In the 1950’s Detroit was booming with business, industry and peoples. The development of the auto industry and the economic prosperity attracted hundreds of thousands, all seeking better jobs and the opportunity to live the American Dream. Detroit’s population hit 1.85 million, making it America’s fourth-largest city, with 296,000 manufacturing jobs.
This phenomenon had its impact on the Church in Detroit. Many people moved to the suburbs. To meet their religious and spiritual needs, new parishes were sprouting up throughout the diocese and most of them wanted a catholic school. However, Cardinal Mooney in Detroit stipulated that no permission would be given for a school unless the parish had a firm commitment from a congregation of religious sisters to staff the school. The Marist Sisters are an international congregation and had no house and no school in the US at that time.
St Albert the Great was a new parish that began in Dearborn in 1955. Father Leo J. DePlaunty was appointed pastor. He wanted a parochial school. He checked with many congregations in the United States but none had any sisters to offer. His best friend, Father Louis Evon, was appointed pastor of St Barnabas in East Detroit, and was in the exact same situation.
The Marist Fathers staffed Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods. They were weekend assistants at St Albert the Great. Father Vincent Robichaud, SM, provincial of the Marist Fathers, mentioned to Father DePlaunty that there was a congregation of Marist Sisters, and among other ministries they were involved in education, but they were international and their general house was in Rome, Italy. “It was a long shot,” Father Robichaud said, “but maybe there might be a possibility of getting that congregation to staff the schools.” Father DePlaunty was not one to let grass grow under his feet, so he and Father Evon jumped on a plane to Rome and met with the General Administration of the Marist Sisters. They came back with a promise that both schools would be staffed by Marist Sisters. And that happened.
As a follow-up on the promise from Rome, Sister Dominic, Provincial of the Marist Sisters in Canada, and Sister Mary Regina, a general councilor from Rome, met with Father DePlaunty. Plans were set in motion for visas, housing, education, working and living arrangements.
At that time, Ireland had many vocations and so the first sisters came from there. Later, sisters from England and Canada joined them and we were blessed that some young women from the U.S. became Marist Sisters also.
It was on September 19, 1956, that five Marist Sisters arrived by BOAC plane at Willow Run airport in Detroit. (Mother Ephrem, Sisters Ildefonse, Mary Rose, Monessa, and Constance.) Air travel was very different at that time. Right on the tarmac, as the five sisters deplaned after a sleepless night, were Monsignor Deady, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Father DePlaunty, Father Evon, Father Robichaud, SM, Sister Dominic, SM, representatives from other religious communities and many parish representatives. After introductions and welcome, there was an abundance of photographing before the sisters were escorted to their residence. A Mass of Thanksgiving at the parish church at noon was very well attended by parishioners.
Our residence was a bungalow which had been the parish rectory at 5130 Pardee Road. Space wise, this was very different from the large spacious convents of Ireland. Sister Berchmans (Teresa) came from Ireland in 1957 and Sisters Annette (Frances) in 1958. This four-bed roomed house was home to six sisters until 1962. That year the sisters moved to the pastor’s residence on Parker Street, which was larger, and the pastor moved back to Pardee Road. The newly built convent, capable of housing twelve sisters comfortably, was ready for occupancy in 1964.
In the midst of so many adjustments, and without much lapse of time Mother Ephrem and Sister Mary Rose took on the ministry of teaching at the parish school in late September of 1956. Two lay teachers conducted classes until then. Sisters Ildefonse and Monessa attended Marygrove College. The college was run by the IHM sisters. Sister Constance was assigned to the convent, religious education and the supervision of children.
The school began with two classes of first grades in the parish social hall. Each succeeding year two classes were added. A school with sixteen classrooms was built and for many years there were two sections of each grade – one through eight, with numbers over forty in each classroom.
All five sisters were involved in the religious education program which was conducted after regular school hours. Again there were very large classes from grades one to eight. Eighty-eight children received First Communion and ninety-nine were confirmed in the spring of 1957.
The sisters administered and staffed the school until 1989. Because of shortage of personnel, an IHM Sister then became principal and she was followed by lay principals. The sisters remained part of the staff until the school closed in 2007.
These were wonderful years. As we reflect on those years we, Marist Sisters, are filled with gratitude; deep and sincere gratitude for the great privilege of having belonged to St Albert Parish Family; grateful for our wonderful parishioners who were our friends and who walked with us in love, support and friendship and helped us to get closer to Our Lord; lasting friendships were formed. These parents trusted us with the education of their children. And these same children inspired us with their loyalty and love of life. Again treasured friendships were formed with these students and they continue to enrich our lives to this day. You inspired us with a love of our church, you deepened our faith, in short, you helped us to know who Jesus is and what church is. We treasure you for all you have done for us and for all you still do.
And we treasure the leadership of our Pastors at St Albert’s. Truly we have had great pastoral leadership from priests who served our parish. It has been a graced journey.
Sister Constance
