, the number of registered families slipped to 130 and by 1896 fell to 125. Testimony to the sad state of affairs at St. Mary's was given in a letter from the parish pastor Father William DeBever to his colleague in Greenfield, Francis Baumgartner.

“For the last ten years or twelve years, Redford has been in a most deplorable condition. Almost everything from that time was a succession of misfortunes and the people had lost not only confidence but almost faith in any priest. Since my arrival in July 1893, I have tried to restore faith and gain confidence by going right to work and improve the church's property which was in a state, actually a disgrace to the public...”

Though minor improvements were made on parish property during that three-decade span, it was not until the arrival of Father Andrew Dooling in December 1898 that the parish's fortunes took a decided tum for the better.

At the time of Dooling's arrival, there were only 120 registered families at St. Mary's, the lowest total in nearly thirty years. Unlike his predecessors, Father Dooling, a personable, energetic man, was not above personal sacrifice. He did much of the general work around the church such as painting, repairing and housekeeping. By setting an example, the pastor hoped to rekindle a spark of faith in his congregation. His efforts paid off handsomely. Between September 1899 and February 1910, St. Mary of Redford received new stained glass windows, new pews, steam heating, a new slate roof, electric lighting, a redecorated interior and a repainted exterior. The first cement sidewalks were laid around the parish property in 1906. By 1910, the number of registered families at the parish had once again climbed to 150 as many once-disgruntled members returned to the fold. On March, 22,1916, Father Dooling, in consultation with the parish committee, agreed to donate forty feet of the west side of the parish property for use as a public street, provided that an equal number of feet was given to the east side of what was then the Shefferly property, and that the street be named St. Mary's Boulevard. Although a thoroughfare of boulevard proportions never materialized, its name is unchanged to this day.

Father Dooling turned his attention to the parish cemetery. The parcel of land at the comer of Grand River and Division Roads, which served the parish for nearly sixty years, was no longer adequate by the early twentieth century. On April 18, 1903, an additional six acres were purchased for $1,000 in the vicinity of Grand River and Snyder (McNichols) Roads giving St. Mary of Redford two parish cemeteries.

The congregation was dealt an unexpected blow in 1919 with the sudden death of its beloved pastor during the flu epidemic of that year. Dooling's demise brought to a close the "pioneer" era in the history of St. Mary of Redford. As important as Dooling was to St. Mary's, his successor was responsible for catapulting the parish further and faster than anyone might have dreamed possible. He was a visionary with a master plan for St. Mary's future.

When John Gilmary Cook assumed the pastorship, there were 150 families at the parish. In the seventy years of its existence, St. Mary has never had a formal school established for the children. Father Cook's first order of business was to begin a parish school to provide St. Mary's youngsters with a Catholic education.

In March 1919, two months after his arrival, Cook made arrangements with the General Superior of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) of Monroe, Michigan, to send teachers to St. Mary of Redford. The next month Cook conducted a census that evidenced his congregation's desire for a parish school but regrettably a lack of funds for the project. The pastor was not discouraged, however. He proffered the idea that the parishioners sell off portions of their farmland to the city of Detroit as the city's boundaries encroached on the Redford area. The idea proved successful.

Though the initial design for the new parish school appeared adequate, Cook envisioned the eventual need for a larger school and got control of additional land on St. Mary's Avenue. The sisters meanwhile, whose new convent was not yet complete, lived at St. Agnes Parish and commuted to St. Mary's. As the school was not yet ready for occupancy by September 1919, classes were conducted at the former Salley barn, remodeled and renamed Rosary Hall. Grades one through three occupied the first floor, grades four through six were on the second level. At last, in April 1920, St. Mary's students occupied the first unit of the new school facing St. Mary's Avenue, which consisted of six classrooms, offices and an auditorium.

As the Redford farmlands were subdivided into residential housing tracts, property sold quickly and St. Mary of Redford's congregation grew steadily. Construction of the second wing of the school, containing twelve rooms, would not be completed until 1925. Until then, Rosary Hall continued to function as a school. On October 9, 1923, a portion of Redford that included church property and the parish's first cemetery were incorporated into the city of Detroit. Interred remains were transferred to the second parish cemetery north of the church.

The tiny brick edifice on the comer of Grand River and Mansfield served the parish well but its days appeared numbered. It could no longer accommodate the growing number of parishioners. The pastor was well aware of this predicament but was unfazed. Father Cook was already laying plans for his greatest project to date, a new church.

HISTORY -1925-1960

During the 1920s, Michigan experienced a great increase in population as a direct result of a booming automobile industry. New arrivals to the state gave rise to an equal growth in real estate and construction. Expansion of streetcar service encouraged a northern and western spread of residential housing along the Woodward and Grand River corridors. For Catholic Detroit, the zenith for church construction centered in this decade when 53 new churches were established and 24 others rebuilt or expanded their facilities. Among these was St. Mary of Redford.

When Father Cook arrived at St. Mary's in 1919, two Sunday Masses were sufficient. By 1921, four were necessary and by 1924, the old church's seating capacity of 280 was severely strained, as six Masses became the norm. Bishop Michael Gallagher assigned St. Mary of Redford's first assistant priest, Joseph Rochford, in January 1925 to minister to the expanding congregation. It was clear that a new church building was mandatory.

Cook invited Detroit architect Albert Kahn to join the St. Mary's Planning Commission but Kahn declined and suggested instead designer Ralph Adams Cram of Boston. Cram accepted the job and enlisted the aid of the Detroit architectural firm of McGrath and Dohmen. Cram's work was evident in the Cathedral of St. John the Devine in New York City, Princeton University Graduate College and Chapel, and the University of Notre Dame.

Cram drew his inspiration from the cathedrals of southern France as or was decided that the new church would be dedicated to the memory of Redford's first settlers whose ancestral home was in that region. Plans were drawn and the groundbreaking ceremonies took place on May 1, 1925. The firm of Talbot-Meier, Incorporated served as the general contractors. The firm's vice-president George F. Talbot took a personal interest in the new church, as Father Cook and he were once classmates at the University of Detroit.

Construction progressed smoothly and the church was ready for occupancy by the fall of 1926. The French Romanesque building of gray granite that faced Grand River and stood behind the old church was a fitting tribute not only to Redford's first settlers but also to the generosity and spirit of the present congregation. The new parish rectory built at this time was attached to the right rear side of the church creating one, integrated structure. The church's interior however, lacked the proper finishing and intricate detail that would have made it a true house of worship. Nevertheless, on October 12, 1927, the new edifice was formally dedicated by Bishop Joseph C. Plagens.

