The crumbling cornerstone whispers tales of Detroit’s Delray. This is All Saints’ Anglican Church a place etched in the city’s industrial past. But look closer. Its story isn’t just bricks and mortar.
Founded in 1896 All Saints was a unique parish. Unlike many others it wasn’t solely for one ethnic group. Delray then outside Detroit’s limits was a melting pot of immigrants working in its factories. All Saints welcomed them all.
The first church stood on South and Crossley Streets. A humble beginning for what would become a vibrant community hub. But growth demanded more space. In 1925 a new church was planned. Father Henry Sullivan a tireless pastor raised a staggering $65000. In today’s money that’s over two million dollars. This funded not just the impressive new church designed by Andrew Morrison but also a school run by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters and a rectory. The cornerstone was laid in 1925 the dedication in 1926.
The 1950s saw All Saints’ at its peak. Around 700 families called it their spiritual home. Then came the Fisher Freeway. Interstate 75 sliced through Delray. It didn’t just take homes it severed the parish from its community. The 1967 unrest and white flight further diminished its congregation. The once thriving church faced a heartbreaking decline. Its schools closed in 1970.
Imagine the quiet sadness as the schools were demolished. All that remains are small memorials on the church grounds. Cornerstones stand as silent witnesses. The Latino community too faced fear immigration raids pushing them away. The Detroit Free Press even reported that only three people attended a Wednesday night Mass shortly before the church closed. The cost of maintaining the aging building became too much for the dwindling congregation.
In 2018 All Saints merged with St Gabriel Parish. Its last Mass was on New Year’s Eve 2017. The Archdiocese deconsecrated the church. It was sold and sadly demolished in 2022. Much of the area was cleared for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. A bridge to the future but a final goodbye to All Saints’ Anglican Church. Its story however lives on in the memories of those who worshipped within its walls. It is a testament to the resilient spirit of a community that once flourished in Delray.