Explore the fascinating history of Detroit's
Gesu Catholic Church and School
through the images and stories of the people who were there.
In a reconfigured farmhouse just a mile outside of the city limits of Detroit, a Jesuit priest and 25 men, women, and children gathered to celebrate Sunday mass on March 19, 1922.
The Reverend John McNichols named the Catholic mission church
Gesu
, the Italian word for
Jesus
.
became one of Detroit's landmark parishes. Its history illustrates the
Motor City's
boom, bust, resilience, and resurgence. It was the home parish of four Detroit mayors, powerful members of Congress, auto industry titans, sports legends, artists, authors, and actors. At its peak in the mid-1960s,
School enrolled 1,600 students. Because of Detroit's decline and its racial and economic struggles, Gesuis one of only four Catholic elementary schools that remain in the city. But as Detroit rebounds,
Gesu School
is growing again.
Author Patricia Montemurri is an award-winning Detroit journalist whose in-laws were the church's architects and stained-glass designers.
Gesu's
history unfolds here through vintage photographs from the parish archives, the
Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
, the
University of Detroit Mercy
Walter P. Reuther Library
Michigan Catholic
, and the albums of
parishioners and graduates.