Epiphany RC Parish School Detroit, Michigan (1924 - 1989)
<http://epiphanyparish.blogspot.com>
Why an Epiphany blog?
Well, as a retired teacher and a professional genealogist- I know
we forget to document our own lives. It’s ironic that on my trips to Poland I’ve visited the parishes where my
great great grandparents were baptized, wed, and buried. But in Detroit,
I cannot visit the parishes of my grandparents, parents nor my own parish- Epiphany church and school closed in 1989.
So, as a birthday present for my childhood friend Judica, and a Salute! to our buddy Mary who we
reunited with after many, many years, I set up a blog in December, 2007. Alumni are welcome to meet and reminisce about growing
up on Detroit's west side. I hope old neighbors will post their memoires of A&E Grocery, Podsaidlo’s Drug Store,
and Dave’s Dime Store.
I was intrigued when I read that Thaddeus Radzilowski, Ph.D. listed Epiphany as
a parish with a high Polish membership. It made me take a second look at my childhood community. We didn’t have language
lessons, folk dances nor celebrate Polish feast days in school. But at home, my mother often served gołąbki, zrazy
nicknamed “myszki”, and mizeria. Holiday
meals were never complete until the czernina and kiełbasa were served. I listened to my grandparents and parents speak
Polish when they wanted to keep us out of the conversation. I am currently
gathering records and stories to document the Polish families in the community.
Fellow Arcadia author and Epiphany alum and Pol-Am Richard Bak
helped me start a list of surnames of Pol-Ams at Epiphany. I am sure the list will grow. Ethnic Poles use the following surnames.
I cannot vouch that each of these families at Epiphany considered themselves Polish.
Bak ,Berzanskis,
Bloenk, Boroswski, Borsak, Borowski, Cerwinski, Cerpilowski, Ciak , Cieslik, Czapski, Dombrowski, Drozdzewski, Duba, Dutka,
Duzniewaski, Frankowski, Goralski, Glowacki, Haller, Jarzombek, Jancheski, Karas, Kuras, Kornak, Krzesowik,
Kaczmarek, Korzecke, Kosla,
Kroll , Krolik, Krzysiak, Krzyszczak, Kucik, Kowalski, Kaluzny, Kolasynski, Kruzel, Kachinski,
Kurta, Kempf, Knechtges, Luczynski, Lukasak, Lach, Maksymowicz, Malicke, Mickiewicz, Nabozny, Nebroski, Nowak, Nadolski, Obidinski,Oleskowicz,
Panczak, Podsaidlo , Przytulski, Ososke, Piotrowski,
Ralko, Rembowski, Susalla, Shulzitski, Sobieski, Sekula, Sroka, Sulla, Swirski, Sochacki, Selasky, Topolewski,
Truba, Troshynski, Wendt, Zynda.
A short history of the parish published in Upon this Rock,
1953.
Epiphany Parish was established in May, 1924. Our first pastor was Father Leo J. Chapman who served the parish
faithfully and well until his death in September. 1939. Father Chapman said the first Masses in a tent on the parish grounds
with about 35-40 people in attendance.
Late in 1924 the south half of the basement of the present Church was opened
for Masses while contraction of the basement continued. The basement Church was completed in 1927 and Masses were heard regularly
until the Church building was completed in 1934. The basement was then converted into a parish hall.
Upon the death of Father
Chapman, we were fortunate in securing the services of Father Jordan who is known and loved by all of us. Father Jordan's
history included the following: Ordained - 1913; Assistant at River Rouge 1913-1918; Pastor at Charlotte and Missions 1918-1919;
Pastor at Hastings 1919-1929; Pastor of St. Mary's Adrian 1929-1940; Pastor at Epiphany , June 1940.
Father
Jordan has three capable assistants in Father Edward O-Reilly who came to us from St. Cecilia's, Father William Sherzer
who served at St. Theresa's, and Father Gerald Flannigan whose service at Epiphany is his first appointment.
Our school
opened on September 7, 1926 with an enrollment of 225 pupils. The faculty numbered four Sisters: Sister M. Ethel, Sister Francis
Albert, Sister Agnes Leo, and Sister Muriel. The Principal was Sister Marie Benedict. All the sisters are Sisters of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary. In 1952 we have a staff of fifteen teachers; fourteen Sisters and a lay teacher Mrs. Maloney. The Principal
is Sister M. Rosaria and the present enrollment is 765 pupils.
The convent is two units, the first unit built in 1928 and
the second in 1936.
The original rectory was located at 9881 Mendota, then 9903 Mendota until the present Rectory was
completed in July, 1949.
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