During this time, the original brick church on the corner of Grand River and Mansfield was still used for weekday services, putting the parish in a unique, albeit temporary, and position of having two churches. On November 2, 1926, the final Mass was celebrated in the old church. After a short-lived conversion and use as the school gymnasium, it was demolished in September 1927 along with the original rectory. The new church at St. Mary of Redford ushered in a number of parish 'firsts'.

The first weekly Sunday bulletin bowed in December 1926. Dubbed the St. Mary's Tractor in honor of the Redford area's agricultural heritage, the bulletin was a timely publication. In the premier issue dated December 19, Father Cook stated that although "it was a real pleasure for the pastor to be the mouthpiece of all the parish adventures" when the congregation was small enough that announcements could be made at leisure, the heavy Sunday schedule (six Masses, one hour each) demanded that a new method be found to reach as wide an audience as possible. The St. Mary's Tractor was not merely a forum for matters of the spirit. In the January 9, 1927 issue, a front-page editorial criticized the city of Detroit for poor streetcar service along Grand River.

The increasing number of parishioners led to the formation of a St. Mary's chapter of the Catholic Instruction League, the purpose of which was to educate those persons who could not attend Catholic schools, in the basic tenets of the Catholic faith. Approximately 350 instructors participated at various parish locations as well as traveling to individuals' homes. The traditional source of weekly parish revenue, the pew rent system, was discarded in favor of an envelope system. The latter two Sunday Masses, at 11:15 and 12:15, were considered a "convenience" for those who could not or would not attend earlier services, so a fee of 25 cents, payable at the door, was initiated to offset the costs incurred by having an extra priest.

The streets on either side of the new church remained unpaved. The constant pedestrian and automobile traffic through parish property not only created an unsightly mess but also threatened to wear prematurely the church's floors and fixtures. In April 1928, it was decided that St. Mary of Redford would begin a fund-raising effort to cover the parish's portion of the paving expenses, which, according to Cook's reasoning, would have to be taken care of eventually. An eight-day outdoor "circus" was planned with its theme of "out of the mud by midsummer." The event, which began on May 20th and lasted through May 27th, was hailed by Cook as "an unqualified success in every respect and a truly marvelous demonstration of what parish unity can accomplish." The paving project began in August and was completed by June 1929.

Responding to a pressing need for a diocesan cemetery, the Detroit Diocese opened Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in the city of Southfield. This would serve the northwest Detroit Catholic community including St. Mary of Redford. It was decided at St. Mary's to transfer all interred remains from the parish cemetery at Grand River and McNichols to Holy Sepulchre and dispose of the property. The move was not without controversy, however.

In a letter to Detroit Bishop Gallagher dated June 4, 1929, Father Leo Gaffney, pastor of neighboring Christ the King Parish, leveled a series of charges against Father Cook. Charges included an alleged threat by Cook to evict all children of Christ the King parishioners who were attending St. Mary's schools unless, their parents subscribed to the new St. Mary's school building. Gaffney went on to say that he believed that since the St. Mary's cemetery was within territorial boundaries of Christ the King Parish, his parish was entitled to a $30,000 share of the $95,000 transaction.

When confronted with these accusations, Cook wrote a letter to Gallagher on June 8, 1929 wherein he vehemently denied making any sort of threat against the children of Christ the King Parish, reiterating that they "are most welcome to attend our school until other proper schools are ready to care for them." As a response to Gaffney's demand for the money, Cook stated that the St. Mary's parish cemetery had been purchased 26 years earlier, long before the establishment of Christ the King Parish. He also reminded Gallagher that on May 11, 1926, he himself gave written authorization to Father Cook to sell the cemetery for the sole benefit of St. Mary of Redford.

During the 1920's, St. Mary's schools also enjoyed a period of unprecedented growth. In November 1925, a new twelve-room addition to the school was ready for use and enrollment for the 1925-1926 school year was 570 for the elementary school and 122 for the high school. The following year the total increased to 747. The faculty members numbered eleven IHM Sisters and four lay teachers.

Initially the St. Mary's schools were opened to any pupil desiring admittance. A census taken in 1927 showed that 18 percent of the students were from other parishes. Father Cook once quipped to the school principal: “Any room in grade nine? No? Then put out a peg on the wall. The boy will be satisfied just to hang inside the door. We'll be building soon anyway." Cook's words proved prophetic. By February 1928, both parish schools were filled to capacity and the earlier 'open door' policy was discontinued. Registration was limited to parish children. In nine years, the parish schools had grown from the two rooms at Rosary Hall to a complete elementary and secondary school, the latter of which received accreditation from the University of Michigan in April 1928.

In early 1929, Cook himself admitted that the present school structure was inadequate and that he disliked the notion of turning children away. He solicited his parishioners' opinion on the matter and promised to inform them of his decision. The decision came in April when plans were drawn for a new addition to the school, to be built with funds generated by another eight-day parish festival scheduled for June with its theme of "a seat in school for every child." Donations had already poured in amounting to $60,000 by early May.

The proposed school addition, measuring 180 by 60 feet, would include nine classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, library, lunchroom and kitchen and would be situated at the southeast comer of the parish playground facing Mansfield Street. Although it was hoped that the annex would be ready by the start of school in September, only two new classrooms were added, converted from the old auditorium. The cash outlay for these rooms drained available funds, leaving a sum of only $35,000 on hand to continue work on the rest of the proposed structure estimated at $148,752. Father Cook received some solace in the fact that he was able to reduce the original $160,000 estimate by $12,000. The need for this addition was undeniable. The combined enrollment at the St. Mary's schools exceeded 1,000 students for the first time with registration once again limited to parish children. Construction at last resumed in late September.

St. Mary of Redford Parish had come a greater distance than anyone might have imagined. At the beginning of the decade it was a tiny Catholic outpost in a rural community but by decade's end, it was a thriving institution in the midst of a booming city. On the other hand, little did anyone imagine what difficulties awaited the parish in the years ahead?

The Thirties

The same workers who benefited so greatly from the automobile industry in the 1920's were the first to suffer the consequences of the Great Depression. Many purchased homes during the prosperous years but now the typical worker was not only unemployed, but also faced the ruinous diminution of his accumulated savings. The shock of a lowered living standard previously taken for granted created a general feeling of insecurity. The ripple effects of nationwide economic catastrophe eventually reached St. Mary of Redford.

In January 1930, a Parish Finance Committee composed of laypersons was organized to relieve the pastor of the burden of raising funds. The parish was appointed into street districts and house-to-house solicitations were conducted by 36 committee members to encourage parishioners to use their weekly contributions envelopes. Less than half of the 1500 registered families used the envelopes regularly.

The IHM Sisters who taught at the schools were in desperate need of a new convent. Ralph Adams Cram's original plans called for an attached convent similar to the priest's rectory but prevailing economic conditions prevented such an undertaking. Instead, Father Cook asked Bishop Gallagher in June 1931 for permission to purchase a lot on the west side of St. Mary's Avenue directly across from the school and construct a simple residential dwelling for the nun's use. Together with the original convent, these quarters would have to suffice until they could be replaced by a new, permanent home.

