Time stood still. The Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church stood before us. Its dark brown brick a testament to history. Limestone accents glimmered in the sunlight.
This wasn’t just any church. The Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church held a special place in Detroit’s history. Established in 1849 it was the oldest Roman Catholic parish on the city’s East Side. The building we see today was dedicated in 1900. It’s a stunning example of Gothic Revival architecture. A rare style for Donaldson and Meier who usually built Romanesque churches.
But the Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church is more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a canvas for stories. Stories of faith and resilience. In the late 1960s artists William Walker and Eugene Wade painted murals on its walls. These weren’t just pretty pictures. They were bold statements of Black pride. One mural the Harriet Tubman Memorial Wall depicted the abolitionist. It linked the civil rights movement to the biblical story of the Exodus. The mural was a powerful symbol. It reflected the hopes and struggles of the community.
The church also hosted the Wall of Dignity. This mural showed scenes of ancient African civilizations. It also included portraits of Black leaders like Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey. It was a powerful testament to Black history and culture. The Wall of Dignity sadly met its end during a fire in 1972. Only parts of it survived.
The Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church witnessed many events. It was a center of community activism. It was a place of refuge and hope. A place where the past and present intertwined. In 1990 the archdiocese closed the church. The building is now used by another denomination. But the spirit of the Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church lives on.
The stories of the murals painted here are a reminder. They remind us of the power of art to inspire change. They show the importance of preserving history. The Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Roman Catholic Church is a powerful symbol. It stands as a reminder of Detroit’s rich and complex past. A past that continues to shape its present. A past that we should never forget.