On Sunday, February 17, Detroit's historic St. Albertus Church celebrated its first Extraordinary Form Mass since Vatican II. Situated two blocks down the street from the parishes it spawned, St. Josaphat and Sweetest Heart of Mary, St. Albertus is the mother church of Detroit's Polish community. Founded in 1872, St. Albertus became the nucleus of local Polish Catholicism: The Felician Sisters' motherhouse and Ss. Cyril & Methodius Polish Seminary opened their first locations on adjacent property. Karol Cardinal Wojtyla celebrated Mass there in August, 1976, before becoming Pope.
Closed as a parish in 1990, St. Albertus was sold to a group of former parishioners who, with the blessing of the Archdiocese of Detroit, continue to hold regular Masses and events there. Put together by St. Josaphat pastor Fr. Mark Borkowski, this Mass attracted one of the largest crowds St. Albertus has seen in years. St. Albertus leaders hope to continue to host EF Masses as a way of worshipping God in the manner in which Holy Mass was celebrated there for most of the parish's history.
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