CHURCH OF SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT 4672 PARKER AVENUE DEARBORN MICHIGAN Dear Parishioner: This is the Annual Report of your Parish for the year 1957. It is, indeed, a report that every parishioner can be proud of. This report reflects the growth of the Parish as well as the tremendous co-operation that everyone in the Parish gave. First, we will…

Cardinal Mooney had established the parish nearly two years earlier and was to preside over the dedication ceremony on May 16, 1957. Cardinal Mooney was extremely popular in the area as he was the first Archbishop and Cardinal of Detroit and was also nationally recognized as he delivered Benediction at Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration earlier in the year. Cardinal Mooney passed…

The little friends always felt that Msgr. Weier was a strict Pastor, but legend has it that Fr. DePlaunty was so strict he sent a letter to his parishioners ordering them to attend the Dedication Mass. Legend has it the letter did not say “I hope you will attend” but instead said “you WILL attend” the Mass. Did Fr. DePlaunty…

One of the most defining aspects of St. Albert’s occurred in September of 1956 when the Marist Nuns arrived from Ireland to teach at St. Albert’s School. Only three schools in the United States had Marist nuns as teachers when the Class of ’75 began first grade (the other two being St. Barnabas in East Detroit and Our Lady of…

A little known fact is that the very first class was not even held on St. Albert’s grounds, but in a room behind the gym at Pardee school that St. Albert’s used as a Sacristy while masses were being held at the Pardee school gymnasium. Father DePlaunty, who was the Pastor at this time, had to share this room with…

All of the class photo’s from 1956. In 1956 St Alberts Parish did not have a full compliment of students in all classes. In fact, there was only one class and we have the class photo on display here.

There would be an 8 month gap between the first chronicle being published and the second chronicle being published. The second chronicle was huge for its day (even this day it would be huge) and included all the parishioners who had donated money to the church (this was listed in an earlier article but is shown here in its original…

One of the first events that took place at the newly built St. Albert’s Church was the May Crowning in 1956. This is a traditional Catholic event to honor the Virgin Mary by placing on her statue a crown of flowers. This was a lovely ceremony at St. Albert’s as it brought together both young and old to honor the…

As previously mentioned, the Parish was in a phase of “firsts” in 1955 and in September/October of 1955 the Parish would add another first. The first organization established in the Parish was the Ushers Club. Naturally, it began somewhat informally, as one member described it. It seems that one of his friends called out to him; “Hey, the Pastor of…

The period of time during the ground breaking ceremony was a very exciting time for the newly formed Parish. Each week it seemed something new was being added and each month it seemed that new firsts were being achieved. The first Baptism of a Parishioner happening months earlier on July 17, 1955 (actually there were two first Baptism’s done simultaneously…