DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Detroit’s oldest existing and continuously operated church, Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church on East Jefferson Avenue, is celebrating its 175th anniversary.

“… We have a legacy worth rejoicing in,” said Debbie Miszak, a parishioner, earlier this month. “I can’t wait to celebrate this amazing community — one that has grown and changed so much over the course of 175 years — and its commitment to faith, service, and togetherness.”

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The ground on which the church now stands was purchased by Bishop Peter Paul Lefevre in 1843. Construction was completed and the church was consecrated as Detroit’s Catholic Cathedral on June 29, 1848. Eventually, the title to the building was given to the Jesuit Order for the founding of Detroit’s first Catholic college. This school became the University of Detroit-Mercy, and its law school still occupies the building adjacent to the church.

Throughout its history, Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church has hosted 15,000 baptisms and 7,000 weddings. Amanda Pierzynski and Peter Phillips were the 7,000th couple to be married in the church, celebrating their wedding on June 10.

The church offers weekly Sunday mass and other community service events, such as food drives and hospitality groups. One of its recent events included the Freedom Walk, commemorating the march in Detroit led by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Fr. Gary Wright, parish pastor, said he’s looking forward to what’s in store over the coming years.

“Sharing the story of Saints Peter and Paul’s past has made me more in awe than ever of the great people on whose shoulders we stand, and the great legacy we’ve inherited,” he said. “But perhaps even more awesome is the potential we have now as a young and growing presence in downtown Detroit.”