Mary, Daughter of Anne and
Joachim
Detroit,
Michigan
Although the venerable old church of St. Anne de Detroit, is dedicated to the grandmother of Our Lord, His mother is never far from the sight and hearts of its parishioners. Three stained glass windows represent Mary under different titles; fifteen more show the mysteries of her rosary. Eight statues and several paintings keep the Virgin ever present to her devotees.
The Neo-Gothic 1886 church building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the eighth structure of the second oldest continuous parish in the U.S. Two days after his arrival, and seventy five years before the young nation was born, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, founder of Detroit, began to build a chapel dedicated to Ste. Anne, patron saint of New France. Construction started on the saint’s feast day.
Like the legendary phoenix, St. Anne’s has repeatedly been resurrected following fires, divisions, and urban renewal. Three centuries of history are packed within its walls. The church’s most famous pastor, the missionary priest and servant of God Gabrielle Richard is called the second founder of Detroit. He encouraged the people to rebuild after the Great Fire of 1805 that destroyed the city, including the church. To him is due the motto of the city: Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus, “We hope for better things; it will rise from the ashes.” Today, the church struggles to rise from the ashes of crime and poverty. Its struggles are repeated in many inner city parishes across the country. Although the church and the community it serves has been through hard times, it is blessed with a strong and active faith community whose presence has kept life in the area. A number of building and community renewal projects have begun in the area and the parish is beginning to tackle the restoration of its six-building historic complex.
The historic parish is attempting to enter its fourth century in the same manner it was founded, as a forward-looking church embarking on an exciting new adventure. Two statues of the Virgin, daughter of St. Anne, symbolize twin facets of the parish’s personality: St. Anne’s treasures her historic background yet looks forward to the future.
After Vatican Council II, many churches renovated and “modernized,” throwing out many beautiful art objects along with the trivial and non-sacred ornaments. In effect, they threw out the baby with the bath water. Fortunately, by the turbulent post councilor years, the statues at St. Anne’s were already venerable and were spared. One of the loveliest of these depicts Our Lady as a young girl, standing in front of her mother. The titular statue of the church, the image stands on the St. Anne altar. Relics of the saint have been obtained from the ancient shrine of St. Anne Doree in France and from St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec. The altar and statue are the focus of devotions to St. Anne and it is here that written petitions are placed. In the church archives there are numerous records of miracles performed at the shrine.
Painted in delicate, muted colors, St. Anne stands behind her daughter with her hands protectively placed on Mary’s shoulders. The young virgin’s left hand reaches up to touch the hand of her mother. This venerable statue stands as a silent sentinel and is one of the many historical artifacts of the church.
Another statue of Mary, found in the Gabriel Richard chapel, is a bronze grouping depicting the virgin with both her parents. Modern in style with clean, simple lines, it symbolizes the current, forward-looking aims of the church family here. St. Anne and her husband St. Joachim stand protectively behind their pregnant teenage daughter who holds the book of Scriptures over her heart. Behind their child, the couple is holding hands as a sign of their marital unity. The unique image is the creation of the artist Frank Varga. It was cast during the parish’s American Bicentenniel Project in 1976. Frank worked with his father, Ferenc Varga, on the newly dedicated Gabriel Richard Chapel. In addition to the grouping, the Vargas made the tomb for the relics of Richard, the marble furniture in the chapel, the bronze bust of Richard and the large resurrection cross over the altar. Frank says that although he composed the composition, the idea came from the direction of Father Robert Power, csb, with whom the father and son team worked closely on the entire chapel project. Father Power wanted to biblically portray Mary as the Immaculate Conception with both her parents and with the scriptures close to her heart.
The faces of Mary, daughter of St. Anne, seen in the beautiful ecclesiastical art that adorns this jewel of a church in Detroit are like the Virgen herself: venerable, yet always fresh and new.
“Blest is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.”
(Lk. 1:45) The triptych of Anne, Joachim, and Mary tries to express their total trust that the Holy Spirit did indeed overshadow them. Mary is holding the scriptures close to her very pregnant stomach. Joachim and Anne are holding their hands on Mary’s stomach feeling the miracle of the virgin birth. Behind Mary’s back Joachim and Anne were holding their hands together in an act of faith That all will end well.
Such trust led Mary to surrender herself to God. “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be unto me as you say.”
(Lk. 1:38).
- Fr. Robert E. Power, C.S.B. –
Father Power was pastor of Ste Anne in Detroit Michigan from 1971 to 1980.
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