Highlights of History: St. Dennis Parish

Click these links to view highlights for a certain year :
1950's | 1960's | 1970's | 1980's | 1990's | 2000's

1950

  • Edward Cardinal Mooney established St. Dennis Parish on June 15.
  • Fr. John P. Wagner was appointed Pastor.
  • Rt. Rev. Msgr. (then Father) Albert Matyn was week-end assistant – later Fr. Paul R. Hennes also helped on week-ends.
  • Land for the present parish plant was purchased. (the original site of St, Dennis Parish was at Campbell Rd. and Gardenia Avenue, Royal Oak.)

1951

  • Church and Rectory built. The Church seating 450 with room for 200 more in the auditorium behind the Altar.
  • First Mass in the Church, November 1, 1951
  • Parish Blood Bank established.

1952

  • Fr. Andrew Paul Pawelczak (Fr. Paul) assigned as Assistant.
  • Fr. Reginald Krakowski in residence.
  • Fr. James P. O’Hagan week-end help.

1953

  • Additional land purchased for parish plant (Lots on Stephenson Hwy.)
  • Church dedicated by Cardinal Mooney on April 22.

1954

  • Purchased two homes on Symes Court for use as temporary Convents.
  • Erected garage at Rectory.

1955

  • Started construction on 16 classroom school.
  • Erected an addition to existing Church building.
  • Fr. Paul transferred.
  • Fr. Edward L. Lillian appointed as assistant.

1956

  • Grades 1 to 4 began classes in St. Dennis School, September.
  • 6 Sisters of St. Joseph, Nazareth, Michigan with Sr. Mary Alfred as Principal and 5 lay teachers. Enrollment 477.
  • Fr. Reginald Krakowski reassigned.
  • Fr. Arthur J. Bell here temporarily.

1957

  • Grades 5 and 6 added to school. Three additional Sisters came and 2 more lay teachers. Enrollment 616.
  • Parking lot built and black topped.
  • Father Frederic George assigned as assistant.
  • Father Arthur Lowry also came as assistant.

1958

  • Father Francis J. Begue came, temporarily, to replace Fr. Lowry who was transferred.
  • Father Lawrence A. Edwards replaced Fr. Begue.

1959

  • Work began on an 8 classroom addition to St. Dennis School and the Cafeteria.
  • Father James C. FitzGerald replaces Fr. Edwards.
  • Father Hector J. Saulino succeeds Father Wagener, as pastor.
  • St. Dennis Parish Credit Union established.
  • Grade 7 added to school, enrollment now 920.
  • John Dearden appointed Archbishop of Detroit

1960

  • Ground broken for new Convent

1961

  • Bishop Folley High School property purchased jointly with Guradian Angel Parish, Clawson. Fr. Daniel O’Sullivan appointed here.
  • Pre-School Sunday School begun.
  • Fr. James Curley here temporary.

1962

  • Sr. Francis Catherine, S.S.J. replaced Sr. Alfred as Principal of St. Dennis School.
  • 1 acre of additional ground purchased at Foley site.
  • Parish Library started.

1963

  • Fr. Frank Thompson replaces Fr. FitsGerald.
  • Church redecorated and Sanctuary modernized.
  • New parking lot (west side of property) made and Bellaire Street driveway opened.

1964

  • Broke ground for Bishop Foley High School.
  • St. Dennis Bus committee established and 5 buses purchased by Committee.
  • Broke ground for Credit Union Building.
  • Sr. Joan Gibbons (Mary Jogues) replaced Sr. Francis Catherine as Principal of St. Dennis School.

1965

  • Fr. Valentine Kurmaniak replaces Fr. Daniel O’Sullivan.
  • Fr. David West assigned here.
  • Bishop Foley High School opened with 9th Grade.

1966

  • Fathers Thompson and Kurmaniak transferred.
  • Fr. Michael McGough assigned here.
  • Fr. Dennis Harrity, Principal of Shrine High School, in residence and week-end help.

