Earlier this month, we went to Detroit. It was just a day trip, there and back. We asked our friend “Chad,” aka ChatGPT, to plan the day for us. He did an amazing job. He even chose a great breakfast place! Most of the trip was centered around Catholic Shrines and places of interest. We were also scheduled to visit the Ford Rouge Museum and F-150 assembly line, but we got stuck in I-94 stopped traffic for too long, so our window for that visit closed. Please read the photo captions below. You may want to ZOOM IN on some of the pics. Thanks for following along!!
Stop number 1… “Chad” suggested The Lux Cafe in Battle Creek, MI.
Stop number 2… The exterior of The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The altar and aspe inside the cathedral.
Beautiful stained glass windows depicting events of Jesus’ life as well as scenes from the old and new testaments. The statues of the twelve apostles of Christ were life sized and beneath each statue was a relic of that apostle and a brief story of who they were, how they died and a description of the relic.
A relic of the Apostle St Peter. It is a fragment of his bone.
A small reliquary in the chapel adjoining the cathedral. The relics (L to R): a blood-stained cloth from St. Padre Pio (remember, Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar, had the stigmata), a fragment of the True Cross from the cross of Christ’s crucifixion, and a chip of rock believed to have been touched by St Michael.
We had full access to the entire cathedral. In this pic, we were in the very large and beautiful sacristy, where the priests vest for Mass. This is a pic of several of the censers or thuribles. Ken, especially, loves the smell of burning incense.
The front of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Stop number 3… A votive candle wall. We lit a candle here for the intentions of all of our We RVery Blessed followers.
The chapel inside the Capuchin Friars St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit.
Stop number 4… The Shrine of St. Joseph in Detroit. This is a confessional box. The priest sits in the middle, and the penitents would sit/kneel on either side. We still use these today, but most are much more modern. Same sacrament of reconciliation, though!
A beautiful pulpit at the Shrine of St Joseph. The gospel is proclaimed from this perch and the homily may also be deliverd from here.
A replica Pieta. The longer you look at it, the more emotion you’ll feel.
The exterior of the Shrine of St. Joseph. Peep Chris.
The shrine is undergoing some renovations and improvements. Here, workers are maintaining the spire.
Final Stop… The Ypsilanti Historical Society and Archives building in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This was a great stop! The house was built in 1860. It is incredibly well preserved. It had servant steps that rose through all three levels. Lots of fun period things to see and experience.
Apparently, quilting and storing quilts was a big thing back in the 1860s. This is just one of SIX or more quilt cabinets!
