Catholic Church, City of Grand Rapids, Kent Co, MI

The Catholic Church of my childhood was ethnic in nature as was the City. Before Vatican II no Protestant set foot in a Catholic Church. Have to admit I am enjoying exploring these churches in a respectful manner. At least they are pretty cooperative with ignorant folks. I started my journey at St. Adalbert's.

Unlike the Protestant churches which ran to the suburbs the Catholic Church has stood fast in the Central City.

                                      ^Google             

I drew in the ethnic neighborhoods that I remember as a child except the Irish who were everywhere but one of the Catholic books, maybe Fr.  McGee's, said the Irish lived out in the country along Bridge Street. I remember a Danish Hall south of Bridge Street near the river and north of Fulton St. I knew an Arab family from Lebanon and an Armenian family who lived on the West Side but don't know where they went to church. Only knew where they worked.

I have to admit that I knew why there were three Dutch neighborhoods as I could tell the difference from the houses.
The Dutch who lived on the right of the map, were the upper class Dutch who lived in the finest houses near Calvin College.
The Dutch who lived on the top of the map were the skilled tradesmen.
The Dutch who lived on the lower left part of the map were the unskilled laborers and many of them were  -gasp- Catholic.
They lived in the smallest homes on narrow winding streets but had the best shops.

I knew there were three Polish neighborhoods but their houses looked the same. Now I know that the Polish who lived near ST. Adalbert's were from the German-controlled portion of Poland and they worked in the furniture factories.
The Polish who lived near St. Isidore's worked in the brick yards.
The Polish who lived near Sacred Heart worked in the gypsum mines and came from the Austrian-controlled portion of Poland. I lived in that neighborhood as an adult. They thought they were better than the other Poles.

I also didn't understand the west side Italian neighborhood. My high school principal, Mr. Romulus V. Romani, was from the West Side. One of the Catholic books identified the Our Ladies of Sorrows as Sicilians and the West Side as from the area around Rome. The Romans attended St. James. 

I drew in the approximate location of each church on each plat map. It is not meant to have any legal meaning.

"There is little point in stressing the merely material development of parochial buildings as if that were all that constitutes a parish. It is the staunch Catholic families, and the earnest Christian parents instructing the next generation in the Faith which they themselves received from their parents, which make for healthy Catholic life.^{" McGee}

Churches as seen From Lookout Park

1. 1835 - St Andrews Cathedral -  French-Canadian.