In the October 18, 1931 issue of the St. Mary's Tractor, Cook, in an open letter to his parishioners, asked them to be generous in helping the parish meet its fuel expenses as donations had "fallen off to an alarming extent." In his first public reference to the Great Depression, Cook pleaded,

“If the children of our parish are undernourished and not sufficiently clothed, they need heat and comfort while in school than ever before. If our parishioners are out of work and without sufficient comforts in their homes, all the more reason they should be warm and dry when they come to Mass.”

To bolster sagging morale, the Ushers' Society sponsored a "Hard Times Party" while the Altar Society hosted a "Depression Party." Though well intentioned, these events could not disguise a harsh reality. The popular St. Patrick's Day banquet was cancelled due to "uncertain financial conditions." Ironically, as Cook was compelled to postpone or cancel a number of planned projects for lack of funds, the need for spiritual labors was greater than ever.

The number of parishioners continued to grow, In January of 1933, Father Harry Paul arrived at St. Mary's as a second assistant to Cook, to be followed in November by Father Charles Holton, bringing the total complement of assigned priests to four. In April 1933, the Young Men's Club was formed to help keep unemployed youths out of trouble and engaged in constructive activities. Club members participated in a door-to-door collection drive, requesting old jewelry, silver and gold articles that could be exchanged for much-needed cash. The first administrative change at St. Mary's in nearly a decade occurred in 1934. After ten years of service as Cook's assistant, Joseph Rochford left St. Mary's in July to become pastor of St. Patrick's in Portland, Michigan. Matthew Blake replaced him in September of the year.

Enrollment increases at both parish schools continued unabated. At the beginning of the decade, total enrollment was 1100 with fifteen Sisters and five lay teachers. By 1937, the numbers climbed to over 1300 with 22 Sisters on the faculty staff. The first, third and fifth grades of the elementary school, which had been on half-day sessions since 1935, were now joined by the ninth, eleventh and twelfth grades of the high school. Two of the three projected school wings had already been erected and the final annex was now necessary.

In April 1937, Cook announced that proceeds from the tenth annual Parish Circus would be applied toward the construction of the final school wing. In December, Detroit's new Archbishop, Edward Mooney, paid his first visit to St. Mary of Redford. He was impressed with the management of the parish but left "without giving Father Cook much hope of permission to build in the near future."

As 1938 dawned, the total value of parish property and buildings was appraised at $1,000,000, of which the parish still owed $30,000. Father Harry Paul was reassigned to Washington, D.C. and replaced by Leo 1. DePlaunty in January 1938. The Sunday schedule was expanded to an astonishing seven Masses to accommodate excess worshippers.

In April 1939, the news that Father Cook had long awaited to hear finally came. Approval was granted by the Archdiocese Building Committee for a twelve-room school addition to be integrated into the present auditorium at a cost of $250,000. In July, Father John Eppenbrock arrived to replace the departing Charles Holton. Eppenbrock was followed in December by Michael J. Crowley, increasing the number of priests at St. Mary's to five.

On August 22, 1939, the groundbreaking for the new high school took place. One IHM Sister described her excitement over the project.

No one present will forget that moment when, after Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady, accompanied by the ringing of the church bell and the shrilling tones of the whistle, the "Charlie Rogers" steam engine turned the first shovel of dirt for the new St. Mary of Redford High School. At last, the dream was to be a reality!

Unfortunately, the school would not be finished until June 1940. Half-day sessions would remain the norm until June 1941 when all grades except the first resumed full-day sessions. The completed annex would increase St. Mary's classrooms to 35 for 1400 students. Shortly after the school groundbreaking, Cook assured his parishioners that construction of the new convent would begin in six weeks.

As the decade ended, it appeared that Cook and his congregation could breathe a sigh of relief. St. Mary has somehow weathered the economic storm and its future looked brighter. Nevertheless, the parish did not escape entirely unscathed. Father Cook suffered a stroke in September 1939 that would partially incapacitate him for the remainder of his life.

The Forties

Despite the promising outlook at the end of 1939, the new decade began inauspiciously for St. Mary of Redford. The new high school was still unfinished as the parish's cash supply dwindled. Students helped raise funds by saving box tops from soap packages and redeeming these for five cents each.

Only $50,000 remained on hand to complete construction of the school. Weekly reminders were published in the St. Mary's Tractor for parishioners to pay off their pledges made earlier. During one week in mid-February 1940, only $195.00 in pledges were paid. A front-page editorial in the Tractor chided parishioners for the meager sum. "The amount of pledges redeemed during the past week amounted to $195.00 No comment to make." The following week showed a slight improvement - $317.00 - that garnered a similar admonishment in the Tractor. "Still no comment to make. Make your own." In late March, work ceased until $20,000 could be raised.

Another cruel blow to St. Mary's came in the summer of 1940. On July 2, Father Cook wrote an angry letter to Detroit Mayor Edward Jeffries describing an incident that occurred at the parish on June 27. Two uniformed police officers from the nearby Schaefer precinct arrived unannounced at St. Mary's, spoke with men working on parish grounds and departed without ever stating to Cook the nature of their visit.

The following evening, just prior to the start of the annual parish Circus fundraiser, an Inspector McNally of the same precinct arrived and declared the various gaming and amusement devices used by the parish to be in violation of local ordinances and ordered them to removed immediately. Not wishing to create a disturbance, Cook complied. Shortly afterward, a bitter pastor and Circus Committee members requested and explanation from Mayor Jeffries for this action but none came. Once again, Cook wrote a letter in which he declared, "we of St. Mary's are not criminals or Fifth Columnists upon whom strong-arm methods must be used" and demanded to know the Mayor's motives behind this incident but again no official response ever came.

The return on the Circus for that year was $13,000, far less than originally anticipated, leaving a debt of more than $8,000 on the new school. Nevertheless, the necessary funds trickled in over the next several months and in October 1940; the new high school was finally dedicated by Archbishop Mooney. The triumph was bittersweet. The new convent, scheduled for construction at about the same time, was postponed once more as the potential financial strain on the parish was deemed too heavy. Cook proposed the start of a convent-building fund. "It will be only when the convent is erected that the true, pure beauty of St. Mary's will be brought out. Then and only then will you really see the ideal that Mr. Cram has brought into being, a masterpiece of harmonious design, wonderfully beautiful in its unity."

America's entry into the Second World War prompted a shift in national priorities from consumer to military production. Locally, a civilian defense program gave technical training to 110,000 Detroit men and women including 55,000 air raid workers, 13,000 medical service volunteers and 7,500 auxiliary foremen. St. Mary of Redford also joined in the war effort.