1967

  • Construction begun on second phase of Bishop Foley High School.

1968

  • Fr. Joseph Bauer replaces Fr. West.

1969

  • Parish Council Steering Committee formed to work towards formation of a Parish Council.
  • First Bishop Foley High School 12th grade graduated.
  • Sr. Millicent, S.S.J. replaces Sr. Joanne as principal of St. Dennis School.
  • Saturday evening Masses begun.

1970

  • Parish Council formed and installed.
  • Fr. Saulino resigns as pastor.
  • Frs. Harrity, McGough and Lawrence Jackson appointed as co-pastors to succeed him.

1971

  • Expansion of full-time staff to include Miss Anne Evans as Relgious Education Director and Sr. Melanie as Liturgy coordinator.

1972

  • Sr. Margaret Wetmore, S.S.J. becomes principal of St. Dennis School.

1973

  • Parish-wide vote approves plan for major remodeling of church building.
  • Sunday Mass celebrated in the cafeteria for nine months while church is remodeled
  • Parish offices transferred to north end of convent building.

1974

  • The new church is dedicated by Cardinal Dearden, January 24
  • Mr. Frederick DeRoche becomes Religious Education Coordinator.
  • Fr. Arnold Bastien replaces Fr. Jackson as co-pastor.
  • Fr. John Nowlan is temporary assistant.

1975

  • Parish Celebration of 25th Anniversary.
  • Fr. Bastien transferred.
  • Kindergarten program inaugurated in school.
  • Jo McDonald added to Parish Staff as Christian Service Coordinator

1976

  • Steering Committee formed to restructure Parish Council.
  • Fr. Daniel Thottakara is temporary assistant.
  • Fr. James Cronk replaces Fr. McGough as co-pastor.

1977

  • Miss Carol McPharlin becomes Religious Education coordinator.
  • Fr. Robert Goodrow replaces Fr. Cronk as co-pastor.
  • Fr. Dans returns to India.
  • Virginai Trabold becomes Christian Service Coordinator.

1978

  • Parish Together in Ministry Program
  • New Parish Council constitution approved.
  • Restructured Parish Council Installed on Pentecost Sunday.

1979

  • Sister Karen Hawver, S.C. becomes Principal of St. Dennis School. Communion under both forms offered in Parish on weekends.

1980

  • Sister Donna Butler, S.P. becomes Parish Christian Service Coordinator.

1981

  • 25th Anniversary of St. Dennis School.
  • Edmund Scoka appointed as Archbishop of Detroit
  • Provincial pre-marriage guidelines prompt parish marriage preparation program: Perspective

1982

  • Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) begins in the Archdiocese on First Sunday of May.

1983

  • 150th Anniversary Celebration of the Archdiocese of Detroit

1984

  • Paul Panaretos, assigned to St. Dennis as Deacon in June, Ordained Priest in December.
  • Sr. Joan Kusak becomes Christian Service Coordinator
  • Fr. Robert Goodrow transferred.
  • Fr. Roanld Essman becomes Associate Pastor.

1985

  • Fr. Paul Panaretos transferred.
  • Michael Woroniewicz, assigned to St. Dennis as Deacon in June, Ordained Priest in December.
  • Eastwood Residential Clinic Leases South end and Second Floor of Convent Building.

1986

  • Fr. Ronald Essman – Fr. Michael Woroniewicz transferred.
  • Fr. Donald Sopiak becomes Associate Pastor.

1987

  • Fr. Harrity transferred
  • Fr. John Christ replaces Fr. Harrity as Pastor.

1988

  • Sr. Connie Parran, I.H.M. becomes Religious Service Coordinator.

1989

  • Fr. Sopiak transferred.
  • Fr. Bogdan Milosz becomes Associate Pastor.
  • Mrs. Bernadette Gutowski becomes Religious Education Coordinator.

1990

  • Renovation of the Church becomes complete, are now working in the Parish Ofiice.
  • Rectory to be built before end of the year. School renovations to follow.

