Revival styles referring to medieval architecture dominated in the designs of Polish churches erected in Detroit in the late 19th and early 20th century. This is also the case of St. Josaphat’s Church, whose architecture refers to Romanesque Revival in its late Victorian version. Looking at the silhouette of the church we get the impression that there is not much Romanesque style left in it. It rather depicts the transformation of Romanesque Revival architecture in the USA. Romanesque Revival style first appeared in America before the middle of the 19th century. The building which is regarded as the first example of this style was The Church of the Pilgrims (now the Maronite Cathedral of Our Lady of Lebanon) in Brooklyn Heights, designed by Richard Upjohn and built between 1844 and 1846. Although the style had its followers, it was not much appreciated in America. This was changed by Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886), who studied in Europe and brought from there inspiration for creating his own interpretation of Romanesque Revival, based in part on the rundbogenstil, which was popular in Europe. This architecture achieved great popularity in the USA particularly towards the end of his life and after his death; it was used not only in designing churches, but also public buildings and residences. The architect who was at least initially inspired by the work of H.H. Richardson was Louis Sullivan, the father of American modernism.

The Church of St. Josaphat in Detroit is an effect of this popularity. It was designed in 1899 by Joseph G. Kastler. In the literature there is a reference to the company Kastler & Hunter as the designers of the church, but this seems to be wrong, as the firm was not founded until 1900, when the construction had already begun. The altars were made by the local companies Harcus and Lang Company and Jeremowicz Company. The church was built of red brick and light-colored Bedford limestone. The façade is dominated by a centrally placed large panel with triple windows enclosed by a semicircle, with similar semi-circles used in the profiled portals, which gives the building a Romanesque Revival look. In the structure of the composition of the threetower façade we can see echoes of the Rhineland architecture of the Hohenstauf era, which strengthens its Romanesque Revival character. The dominant feature is the central tower with a very tall spire. It is flanked by lower similarly shaped towers. Despite the great width of the façade, the slender spires and the emphasis on vertical elements make the whole definitely vertical in character. The steeple reaches a height of over 60 meters! The body has a basilica layout with a transept, which is typical of American churches built at the time, regardless of their architectural costume. The building was large, able to accommodate more than 1200 people.

The original painting decoration consists of religious and national motifs. The dominating religious theme is that of sin and repentance: Mary Magdalene, parable of the prodigal son, scene of original sin, Saint Peter’s denial. Above the chancel rail, the place where the Holy Communion is given, there is the scene of the Last Supper and above the main altar the Holy Trinity. There are also depictions of the evangelists and saints.

St. Josaphat’s Church had strong national traditions, it was called the stronghold of Polish faith and patriotism, so it is not surprising that national themes were included in the decoration, mainly in two scenes painted above the arcades of the body near the chancel. A version of Jerzy Kossak’s painting The Battle of Warsaw (Miracle of the Vistula) was painted there in the 1950s, as well as a variation on Włodzimierz Tetmajer’s painting from 1900 Procession in Bronowice, which turns into a pilgrimage to Częstochowa. The vault shows a vision of the Mother of God as Queen of Poland surrounded by saints, mostly those connected with Poland. In the main altar there is a representation of St. Josaphat and Our Lady of Czestochowa. A copy of the image of Our Lady of Czestochowa has been brought from Jasna Góra; above it is a crown symbolizing Mary as Queen of Heaven. The three coats of arms below the painting represent the unity of the Commonwealth – the Polish eagle, the Lithuanian knight and St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of Ruthenia.

St. Josaphat’s was historically the third Polish parish founded in Detroit, after St. Albertus and St. Casimir. In 1889 a committee was established and the preparations for the construction of the church began. One of the parishioners donated a large plot of land for this purpose. The first building housed a church, a convent and an elementary school run by the Polish Felician Sisters. The church was constructed at the end of 1889 and the beginning of 1890, but after 10 years a new church had to be built; its construction was completed in 1900.

In November 2013 a storm seriously damaged the steeple of St. Josaphat’s Church. After ten months the reconstruction and restoration of the steeple was completed and the church was reopened on 13 September, 2014.

Chronology

1889 - establishing the parish

1890 - completion of the first church building starting up the school

1899 - beginning the construction of the present church and presbytery

1900 - completion of the current church

1907 - construction of the convent

1915 - establishing the St. Josaphat High School

1939 - establishing the junior high school and extending the school buildings

1960 - closing the elementary and high schools

1982 - listing the church on the National Register of Historic Places

1985 - listing the church on the Michigan State Historic Site Register

2013 - creating a new Mother of Divine Mercy Parish, clustering the parishes of St. Josaphat, Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Joseph (the latter separated in 2016); damage to the church steeple and closing the church for repairs

2014 - reopening the church

Text originally published in a book issued by the POLONIKA Institute.
Anna Sylwia Czyż, Bartłomiej Gutowski, Paweł Sieradzki, Polish Parishes and Churches in Milwaukke, Winsconsin and Massachusetts, Warszawa 2021, pp. 73-83.