How did Our Lady of Sorrows Parish begin? It started in the fall of 1927. Bishop Michael Gallagher appointed Fr. Edward O’Mahoney as pastor. The area was bounded by Six Mile Road, 14 Mile Road, Beech Road and Haggerty Road.
Let’s step back in time to the early days of Our Lady of Sorrows. Catholics in Farmington had to travel ten miles to St. Mary of Redford in Detroit. Imagine that long trek each week. It made a local church essential.
A narrow strip of land on Shiawassee Road became the home of Our Lady of Sorrows. It included a big white house at the corner of Power Road. That house served as the parish rectory for many years. The first Parish Mass was celebrated in “the Villa” in September 1927. This building is now the St. Vincent-Sarah Fisher Home.
The men of the parish quickly began building a temporary church. By November, Fr. O’Mahoney celebrated the first Mass. It was in a small 125-seat frame church. Parishioners called it the “Little White Church on the Hill.”
The original 75 families formed many groups. There was an Altar Society and a Holy Name Society. A Conference of St. Vincent de Paul Society was founded. They also had an Ushers group and a Choir.
In September 1928, Fr. James Callahan became pastor. That same year, an addition doubled the church’s seating. The depression years were hard but the parishioners remained supportive. They gave generously to the parish and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Religious education classes started in the early 1930s. They grew steadily over the years. In March 1932, Fr. John Larkin became pastor. People moved to the suburbs from Detroit and soon four Masses were needed each Sunday. An assistant was then appointed.
Mrs. C.F. Smith donated eight acres of land on Grand River near Orchard Lake Road. Her son, Henry, built a three-room school there. The site was to include the permanent Our Lady of Sorrows Church. Dominican Sisters came from Adrian to staff the school. The school was enlarged two years later. By 1939, Our Lady of Sorrows had its first school bus.
Fr. Thomas Beahan became the fourth pastor on October 26, 1943. By 1944, Our Lady of Sorrows numbered 500 families. Charles D. Hannan developed plans for the permanent church. The school was overcrowded so religious education classes were held for all grades.
The parish raised funds for a permanent church. It became clear the original site would become commercial. The Power Road area would be more residential. In May 1945, the Archdiocese transferred 12 acres to Our Lady of Sorrows. This extended the parish property from Shiawassee to 10 Mile Road. A new permanent site for the parish was selected.
Hannan’s plan included a school and a gymnasium that served as a temporary church. It also had a convent, church and rectory. The new grade school opened in the fall of 1948. It housed 400 students. The gymnasium-church seated 750 people. The first Mass was a solemn high Mass at midnight on December 25, 1948. It was celebrated by Frs. Beahan, Cushing and Clemens. Around 1,000 parishioners attended. The Little White Church was torn down to make room for the permanent church.
The 1950s and 60s brought growth to Our Lady of Sorrows. A second unit of the grade school and the convent were finished by 1953. Work began on the high school in 1954. Our Lady of Sorrows High School graduated 44 seniors in June 1958. Over 1,400 would graduate before it closed in 1971.
In 1955, Fr. Beahan formed a parish council. A design for the permanent church was agreed upon in 1959. Ground was broken in November. Construction was soon underway. In October 1959, Fr. Beahan became a Monsignor.
The new rectory opened in January 1961. Archbishop John Dearden dedicated the new Our Lady of Sorrows Church on March 25, 1961. Masses were offered in the new church the next day.
New parishes formed from Our Lady of Sorrows as the area grew. These included St. Agatha, St. Fabian, and St. Colman. Also St. Priscilla, St. Alexander, St. Aidan, St. Gerald and St. Clare.
Our Lady of Sorrows has certainly transformed over the years. From humble beginnings to a large parish. It stands as a testament to faith.