1991

  • Renovation on the Parish Office is complete. Working now on the Rectory and School renovation to follow.

1992

  • Fr. Bogdan Milosz transferred.
  • Fr. William Carnago becomes Associate Pastor.
  • Rectory is complete and furnished. School renovation have begun.
  • Cheryl Hermann became principal of St. Dennis School.

1993

  • School renovations are complete
  • Fr. William Carnago is transferred. He is now attending Catholic University in Washington D.C.
  • Fr. William Promesso becomes Associate Pastor

1994

  • Fr. William Promesso is transferred. Fr. Gerard Thaar, OSC becomes Associate Pastor

1995

  • Fr. James Meyer is no longer assisting at St. Dennis. Fr. Richard Leliaert is regularly assisting.

1996

  • Sr. Melanie Chateau, O.P. Coordinator of Liturgy, enters eternal life August 10.

1997

  • Windows installed in church building and millennium art project initiated.

1998

  • Murals on back wall of church completed. Work on front triptych begun by artist.

1999

  • Triptych and the murals on both east and west sides of church completed.
  • Baptismal font is situated in gathering area. Work begun on the enlarged Blessed sacrament chapel. Sr. Connie retires. Mr. Michael Reece becomes principal.

2000

  • Mrs. Christine Wagberg replaces Mrs. Bernadette Gutowski as Director of Religious Education.
  • Dr. Elizabeth Krouse is Music Director
  • Fr. Lawrence Ventline assists at two of the 6:00 p.m. liturgies each month.
  • Social Hall is newly painted and newly tiled.

2001

  • Mr. Joseph Lindquist is our part-time Music Director.
  • Janina Jacobs continues to be our supply oprganist
  • The First Ecclesiastic Art Exhibition held in October will be an annual event.

2002

  • Fr. Jerry Thaar, OSC, is transferred to Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Fr. Antonio F. Ong is appointed Associate Pastor.

 2003

  • The prayer garden on the east side of the church is completed with the Crucifix, Holy Family statues and the Stations of the Cross removed during the renovation. 
  • The Ecclesiastic Art Exhibit was held.  This will be an annual event.

2004

  • We have welcomed a large number of Vietnamese families to St. Dennis and to the celebration of a Sunday Noon Mass in Vietnamese. 
  • Rev. Mr. Francis Xavier Doan Ngoc Chau has been assigned to St. Dennis as deacon 
  • Fr. John Christ is coordinator for the RCIA. 
  • The decoration of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is nearing completion.  The artist is Alexander Zorin. 
  • Mr Kevin Oberle is our part-time Music Director. 
  • Ms Christine Paluch replaces Mr. Michael Reece as principal of St. Dennis School.

2005

  • Mr. Dan McAfee replaces Joe Lindquist as Musician at 6:00pm Mass.
  • New altar furniture and processional cross installed.
  • Work continues on the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

2006

  • St. Dennis Child Development Center (SDCDC) opened on September 5th, 2006.

2007

  • Mr. William Dogan is hired as the new principal of St. Dennis School.

2008  

  • Mr. Gregory Pilarski, is hired as the new principal of St. Dennis School.

2010

  • St. Dennis Grade School closes at the end of the school year

2012

  • April 18, 2012 Fr. Tony Ong returns to the Philippines and a new ministry
  • June 30, 2012 Fr. John Christ, OSC, retires as pastor
  • July 1, 2012, St. Dennis clusters with St. Vincent Ferrer in Madison Heights.  Liturgy schedules are combined and Fr. John Esper is appointed pastor of St. Dennis with Fr. Bob Malloy, OFMCap. and Vietnamese priests helping with weekend liturgies
  • November 25, 2012 - Closing Mass and Ceremonies celebrated by Msgr. John Zenz, Con-celebrants: Fr. John Esper, Fr. Bob Malloy, OFMCap., and Fr. Paul Chateau.  Deacon Francis Xavier Doan Chau assisted.