Didn’t Detroit once witness a surge in faith? Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish stands as a testament to that era. The parish was founded in the spring of 1928. Rev Thomas J Fallon organized it.
Initially, a temporary church served the community. It stood at Six Mile and Strasburg. A permanent location was planned a few blocks west. By 1933, the name Our Lady of Good Counsel was established. A Detroit Free Press article reported a peculiar incident that year. Someone stole 126 folding chairs from the church in broad daylight.
A school was built in 1935. Two years later, in 1937 a convent followed. By 1939, another temporary church was needed. It was built next to the school. World War II caused a population boom. Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish expanded significantly. An auditorium was added to the school in 1949. This served as a temporary church while funds were raised. They needed money for a permanent sanctuary. Groundbreaking for the present-day church took place on April 29th, 1956.
Our Lady of Good Counsel school closed before 1991. The Detroit Public Schools leased it. The church continued until 2011. It then merged with St Raymond. The doors closed. However, in 2015, the church found new life. It reopened as City of Jesus House of Life Apostolic Church.
Another Our Lady of Good Counsel existed in Detroit. It is not to be confused with the one in Plymouth. This Our Lady of Good Counsel was located at 17142 Rowe Street. That’s near East McNichols and Hoover.
St Raymond-Our Lady of Good Counsel is located at 20103 Joann St. It is near 8 Mile and Schoenherr. St Raymond Parish was established in 1941. The current church was constructed in 1955. The stained-glass windows are colorful and geometric. They mainly show scriptural symbols. Almost all windows and doorways have arched tops. The entire church follows the Romanesque Revival style.
Like many older churches, the communion rail was removed. The altar was extended. The parish has an active Society of St Vincent de Paul. It serves much of northeast Detroit and nearby suburbs. The former elementary school is vacant. The parish seeks a tenant to help raise funds.
Today, St Raymond-Our Lady of Good Counsel celebrates Mass. It does so every day except Wednesdays. On Saturdays, confessions are heard at 3:45 PM. Mass follows at 4:00 PM. Sunday Mass is at 10:30 AM. A coffee social often follows. Daily Mass is at 8:30 AM. It takes place at a side altar. The tabernacle is also located there. Bible study is on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Our Lady of Good Counsel stands as a reminder of faith. It reflects community resilience in Detroit.