Beginning in January 1942, a Defense Bond Bingo Party was held with proceeds going to the convent fund. In that same month, the Tractor began publishing weekly reminders to parishioners to drive carefully and use rationed items sparingly. Numerous Red Cross activities were initiated such as the Mobile Blood Bank, Home Nursing, Canteen Class and First Aid. In April 1942, "owing to the unsettled conditions of the country at large," Father Cook cancelled the annual Circus but ticket sales proceeded with cash prizes awarded instead of goods.

In June 1942, Fathers Eppenbrock and DePlaunty departed St. Mary's and were replaced by Fathers Chateau and Rozman. In October of that year, a poll was taken of parishioners (1,321 questionnaires returned) that indicated a belief held by some that the convent be built now. Cook reiterated his original plan of building up cash reserves to have ready when the time came to commence construction.

By mid-year 1943, over 400 young men from St. Mary of Redford served in the United States armed forces, with the first fatality from the parish being William V. Veal, killed in action in North Africa on May 2, 1943. In January 1944, a condensed version of the weekly Sunday bulletin began publication and was mailed to all St. Mary's service members. Dubbed the St. Mary's Service News, the newspaper, supported solely by parishioners' contributions, contained articles about church activities, school notes a sports page as well as a section where soldiers could contribute their own stories of their lives in the service. By September 1945, over 900 men from St. Mary's contributed to the American victory and of these, 25 made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

During the war years, St. Mary of Redford's parish population climbed to record highs. In 1940, the number of registered families reached 1900. Less than a year later that number increased to an estimated 2500. The student population at both parish schools grew as well. In September 1940 the combined enrollment was1485. The following school year that figure was 1520. In the fall of 1942, the school faculty consisted of 25 Sisters and 7 lay teachers and school tuition was raised to 25 dollars per year. June 1942 saw the largest high school graduating class to date, 142 pupils. The 1943-44 school year had combined enrollment of 1631, with 1055 students at the elementary school and 576 at the high school.

In late 1944 the church could no longer accommodate the overflow crowds on Sundays, particularly for the 9:15, 11:30 and 12:30 Masses. Cook, elevated earlier to the rank of Monsignor, sought permission from Archbishop Mooney to hold additional Sunday services in the parish auditorium. Though reluctant initially, Mooney conceded to the pastor's wishes.

Two trial Masses were scheduled in the auditorium at 9:30 and 11:45. Parishioners however, continued to pack the main church. The solution was to allow the church to reach its normal capacity for the most popular services. Any late comers to Mass would be turned away at the door by ushers and directed to the auditorium, which was equipped with kneeling benches, a portable altar and temporary Communion rail. Owing to a falling attendance, these auxiliary Masses were discontinued in mid-1945.

With the war's end, St. Mary's could tum its full attention to constructing the oft-delayed new convent. In January 1946, the convent-building fund totaled $21,000. Billy Rogell, Detroit Tiger ballplayer and St. Mary's parishioner, was named Chairman of the Convent and Community Center Drive. In January 1947, 200 persons attended a meeting of the Building and Finance Committees to discuss possible fund-raising strategies for the convent and a new community center. A goal was set of $200,000 and the official campaign drive began in February.

Original plans called for the convent to house 32 nuns but spurred by rising school enrollments, that figure was upgraded to 50. Unlike the old auditorium, the proposed community center would be a multi-purpose structure accommodating not only athletic activities but providing ample meeting rooms for various parish organizations.

To encourage donations, Cook attempted to dramatize the overcrowded conditions at the parish convent and auditorium with a series of photographs that appeared in some February and March issues of the St. Mary's Tractor. The February 16, 1947 edition showed the IBM Sisters living and laboring in cramped quarters in their present home. A caption read, "Did the Sisters have to live like this before they came to St. Mary of Redford Parish? Emphatically NO! Do any of us want them to have to continue living like this? That question will be answered by your support of the Convent and Community Center Fund Drive." The March 9 edition of the Tractor depicted St. Mary's pupils struggling to remove heavy cafeteria tables and chairs from the auditorium at the conclusion of their lunch hour. Underneath the photograph was written, "These actions on their part does not constitute a part of the physical health program of the school. Yes, this is a daily routine."

Due to the nationwide scarcity of building materials at that time, any building projects had to be approved by the Development and Reutilization of the Priorities and Materials Survey Division of the Federal Public Housing Authority in Washington, D.C. Good news arrived for Cook in early May 1947. Permission was granted to commence the building of the St. Mary's convent. Mooney, now a Cardinal, likewise granted his permission for the project to proceed, along with an alteration to the original floor plan that would call for some extra rooms on third floor. Cook also asked for authority to acquire and additional lot adjacent to the school playground for parish use for the sum of $6,700. Permission for this purchase was also granted.

According to a long-standing tradition, all construction projects were begun in May, the month dedicated to the veneration of the Virgin Mary and in whose honor the parish was named. Ground was broken for the new convent on May 22, 1947. Plans called for the structure to be built in two halves. The first half would be built at the southern portion of parish property immediately adjacent to the church. In this way, the original convent could still be utilized as a dwelling and a music conservatory until the first half was completed. Then the nuns could move into the first half, the original convent would be razed and work could then proceed on the second half.

The Ashlar granite selected for the convent's exterior was available only in the state of Massachusetts. Care was taken to select the appropriate color to match the church and rectory. When the IHM Sisters left St. Mary's in June at the close of the school year to return to their Monroe motherhouse, their future home took shape as the roof was installed. "The little old convent in the center of the new structure was so completely hedged in that it looked as if no work could be done until it was torn down. Yet news seemed to point that it was not to be abandoned until late fall."

The convent construction seemed to symbolize the end of a long, often arduous trek since 1920 when the first dwelling was built for three IHM Sisters who comprised the teaching staff of the parish school with 189 students. By the fall of 1947, 48 nuns were needed to instruct a student body of approximately 1700. The eighth grade graduating class was so large the previous year (150) that no one outside St. Mary's parish was accepted into the high school except those already enrolled in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. Despite the parish's need for the Sisters' services, it would be a disappointingly long time before they could move into their new residence.

The first sign of difficulty appeared in January 1948 when revised cost estimates for the convent's completion went as high as $750,000. By May over $178,000 had already been paid out. The parish had $100,000 on deposit with the Archdiocese while the balance of $472,000 would have to come from the parishioners. Fearing the discouraging effects of placing such a heavy burden on the shoulders of his congregation, Monsignor Cook wrote to the Cardinal on August 17 with a request for a loan of $400,000. The request was granted ten days later.

