Saint Florian Parish was founded in 1907 to serve the Detroit area's rapidly expanding Polish Catholic community. Its first pastor was the Rev. Bernard Zmijewski, who was an immigrant from Poznan in northwest Poland.  Ground for the church was broken in March, 1908.  The cornerstone of the church was laid on July 12, 1908.   By the 1920's Saint Florian was the second largest Catholic parish in Detroit, and it required a larger church.  The Reverend John Bonkowski hired Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram to design the building, inspired by Gothic churches of the Middle Ages. The church's medieval style contrasted with the modern industrial community.  Nowakowski and Sons of Hamtramck built the church, and the J.M. Kase Company made the stained glass in its New York studio.  The working-class parishioners sacrificed to build the church and somehow raised the 500,000 pre-Depression dollars for construction.  In 1929 American Architect magazine named it the best new church in America.  

Those are the facts.  This beautiful album was published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the parish in 2008.
Over 100 pages or black and white and color historical photos, including architectural drawings.  Text in Polish and English.

NOTE: $50.00 of this price is donated directly to St. Florian Parish!