Mission Statement:

We, the Ste. Anne de Detroit family, are a diverse, vibrant, and inclusive community with a rich historical legacy. On our journey to God we serve our own and the stranger, emphasizing the poor, children, youth, and seniors. Living the Word of God, we share our gifts through our bilingual ministries, continually striving to build a more unified parish community

The History of Ste. Anne de Detroit:

On July 24, 1701, twenty-five canoes glided to a stop at the foot of a high bluff which ran along a narrow part of the Detroit River near where Hart Plaza is today. French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his party of fifty artisans, fifty soldiers, and two priests began construction of Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit. Among the first log structures was a tiny chapel which they dedicated on July 26, the feast day of Ste. Anne, mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. The earliest church records were destroyed in a fire, but a new registry has been maintained since 1704, making Ste. Anne de Detroit the second oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in the United States. (Only the parish of St. Augustine in Florida is older).

The present structure, built in 1886, is the eighth, but it contains many artifacts from the so-called “Stone Church,” the church building that preceded the present structure. The Stone Church was originally located in downtown Detroit and built in 1818 during the tenure of Father Gabriel Richard. Among the items removed to the current building are the 1818 cornerstone, the altar in the chapel, the communion rail, the Beaubien Bell, and the statue of Ste. Anne and Mary. Also, some windows were removed from the earlier church and hold the oldest stained glass found in Detroit. Of special interest are crutches and braces left at the Ste. Anne side altar by people who credited her intercession for their healing.