Further evidence of St. Mary of Redford's continued growth came in June. The graduating class from high school was the largest ever, 158 students. In that same month, two new assistants were assigned to St. Mary's, raising the total number of priests at the parish to six. Monsignor Cook, for the first time ever, had five assistants, Father Collins, McHugh, Shields, Koenig and Crowley. In the fall, parish registration tolls showed 3500 families regularly attending St. Mary's. On December 20, 1948, the Sisters were allowed to move into the complete first half of the convent only to find themselves competing for space with workmen, inspectors and stacks of building materials.

Nineteen forty-nine was a landmark year in St. Mary of Redford's history as the parish prepared to commemorate its Centennial. In June, a questionnaire was sent to parishioners asking them to write down their personal recollections from their years at St. Mary's. A weeklong series of festivities were planned for October including dances sponsored by the various parish organizations, topped by a solemn High Mass on October 30 and a Centennial Program prepared by the schoolchildren. A Centennial Book was also published highlighting the parish's history over the previous century, penned by assistant pastor Father Thomas Collins and three IHM Sisters.

The best news of 1949 was the completion of the second half of the convent in October. It could not have been more opportune as the combined school enrollment stood at 1760 pupils requiring yet more instructors. Like a puzzle with its last piece in place, the convent, at the intersection of Grand River and St. Mary's Avenue, made Ralph Adams Cram's vision of 25 years earlier a reality. The trio of gray granite buildings possessed a massive, fortress-like appearance, a fitting tribute to the parish's 4,000 families.

The triumph of the parish Centennial was marred by the falling health of St. Mary's spiritual architect. Since his stroke in 1939 and a broken hip suffered in 1944, Monsignor Cook's strength and mobility ebbed steadily, forcing Cardinal Mooney to act. With the parish's best interests in mind and with Cook's full knowledge, Mooney turned over the administrative responsibilities of St. Mary's to Father Thomas Collins in September 1949. Though the move was not made public at first, Cook's prolonged absences raised more than a few eyebrows and those who understood the situation knew that their pastor's many years of devoted service were coming to an end.

The Fifties

Although the convent exterior was completed in time for the parish Centennial celebration, the building's interior required additional work and, concomitantly, additional funds. Father Collins, now acting administrator of St. Mary's wrote to the Archdiocese Chanery with a request for a loan of $11,000 but Chancellor Edward Hickey's reply was not encouraging. He reprimanded Collins, reminding him of the original project loan of $400,000 in 1948 and of another $16,000 loan in February 25, 1950. Interest on the parish debt from January 1 to July 1, 1950 was $6,086.988, making a total debt of $432,341.51, "$16,341.51 more than the two permissions." Hickey concluded by saying that any further borrowing would have to be taken up with Cardinal Mooney himself.

As the Sisters settled into their new residence, the old convent on St. Mary's Avenue was converted into a music conservatory and meeting hall but not everyone appreciated the change. Neighbors complained to the parish of the excessive noise and threatened legal action if these activities were not restricted to parish grounds. The parish complied and promptly sold the home in January 1951 for $9,000.

Overcrowded conditions prevailed at both schools, particularly the elementary school, with no sign of relief. There was a waiting list of 148 children for registration to the elementary school while the high school accepted only those from the parish. In June 1951, Father Lawrence McHugh, senior assistant and now parish administrator in the wake of Father Collins' departure, wrote to Cardinal Mooney and proposed a solution to the predicament. The idea was to partition two of the larger high school laboratories into classrooms for the elementary school at a cost of $5,000. The proposal was accepted and as a result, 100 of the waiting children were allowed into the elementary school.

On August 10, 1951, the ailing John Cook died while at his summer cottage on Harsen's Island. Given St. Mary of Redford's premier status within the Detroit Archdiocese and the responsibilities that came with the prestige, it seemed that no mere mortal could ever follow Cook’s example. Fortunately for the parish, Cook's successor was the capable Monsignor Edward J. Hickey, Archdiocese Chancellor from 1938-1951. Hickey was familiar with the problems facing St. Mary's and aware of the parish's tremendous growth potential.

Shortly after Hickey's appointment, two of his five assistants were transferred leaving the parish shorthanded until the December 1951 arrival of Father George Pare, Archdiocese historian, as assistant. Though Pare's presence was certainly welcomed, it did not resolve the main problem of providing enough space to handle the burgeoning multitudes at both the church and the schools.

In June 1952, Hickey submitted cost estimates for two projects, a proposed addition to the present basement and a six-room addition to the elementary school on St. Mary's Avenue at costs of $200,000 and $175,000 respectively. Hickey stated that the current parish debt was $240,000 but believed that half that figure would be paid off by the time the projects were finished, while the balance would be paid at the rate of $10,000 per month. Hickey was confident that "when the parishioners see these two construction jobs under way to provide additional capacity to both the church and the school, more will use their envelopes and many will be more generous." Hickey intended to keep the total parish debt, including the two projects, under $500,000.

At a meeting in early July at St. John's Seminary, Cardinal Mooney, his Vice-chancellor and Monsignor Hickey concurred that the plans for the proposed basement church would be abandoned. Revised estimates pushed the cost of that project to $350,000. A less costly alternative would be to construct a combination chapel-school within already existing parish boundaries that would accommodate 350-400 persons for Sunday Mass and provide four schoolrooms for grades one through four. Costs for this plan were approximately $135,000. A lot purchased at the intersection of Greenfield Road and Tyler Street southeast of St. Mary of Redford for $40,000. Hickey also suggested purchasing a home in the GreenfieldTyler vicinity for use as a temporary rectory but Mooney preferred the construction of a new rectory adjacent to the proposed chapel-school.

In a lengthy letter dated July 2, 1952, Hickey outlined his plans and needs to Cardinal Mooney, among them the conversion of the rectory garage into a makeshift classroom to avoid putting the Fifth grade on half-day sessions, the extra Sisters needed to staff the extra classrooms and questions regarding St. Mary's territorial boundaries. At the letter's conclusion, Hickey quipped that "by the time I become immersed in these two building projects and the additional project of obtaining the additional Sisters, I may wish I were back at the Chancery."

Hickey sought assurance from the IBM Motherhouse in Monroe that St. Mary's would receive the necessary Sisters for the expanding parish. He wrote to Mother Mary Theresa, IBM Superior General and explained the difficulties his parish faced because of the overcrowding. The first, third and fifth grades were forced to go on half-day sessions, necessitating a six-room addition to the elementary school with four extra Sisters as well as two more Sisters for the high school beginning in 1953.

