The record group includes church registers, baptismal records, and death and marriage records dating from 1704 to 1842.
Ste. Anne Parish.
Ste. Anne Parish was established on July 26, 1701, the feast day of Ste. Anne, by the French settlers who traveled from Quebec to modern-day Detroit with the explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who had founded Fort Pontchartrain two days earlier. The first parish priests, who traveled with Cadillac, were the Jesuit Rev. Francois Valliant and the Franciscan Rev. Nicholas Constantine del Halle, who is remembered as the parish's first pastor. The original church, located at Jefferson and Griswold, was destroyed by fire in 1703 along with the original sacramental records. One of the oldest surviving sacramental records documented the baptism of Marie Therese Cadillac in 1704; she was the explorer's daughter and the first white child born in what would become Detroit. From 1802-1832, Rev. Gabriel Richard served as pastor of Ste. Anne Parish. Rev. Richard also printed the first newspaper in Michigan, the Observer, co-founded what became the University of Michigan and served as a delegate to the United States Congress from the Michigan Territory, the first clergyman to serve in such a capacity. Rev. Richard died on September 13, 1832, a victim of the cholera epidemic; he is buried in the chapel at Ste. Anne Church. Ste. Anne served as the first diocesan cathedral from 1833-1848. The remains in the cemetery were transferred to Mt. Elliott Cemetery in 1869. The cornerstone of the current Ste. Anne Church was laid in 1886 and construction was completed in 1887; it is the eighth church built for the parish; the architect was Leon Conquard. The communion rail and altar from the 1818 church, built by Rev. Richard, are still in use at the parish. Ste. Anne Parish is the second oldest continuous parish in the United States; the oldest is St. Augustine Parish in St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565. The Basilian Fathers came to Ste. Anne Parish on July 15, 1886 and served the parish until 2012. In the 1960s, Ste. Anne Church was threatened with demolition as the parish faced nearly $750,000 in renovation costs. The elementary school closed in 1971 and the high school closed in 1987. Ste. Anne Parish celebrated its tercentennial in 2001.
Most Holy Trinity Parish
Most Holy Trinity Parish was founded in 1834 as the first English-speaking church in the City of Detroit, to serve the former parishioners of city's other parish: the French-speaking Ste. Anne Parish. The original church building, a former Presbyterian church that stood at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Larned Street, was moved to the area near Bates and Cadillac Square. In 1834, Most Holy Trinity Church was converted to a hospital to treat victims of the cholera epidemic under the guidance of Reverend Martin Kundig. The church was consecrated in 1835 with Reverend Bernard O'Cavanagh as its first pastor. In 1849, Most Holy Trinity moved to the Corktown area of Detroit at Sixth and Porter to serve the growing Irish population of the city. The original church was torn down in 1855 and the current church, designed by Patrick Keeley, was erected and consecrated on October 29, 1866. Most Holy Trinity Elementary School was established in 1838 by Reverend Francis Peeters. Monsignor Clement Kern served the community at Most Holy Trinity from 1943, when he was named assistant, until he retired in 1977. Monsignor Kern served the mostly poor, mainly Hispanic community of Most Holy Trinity, helping to establish and maintain social organizations such as the St. Frances Cabrini Clinic. He lent his voice to the United Farm Workers Union and United Auto Workers of America.
