Imagine Cardinal Mooney in 1946. He founded St. Suzanne. Father Victor Lorenz became the pastor. Mass was initially held at Mann Elementary School. This arrangement lasted until the rectory and first church building were completed in 1947.
In 1950, the convent’s first part and classrooms 101-104 were constructed. Ground was broken for the permanent St. Suzanne structure in September 1961. Father Lorenz placed significant items in the cornerstone. These included names of priests, teachers, and students. Copies of three Detroit newspapers were also included. One year later in December 1962, the church was finished. Cardinal Dearden dedicated it.
Now let’s turn to Our Lady Gate of Heaven Catholic Church. It was founded in 1927. Irish and Polish immigrants established it on Detroit’s west side. They built a small hall at West Chicago and St. Mary’s. By 1946, a combination school and church arose. The Adrian Dominican sisters administered it. The original buildings became too small. The original church was demolished. A new sanctuary and convent were built in 1946.
By 1986, Our Lady Gate of Heaven had only 150 families. The Detroit Archdiocese suggested its closure in 1988. Instead, it began sharing a priest with St. Suzanne. The school closed around that time. In 1994, Detroit Public Schools leased it. It reopened as Erma Henderson Lower School.
In 2003, Our Lady Gate of Heaven fully merged with St. Suzanne parish. It moved out leaving the church empty.
Fountain of Life Community Church was founded in 1998. It operated from a storefront on Puritan Street. In 2005, this church bought Our Lady Gate of Heaven church and school. The archdiocese sold it. Fountain of Life didn’t last long. By 2011, the church was vacant again.
Kenneth Tate, pastor of Body of Christ Christian Center, had long been interested in Our Lady Gate of Heaven. He watched its price drop over ten years. It went from $1.3 million to $350,000. In 2013, he bid on it but lost. When the buyer backed out, he was contacted to make an offer. $50,000 bought the church. It had been vacant for two years. It suffered damage from scrapping. After a few months of restoration, the church reopened on September 15, 2013.
Today, St. Suzanne and Our Lady Gate of Heaven are one united parish family. They celebrate faith, friendship, and worship together. This union reflects a rich history of community and perseverance.