Hickey then explained the need for the auxiliary chapel-school, saying that both Cardinal Mooney and he shared the fear that if some members of St. Mary's congregation felt neglected; they would gradually drift away from the Catholic Church. Among the 4100 families at St. Mary's were about 3500 school-aged children of whom the parish schools could only accommodate half. The remainder attended other Catholic schools supplemented with regular religious instruction. The proposed chapel-school will have four grades requiring an equal number of teachers, bringing to ten the total number of additional Sisters needed d at St. Mary's. The Monsignor spoke plainly. "We must make a heroic effort to corral these 'lost sheep' and stop the 'leakage' from the Faith."

In August 1952, Hickey wrote to Chancellor Bernard Kearns with a proposed alteration to the chapel-school. According to the architects and builders, it would be simpler and more economical if the school were conformed to a one-story building and additional property purchased for a playground, parking lot, etc., rather than meeting city and state building codes for a two-story structure. Hickey recommended the purchase of an extra 120 feet of property adjacent to the Greenfield-Tyler site for a cost that should not exceed $11,000. Meanwhile construction of the six-room addition to the elementary school on St. Mary's Avenue began in the fall of 1952 with a combined enrollment at that time of 1720 students. The expansion projects at St. Mary of Redford, actual and planned, pushed the parish debt to an unprecedented $550,000.

Construction of the chapel-school began in January 1953. In that same month, the St. Mary's Tractor evidenced the parish's phenomenal growth. St. Mary of Redford was the largest Catholic parish in the state of Michigan. The average Sunday attendance for all Masses combined was 10,000. There were 4100 registered families. The physical property of the parish was appraised at $2,500,000. A chapel with a seating capacity of 550 and a four-grade elementary school were under construction with the possibility that these may evolve into a separate parish. School enrollment stood at a combined 1700 for the parish schools. The teaching staff consisted of 38 IHM Sisters and eight lay instructors. In February 1953 Hickey wrote Monsignor John Donovan at the Chancery that construction of the school addition was ahead of schedule while the chapel-school lagged somewhat, but that both buildings should be ready for occupancy by May.

No name had yet been selected for the chapel. A number of possibilities were suggested. Hickey favored "Notre Dame Chapel" in the belief that the austere, functional architecture would again immediate recognition but the Cardinal disagreed. It was eventually decided that the chapel would be named "Mother of Our Savior." Hickey wanted to ensure, that St. Mary's students would have the necessary instructors and urged Mooney to "kindly put a bug in Mother Theresa's ear" to have her send the additional Sisters requested earlier.

On August 9, 1953, the first Mass was celebrated at Mother of Our Savior Chapel, with five regularly scheduled Masses each Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1p.m. Although the entire chapel complex was not yet complete, Hickey spoke of his congregation's achievement with pride. "It is not unusual in rural areas that one parish establishes one or more missions in other small towns. But it is unique that a parish in a large city also has a chapel within its territorial limits." The new chapel was formally dedicated on August 24 as Mooney reminded St. Mary's parishioners that they were free to attend services at either location. The regular parish assistants would be present at the chapel and IHM Sisters would staff the school. Students were also given the option of either registering exclusively for the chapel school or being assigned to it. Nearly two thousand students could now attend the St. Mary's parish schools ("Mansfield Campus") and Mother of Our Savior School. ("Greenfield Campus"). Half-day sessions were soon eliminated.

Property values near Mother of Our Savior Chapel appreciated as area residents learned of St. Mary of Redford's expansion plans. Some individuals, being favorably disposed toward the parish, sold their lots and homes at fair prices while other sought to maximize their profits. Hickey asked Mooney for permission to quickly negotiate deals on nearby homes while their prices were still within the parish's reach. Complaints from Hickey to the city of Detroit regarding the poor roads around Mother of Our Savior led to the paving of Tyler and Prest Streets for which St. Mary's was assessed its share.

In 1954, the combined seating capacity at St. Mary of Redford and Mother of Our Savior was over 1600 but still inadequate to handle the sizeable congregation of 4500 families. Hickey believed the only alternative would be to build a second chapel within St. Mary's territory and in February requested permission to purchase the first prospective building site. The lot, on Southfield Road near the intersection of Acacia and Ashton Streets, was priced at $6,400. The second site chosen was located in the northeast section of St. Mary's territory at the southwest comer of Hubell and Fenkell near Cooley High School.

Hickey then concentrated his efforts on acquiring prospective sites in the southwest comer of parish territory. Two initial attempts produced no results. The Harry Ferguson Tractor Company rejected the parish's offer of $5,000 for five or six acres near Southfield Road north of Schoolcraft. The other site chosen, at Davidson and Southfield, was seen by Mooney and the architects, Giffels and Vallet, as very restricted with little room for expansion of the chapel school facility.

In April, negotiations commenced with the city of Detroit for a tract of land on the south side of Glendale Street, including both sides of Archdale adjacent to Southfield Road. Hickey appealed to Detroit Common Council for the city to vacate the cul-de-sac portion of Archdale and the adjoining alley (which were city owned) that served no function as public thoroughfares. These in tum could be unified into one parcel of land, which would permit construction of a chapel school. Finally, in late May, the first public announcement was made of the purchase of the Glendale-Archdale site for the second St. Mary of Redford chapel, which, like Mother of Our Savior, would provide four classrooms for the parish's schoolchildren. In August, permission was granted to Hickey to construct the second parish chapel-school for the sum of $205,000. Construction began that October. In the fall of 1954, the largest clerical staff ever assembled at St. Mary's consisted of Monsignor Hickey and six assistants, Father Marshall, Bonin, Klauke, Blaska, Weingartz, and Pare.

The prospect of another chapel-school did not alleviate Hickey's concern about continuing overcrowding at St. Mary's, prompting him to seek Mooney's permission to purchase more property in the northwest comer of parish territory should it become necessary one day to erect yet another chapel-school. One site, priced at $5,000, was situated at the northeast comer of Southfield and Keeler while the second site was an adjoining lot for which no price had been set. Hickey concurred with Mooney's assessments that although the property was too close to St. Mary of Redford Church, this was the best available in that area as vacant land was becoming more difficult and more costly to acquire. Hickey received permission immediately to make the purchase.

Construction progressed smoothly although Hickey expressed concern that his parish was inadequately staffed to handle the expected 16 Masses each Sunday at the church and two chapels and asked Mooney for additional assistants. On June 5, 1955, the first Mass was celebrated at the new chapel named Our Lady Queen of Hope and formally dedicated by Cardinal Mooney in September. Additional real estate was purchased in the Grandmont subdivision for $32,500 immediately adjacent to Our Lady Queen of Hope should that facility ever need to be expanded.

In September 1955, Hickey wrote to Mooney with plans for development of three locations within St. Mary's territory, at Greenfield and Hemlock, Schaefer and Grand River, and Fenkell and Glastonbury, but the pastor was apprehensive that each of these sites encroached on the territories of neighboring parishes. Hickey was subjected to criticism from some of his own parishioners who were not anxious or able to support his expansion plans. A number of quarterly financial statements mailed to each family from St. Mary's were returned to the rectory with harsh words for the pastor.

