Saint Michael the Archangel Church (Monroe, MI)

Saint Michael the Archangel Church (St. Michael Church) is located on the west side of the city of Monroe, Michigan along the River Raisin. It is home to 1,200 families and it is one of most important religious institutes in Monroe County. It was founded in the year 1852. The present building was built from 1866-1867. It is in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Its current priest is Rev. Phillip Ching. When the parish was first established, the mayor of Monroe palatial residence was remodeled as a temporary church. Then in 1866 the cornerstone for the present church was laid. The large 187 foot steeple wasn't added until 1883. In 1874 the 3-story rectory was built east of the church. In 1918 the parish built the present building of St. Michael School which is now apart of Monroe Catholic Elementary Schools. The movement to establish the parish started in 1845 by 14 German immigrants who wanted to worship in their native language. They then purchased the first mayor of Monroe's estate to build the church and it remains the current site of the church.

The inside of the church consists of many beautiful paintings and statues. The stations of the cross inside of the church are very large and one of a kind. St. Michael's has three breathtaking altars. There is an altar dedicated to Mary and Joseph and the main altar. The church was repainted in the late 1990s and the paintings were made to represent how the church once looked in the late 1800s. Hardwood floors were also added in the sanctuary and replaced the carpet that was there. The total cost of the church including the large steeple and beautiful bells was about $40,000. There hasn't been any big renovations to the church since it was built other than that an east entrance on the side of the church was added before it was repainted in the late 1990s. Today St. Michael's stands as one of the most historic and beautiful churches in Monroe.