The Basilica of Ste. Anne de Détroit dates back to 1701 when French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and his ensemble of artisans, soldiers, and priests founded the Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit.
Site History
Among the first structures was a small chapel dedicated on July 26, 1701, the feast day of Sainte Anne. Although the earliest records were destroyed in a fire, a registry has been maintained since 1704 making Ste. Anne de Détroit the second oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in the U.S.
In 1818, the Basilica was forced to leave downtown Detroit and the new parish complex was built on the western edge of the city directly across the river from its French daughter parish of Notre de l’Assomption in Windsor, Ontario. The five building complex was built in the hope that the linguistically-besieged community could better survive. The final structure features many artifacts from the original church. Among the items moved to the current building are the 1818 cornerstone, the altar in the chapel, the interior communion rail, the Beaubien Bell, and the statue of Sainte Anne and Mary. Also, the grisaille windows were removed from the earlier church and hold the oldest stained glass found in Detroit.
The basilica has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. Former Consul General of France, Guillaume Lacroix, described the complex as “Detroit’s French Historic District.”
About the Project
The restoration of the carillon is the next step in the Basilica’s renovation efforts. It was installed in 1901 to mark the 200th anniversary of Cadillac’s arrival and founding of the Ste Anne de Détroit parish.
The eleven bells in the carillon were each given a proper name following the example of the bells of Notre Dame de Paris. The largest bell, named Sancta Anna, is inscribed with the names of the donors, including many prominent French families who founded Detroit. The second largest Bell, Sancta Maria, prominently includes the name of French-American architect Léon Coquard, who designed the Saint Anne de Detroit church in 1886.
The original mechanism controlling the carillon has not properly functioned for 50 years. The restoration efforts will include modernizing the carillon to function with new technology to control and program a large variety of tunes, controlled remotely by a smart phone. The audio reminder of the heritage of the Strait will resound across the strait symbolizing another step in the renaissance of the city of Detroit.
The Basilica Today
The parish has gone through many changes in its 300-plus years of history. The basilica stands today as an active parish, shrine, historical treasure and landmark in a revitalized, multi-ethnic, bilingual neighborhood.
One February 22, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI named Sainte Anne as the patroness of the Archdiocese of Detroit. In 2013, a building assessment was completed by the Archdiocese of Detroit with an eye toward a future restoration. On April 19, 2017, Archbishop Allen Vigneron decreed Ste. Anne Church to be the official Archdiocesan Shrine to Sainte Anne.
On March 1, 2020 Archbishop Vigneron announced that Pope Francis named Ste. Anne Church a minor basilica. The Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit is one of 89 churches in the United States, and only the third church in Michigan, to hold the title of minor basilica.