One possible solution suggested by Mooney was the division of St. Mary's territory into five entirely new parishes but Hickey cautioned his superior against hasty action. "If St. Mary's is to be divided into five parishes; the neighbors should feel happy if the neglected areas in their parishes, which adjoin St. Mary's territory, are being cared for by churches and schools at the expense of St. Mary of Redford." Hickey stressed that any new parish should be located no closer than one mile from St. Mary's church or one mile from either chapel but his fears were unfounded, The five-parish plan never materialized.

While plans and projects proliferated throughout St. Mary's territory, there was some expansion needed closer to home. In September 1955, Hickey requested permission to remodel portions of the rectory interior to create additional office space, sleeping quarters and baths. The original floor plan, now nearly 30 years old, was not designed to house so many residents. Upon submission of a new plan, Hickey was allowed to spend $4,400 for the necessary renovations.

Despite the extra classrooms at the parish school and the four grade levels at each chapel-school, space was still at a premium. Hickey relayed a message to Mooney from Mother Superior at St. Mary's high school that the "graduates" of the chapel-schools cannot be accommodated into the parish schools. The solution would be to upgrade each chapel-school though eight full grades at an approximate cost of $240,000. Since Hickey's arrival at St. Mary's, 15 classrooms were added (six at the elementary school, four each at the chapel-schools and a music room converted from a part of the rectory garage) but more were needed. Permission to proceed with the chapel-school expansion was granted contingent upon Hickey's submission of plans. Mooney questioned whether the convent could house five to seven additional Sisters needed but Hickey assured him that it would.

Negotiations had been underway since January 1956 between St. Mary's and the city of Detroit for purchase of four lots on Archdale Street just south of Glendale. Although businesses adjacent to Our Lady Queen of Hope Chapel had generously opened their parking lots to Sunday worshippers, the chapel needed more parking facilities, four more classrooms and possibly a rectory and convent. The deal was concluded in July for the sum of $2,500 on the condition that St. Mary of Redford did not remove the "greenbelt" of shrubs and trees at that location specifically designed as a buffer between commercial and residential property. A new parish auditorium, originally slated for construction in 1949, was repeatedly postponed as other matters took precedence but the urgent need for space forced Hickey to act. In July, he requested permission to build a one-story addition to the present structure.

Combined school enrollment at St. Mary's for the 1956-57 school year (excluding the chapel-schools) stood at 1843 with 48 Sisters staffing the classrooms. In May 1856 Father Joseph Thang form Vietnam arrived at the parish as temporary summer assistant but stayed over a year, giving Hickey seven assistants. The parish debt grew substantially as well. From September to December 1956, St. Mary of Redford borrowed a total of $122,000 to begin construction of the much-needed classrooms at the chapel-schools, pushing the parish's financial burden to $528,722. By March 1957 that figure increased to nearly $541,000.

St. Mary of Redford's remarkable growth did not go unnoticed by the Detroit community. An article in the Detroit News lauded Hickey's achievements especially his "chain store" approach to Catholic evangelism.

Hickey was quoted as saying that his technique was preferable to carving out small portions of larger parishes to establish new struggling congregations and that these chapel-school projects had a stabilizing effect on the neighborhood. "Any family which wants to join a church, whatever its denomination, and provide children with a religious education, is not yet the type of people who will blight a neighborhood." In an open letter to his parishioners, Hickey cited St. Mary of Redford's accomplishments since his tenure began six years ago, and thanked his people for their generosity and spiritedness.

Hickey envisioned a Catholic enclave in northwest Detroit with St. Mary of Redford at the core.

No child would be farther than six blocks from a Catholic church, a concentrated Catholic neighborhood would result, our heavy investment in St. Mary's would be safeguarded thus avoiding a recurrence here of what happened to parishes in blighted area downtown. In addition, families' investment in land and buildings would be protected.

Hickey's strategy centered on the construction of three more chapel-schools, at Fenkell and Greenview, Greenfield and Hemlock and along Schaefer Highway. Hickey sent Mooney the results of an in-parish survey indicating that people would be interested in attending a chapel-school west of Southfield Road, as city plans for widening that thoroughfare would isolate Catholics on its west side. Hickey was denied permission however, for further construction. Mooney's affirmative responses to Hickey's past requests seemed routinized but now the Cardinal felt it was time to halt St. Mary's unbridled growth.

The problem of crowding in church - which is not restricted to St. Mary of Redford - could apparently be solved by the building of another chapel. ..For the present however, we may have to live with that problem - which your zeal has notably reduced pending a substantial reduction of the very heavy debt, which you are now carrying.

Undaunted, Hickey persisted in his quest for more property. In June 1957, he wrote to Mooney for permission to purchase a lot on the southwest comer of Schoolcraft and Stansbury for possible use a school, auditorium and playground. Mooney replied that he needed time to consider the request before replying. Meanwhile he did grant Hickey permission to purchase a house and two lots on Prest east of Greenfield as well as two houses rented by St. Mary's on that same street for possible use as a convent and rectory should Mother of Our Savior ever be declared and independent parish by the Detroit Archdiocese.

In December 1957 Mooney was "favorably disposed" to the idea of a third chapel-school in the Grand River-Schaefer area but questioned Hickey whether it would alleviate the existing overcrowding in the parish elementary school or simply aggravate the situation? Mooney felt the new classrooms would be filled by students previously denied admission for lack of space but would not provide ample room for real growth in the future. A more practical and less costly solution was to build a four-room addition onto the elementary school, which in tum freed four classrooms badly needed by the high school.

Hickey's plans to construct another chapel-school in the Greenfield-HemlockWinthrop vicinity were met with resistance by the pastors of neighboring St. Scholastica and Precious Blood parishes who believed St. Mary of Redford was encroaching too closely to their own territory. Hickey countered their protests by proposing possible solutions to settle the dispute amicably including the annexing of this area by St. Scholastica and Precious Blood, approaching Cardinal Mooney with a plan for establishing an entirely new parish, or simply withdrawing their protests and letting St. Mary's have its own way.

In April 1958, Hickey suggested to Mooney that, in lieu of an all-new chapel school, St. Mary's instead purchase an already extant building and convert it for use as a chapel-school. Hickey had his eye on the Schoenrock Building on Schaefer, which, according to consultants, had good possibilities for such a conversion but was aesthetically unappealing. Mooney denied Hickey permission to make the purchase as he wished the parish boundary in that area to remain on the east side of Schaefer.

