Churches Archives - Lost In Michigan

Our Lady Of The Woods Shrine

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

The Our Lady of the Woods Shrine at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Mio was constructed by Rev. Hubert Rakowski between 1953 and 1955 with the support of the local community. The sacred place has statues of four apparitions of Mary, They are the Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, and LaSalette.

The mountainous structure made of stone includes several grottos and niches. The grounds are open year round and the landscaping in the summer is breathtaking. The shrine welcomes visitors of all faiths and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend stopping to see this beautiful place in northern Michigan.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Empty Church

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

I saw this empty old church standing in the farmland west of Hastings. I am sure it has been a long time since this wooden chapel has had an Easter service or any services. I can only imagine all the weddings, baptisms, and funerals this old church has seen.

Please note, I only take pics from the road and do not trespass.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Oldest Church in Michigan

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Detroit .

I like posting photos of churches around Michigan since in many places churches are central to the community, it’s where people are married, baptized, and remembered at the end of their life. When I posted a photo of St. Stephens church in Hamburg the historical Marker said it was the oldest church building still operating in Michigan. But it got me to do some research to find out what the oldest church in Michigan is. When I found Ste Anne de D’etroit and read it’s history it struck me how important this church is, not only to the local community, but to the state of Michigan.

founded July 26, 1701, Ste. Anne’s original church was the first building constructed in Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which later grew into the city of Detroit. Ste Anne’s is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States with parish records dating back to 1704. From 1833 to 1844, Ste. Anne’s was the Cathedral Church for the diocese of Michigan and the Northwest. The church also has the oldest stained glass in Detroit.

In the Early 1800s Father Gabriel Richards, started a school that evolved into the University of Michigan. Started the First newspaper The Michigan Essay or Impartial Observer. From 1823 to 1825 Richard was Michigan Territory’s delegate to the United States Congress. As a delegate, he was instrumental in gaining support for the Territorial Road, which linked Detroit and Chicago

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Zeba and the Old Wooden Church

Posted on March 21, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

Northeast of L’Anse in the Upper Peninsula is the small town of Zeba. I am not sure if it is correct but I read that the word “zeba” is Native American for “little river” In the town of Zeba, or more like what is left of the town of Zeba, is an old wooden church. The historical marker in front of it tells some of its history and reads:

Early Methodist missionaries came to Kewawenon from Sault Sainte Marie by canoe, often a two-week trip. Among then was John Sunday, a Chippewa, who arrived in 1832 to educate and Christianize his fellow Indians. John Clark came two years later and erected a school and mission house. By 1845 this mission consisted of a farm and a church with fifty-eight Indian and four white members. A second church, erected in 1850, was dedicated by John H. Pitezel, who served here from 1844 to 1847.
photo of Zeba Indian United Methodist Church

Indians from far and near came here to attend the annual camp meetings which began in 1880. The present frame church, known now as the Zeba Indian Mission Church, was erected in 1888. Completely covered with hand-made wooden shingles, this structure has changed little since its construction. The Methodist minister of L’Anse serves the congregation. The Zeba Indian United Methodist Church, the successor of the 1932 Kewawenon mission is an area landmark.

I passed by the old church on my way to the Ford ghost town of Pequaming which you can read about in Volume 3 of the Lost In Michigan books available HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

St. Patrick’s Church

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

St. Patrick’s Church in Clifford began in 1879 with visits from Father Clement Krebs, pastor at St. Agatha Church in Gagetown. It later became a mission of St. Elizabeth in Reese, Sacred Heart in Brown City, and most recently SS. Peter and Paul in North Branch. In 1884 the Diocese of Detroit acquired property here and built this simple Gothic-inspired church. The stained-glass windows admit light into the sanctuary and honor the parish’s Irish founders. Father Krebs presided over the first wedding in the partially completed church in August 1886. St. Patrick’s originally served the communities of Marlette, North Branch, Mayville, Kingston, Silverwood and Wilmot. Among the pastors who served the parish was the Father Charles Coughlin, who ministered here in 1924-25 and later gained notoriety as “the Radio Priest” in Royal Oak.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Huron City Church

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

Near the tip of the thumb along the Lake Huron shoreline is the historic town of Huron City. No one lives in the former town but it is not a ghost town. It has been converted into a museum consisting of several historic buildings. One of them is this historic church that served as the methodist church for the town since it was built in 1882.

The windows are covered up for the winter, I guess I will have to go back and visit in the summer. you can find out more about the historic village on their website HERE.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Broadcasting from St. Andrew’s

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

St. Andrew’s in Grand Rapids is one of Michigan’s oldest parishes. The current church was constructed in 1875. In 1901 lightning struck one of the steeples and a fire destroyed part of the church building. It was rebuilt and expanded. Some of the wooden beams above the ceiling still show the charred marks from the fire. In the 1950s, a television studio was created in the historic church, and cameras were used to broadcast Sunday mass into people’s homes.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Historic St Mary Stone Church

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

I love buildings and houses built with fieldstones. I think they are a reflection of the area since many of the stones are collected from the area and this beautiful old church in Manchester is no exception. A historic marker giving its history stands in front of it and reads:

The first Catholic church in the Manchester area was built by German settlers in Freedom Township in 1839 and dedicated to Saint Francis de Borgia. In 1863 Father Edward Van Lauwe was appointed pastor of Saint Dominic in Clinton, and Manchester was one of his missions. In 1870 thirty-five Irish families built the Church of the Assumption on Macomb Street in Manchester. Father Edwin Fisher, the pastor of Clinton and its missions, became the resident pastor in Manchester in 1909. In 1911 local craftsmen built this Neo-Gothic inspired church from fieldstones collected by farmers and salvaged from the foundation of the hotel that had stood on the site. It was dedicated in January 1912. Father Fisher designed the church and erected similar fieldstone churches at his missions in Blissfield, Tecumseh, and Brooklyn.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Benzonia Congregational Church

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

This beautiful old church which is now used as a history museum stands in the town of Benzonia. It has a rather unique looking steeple and belfry. The marker proudly mounted next to the door reads:

Early in the 1850’s Congregationalists came to this area to found the community of Benzonia and a Christian college. In 1860 the Reverend Charles E. Bailey, a prime figure behind the organization of the community and the college, helped organize the area’s first church with eighteen members. Erected in 1884/87, this Gothic Revival style building served the congregation until 1968. In 1969 the building became the Benzie Area Historic Museum.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Church of Hersey

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

This beautiful old wooden church stands in the small town of Hersey in the central Lower Peninsula. A historicla marker proudly stands in front of it and reads:

The First Congregational Church of Hersey was formally organized in 1870. Services were held in a local schoolhouse for three years. Delos A. Blodgett — early explorer, prominent lumberman and first settler of the area — donated the land and lumber for this church, which was built in 1873-74 at a cost of $3,000. It features handsome leaded-glass windows and a pyramidal steeple. Michigan white pine graces both the exterior and interior, including a handmade pulpit.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.