Consider this: Detroit’s oldest standing church is right here. Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church stands as a testament to faith. It is also a symbol of architectural resilience. Consecrated on June 29 1848 this church has witnessed Detroit’s evolution for almost two centuries.
The story of Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church begins four years prior. On June 29 1844 the cornerstone was laid. Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere led a procession from Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church. Ste. Anne’s was then located nearby on Griswold Street. The procession moved to the site of the new church.
Building Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church took four years. Bishop Lefevere insisted on paying as construction progressed. He wanted to avoid debt. Francis Latourneau was the architect.
For nearly 30 years Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church served as Detroit’s cathedral. It succeeded Ste. Anne’s. Ste. Anne’s had been the cathedral for the Michigan Territory. In 1877 the church was given to the Jesuits. The Jesuits promised to establish a college in Detroit. Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church became a parish church. The Jesuits kept their word. They founded Detroit College next door. This college grew into the University of Detroit Mercy.
Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church has undergone several changes. There were alterations in 1879 and 1882. A complete renovation occurred in 1892. It was remodeled again in 1911. A chapel was added in 1918. Despite these changes the original plan has been preserved.
Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church is a three-aisled church. It is built of Detroit common brick. The front façade is gabled. A short square belfry tops it. The tower was meant for a tall spire. The spire was never built. A central entrance pavilion sits between arched windows. Ionic pilasters frame the entrance. The pilasters continue along the side. They separate the side into seven bays. Each bay has tall rounded arch windows. A heavy frieze surmounts the walls.
Inside Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church you will find hand-carved oak confessionals. The barrel-vaulted ceiling is painted with murals of the apostles. The Carrara marble altar is extraordinary. Gustav Adolph Mueller designed it. Joseph Sibbel created a bas relief of the crucifixion for the altar. These details were added during later renovations. The organ case is the only surviving original element.
SS. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church is closer to English Regency than any other style. Letourneau designed it. Kindenkens supervised construction. The church seats 1000. Marble wainscoting lines the interior.
The surrounding neighborhood transformed over the years. It changed from residential to commercial. The congregation decreased. It was mainly Irish at the start. Still Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church remains a symbol of Catholicism in Detroit. It is a landmark of faith.