Despite Hickey's herculean efforts to ease the overcrowding at his church, the situation changed very little. One newcomer to St. Mary of Redford detailed her experience at a Sunday Mass in a letter to the pastor, citing the difficult parking, jarred aisles in the church and numerous disturbances as people left early to beat traffic. Hickey lamented that these inconveniences constituted a typical Sunday at St. Mary's and that building more chapels would require more funds and more priests.

By early spring of 1959, St. Mary of Redford's approximately five square mile of territory contained 4455 registered families with a parish debt of $374,483.55. That debt was reduced by late summer to $231,500. Cardinal Mooney's successor as head of the Detroit Archdiocese, Archbishop John Dearden, ordered Hickey to cease purchasing property near Mother of Our Savior chapel, as it was soon to become an independent parish. In mid-June 1959, St. Mary of Redford's first chapel-school was detached and elevated to parish status with former St. Mary's assistant Father Richard Haney as its first pastor. In the wake of Mother of Our Savior's separation from St. Mary's and the establishment of exclusive boundaries, the number of registered families at St. Mary's was reduced 4100 while 1064 families belonged to the new parish. The combined school enrollment at St. Mary of Redford was 2289 (1623 at the elementary school and 666 at the high school) and Mother of Our Savior had 393 enrolled at its school. The summer of 1959 also saw a reduction in the number of assistants at St. Mary's. Two priests were transferred to other parishes but only one replacement was sent, leaving Hickey with four assistants, the lowest number in ten years.

Hickey appealed to Dearden for permission to purchase four homes on Longacre Street between Schoolcraft and Greenfield near OUT Lady Queen of Hope chapel, which would give St. Mary,’s a greater claim to the 'greenbelt' area when the second chapel became and independent parish. Hickey made his opinions known to Chancellor Keams, saying he would need more help at St. Mary's since his present staff was assisting at Mother of Our Savior parish as well. Many St. Mary's parishioners preferred going to Our Lady Queen of Hope chapel but if it ever became a parish, these people would be forced to return to St. Mary's thus requiring an increase in the number of Sunday Services from seven to eight. St. Mary's would likely have to assist at Queen of Hope also.

Hickey's envisioned scenario would not happen however. Keams replied that Archbishop Dearden had no intention of granting Our Lady Queen of Hope parish status because"...ravages being wrought by death and serious illness among priests have...preoccupied him...” Hickey did not realize it at that time but the growth and expansion of St. Mary of Redford over the previous decades finally came to an end. The heyday was over.

Epilogue

The breaking away of Mother of Our Savior chapel from St. Mary of Redford seemed to foreshadow the latter's future. Although there were smaller-scaled expansion projects after 1960, (several classroom additions and new gymnasium in 1967), no new chapels were ever planned or built. The parish never again witnessed the huge crowds of a decade or two earlier. The subsequent elevation of Our Lady Queen of Hope chapel to full parish status in 1865 reduced the mother parish's territory and congregation still further. The exodus of Detroit's white middle class to the suburbs accelerated after the 1967 riots, leaving behind a predominantly non-Catholic black population that required a special evangelization in order to be brought into the Catholic fold. The parish schools which once barred nonparishioners from attending are now open to any student desiring a Catholic education. St. Mary of Redford itself has been administratively united by the Detroit Archdiocese with two other parishes, St. Brigid and Our Lady Gate of Heaven, in a unique experiment involving shared ministries, services and resources.

Nevertheless, there can be no denial of St. Mary's former greatness and of its rightful place in Detroit Catholic history. The parish's rise from troubled beginnings to an unsurpassed pre-eminence is a testimonial to the willful faith of pastors and parishioners joined in spirit and effort. Though St. Mary of Redford's future is not yet written, its past cannot be erased.

MEMORIES 1970 & LATER

The new high school gym being paid off;

Fr. Sheryer as pastor;

Mgsr. Hickey as pastor emeritus;

Sr. Maxine as principal of the Grade School;

Srs. Kate and Joan as co-principals of the Jr. High;

Dog in residence, Winky;

Main Altar and communion rails;

Ernie Peters as Chair Director and Organist;

All Men's Chair numbering 25-30;

A succession of "in residence" priests completing their studies at U of D Emil Anderson, Joe Bilgreen, and Tom Champeaux;

Parish activities such as the annual Fall Festival, Boblo Picnic, New Year's Eve Galas, Halloween Parties, St. Patty's Dances;

Mother's Club activities included hot dog lunches, annual rummage sale, arts and crafts show, service auctions;

Dad's Club activities included bingo, Lenten Fish Frys, musicals such as "Has Grampa Gone to Bed Yet?," fruitcake sales, Halloween candy sales and Softball;

Cub Scout troops were active and featured a pine wood derby;

Grade school basketball, 1978 CYO Champs;

High School home coming parades, music and drama productions and an ever-changing administration;

Mrs. Cooney, Mrs. Rogers, Miss Rodgers, Mrs. Zang, Elaine O'Neil, Sr. Mary Techiman.

WE REMEMBER...

Joe Abdou awards in the grade school;

Dottie Lane and her band of "fanny socker" players in the gym that now bears her name;

"Big" families like the Franklins, the Distelrath, the Vogels, Collins, Irvins, Organs and the Andres;

A family of beautiful and caring priests Fr. Dick Kelly, Larry Kaiser, Ed Haggerty, Ron DeHondt, Ron Williams, Tyrone Robinson;

Young deacons like Jerry Cupples, Jim Stokes;

Guitar masses in the AP Room;

Dick Kelly in his sandals;

the credit union;

Music director Sr. Eileen Houlikan, Mary Beth Manning, Bob Barnhardt & Pat Macouska.

Mother's Club luncheons at the Snow White Restaurant;

Breakfast at Cregars;

The Kelly House becoming the Emaus House and then the Jesuit Residence;

Parish Photo Albums;

the controversy over girls being permitted to wear slacks to school;

the bigger controversy to allow girls on the altar;

home masses;

Fr. Nick and his print shop;

M.O.S. closing;

Mgsr. Hickey's 90th birthday at the Historical Museum.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

Archives of the Archdiocese of Detroit

Archives of St. Mary of Redford Parish, Detroit, Michigan

Archives of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Michigan

Secondary Sources

Collins, Fr. Thomas J.; Rosalita, Sr. M., IHM;Edward, Sr. M. Jane, IHM; and Koenig, Fr. Robert. St. Mary of Redford Parish 1843-1949, A modern Parish with a Pioneer Spirit. Kingsport, Tenn: Kingsport Press, Inc., 1949.

Glazer, Sidney. Detroit: A Study in Urban Development. New York: Bookman Associates Inc., 1965

Janis, Ralph. The Brave New World That Failed: Patterns ofParish Social Structure in Detroit 1880-1940. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 1972. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1984.

Official Catholic Directory. New York: PJ. Kenedy and Sons. 1949, 1955.