Our History

             The freedom of God’s children regenerated in Jesus Christ and united with him by faith constitutes man’s union from which eminates love of God and man.  Belief in God results in man’s yearning for truth, good and eternal happiness.  It constitutes the basis of the teachings of Christ’s Church, which is the source of man’s rule of life.  Such tenents of the teaching of the Master of Nazareth were expounded from the very beginning of the Polish National Church and practiced by its members.  The Polish National Catholic Church,  as we know it now,  was organized in Scranton, PA., in 1897  and is considered there to have its cradle.

                In the later years of the past century, there came into being many independent Roman Catholic parishes throughout the country.  The main reason for the rise of this movement among the Poles was a deep feeling of injustice.  Since the lay people built and maintained the churches, they felt they should have a say in its ownership and administration, with a pastor of the same ethnic background holding services in their own language.  This, however, was against the established Roman Catholic procedure where only the Bishop had full administrative authority over the parish through his appointed pastor.  Several attempts to unite these independent parishes failed.  However, when Rev. Francis Hodur, a Roman Catholic priest of Nanticoke,  PA.,  was approached by the dissident group, he accepted the call.  A church was built in Scranton, PA., and named St. Stanislaus  Bishop and Martyr.  After Rev. Hodur’s elevation to the episcopacy, this church became the first Cathedral of the Polish National Catholic Church.                                                               


                Due to Bishop Francis Hodur’s dynamic personality and zeal, parishes in the Chicago area and in the Buffalo area united into what we now call the Polish National Catholic Church.  Into this Church the independent parish of All Saints, Detroit, Michigan, agreed to accede.  The All Saints Parish was organized in 1920 by Rev. John Mazur.  The following pastors served its needs:  Fr. John Rog (1920),  Fr. John Toporowski and Fr. Andrew Klusek (1921),  Fr. Francis Gerald (1922-1929) and assisting him were:   Fr. F. Kedzierski (1926),  Fr. Nicholas Bobek (1927),  Fr. Leo Snopczynski and Fr. Casimir Krysinski (1928-1929).

             The ideals and teachings of Bishop Francis Hodur of the Polish National Catholic Church were favorably looked upon by the members of All Saints Parish from it’s very inception.  During the Clergy Conference of the Western Diocese P.N.C.C. held in Milwaukee, WI, in 1925, Bishop Leon Grochowski announced the “Independent” parish of All Saints in Detroit, MI, with its pastor Rev. Francis Gerald declared its readiness to enter into union with the Polish National Catholic Church.  In 1929, the independent parish of All Saints was formally accepted into the fold of the Polish National Catholic Church.  The state charter was obtained on June 10, 1929.

             This new religious entity encountered many internal and external difficulties.  It was the time of the great economic depression.  With deep faith and determination, its members and its pastor, Rev. John Siembida, met the financial obligations and the large indebtedness to Fr. Francis Gerald.  Once again the democratic ideology of the Polish National Catholic Church, prevailing in the hearts of the people, triumphed by overcoming surmounting difficulties.

            In 1937, the old wooden rectory and church buildings were renovated and fences installed.  The church was blessed on October 17, 1937 by the Rt. Rev. Leon Grochowski, Bishop of the Western Diocese of the Polish National Catholic Church.  New altars were blessed in 1941, and in 1942 a parcel of land adjoining the church on Halleck Street was acquired.  In 1947, a new brick rectory was erected.  Wishing for a church building to compliment it, plans were made to build a new brick structure.  Work on it started in 1955.  The Rt. Rev. Joseph Kardas, Bishop Ordinary of the Western Diocese, ceremoniously laid the cornerstone on November 18th  of that year, with the assistance of Pastor Rev. Albert Liska and local clergy, members of the parish and friends.  The new church building was, on completion, blessed by Rt. Rev. Joseph Kardas on November 16, 1956.  A gala banquet commemorating this joyful event was held at a local hall.  On June 21, 1959, the 30th Anniversary of the parish was celebrated with the burning of the mortgage.  Attending this occasion was the Rt. Rev. Francis Rowinski, Bishop Ordinary of the Western Diocese.

    
    1955 Ground breaking ceremony.        Mitchell & Halleck, Detroit, MI               Inside the old church.

The parish property was augmented with the purchase, by the Maria Konopnicka Society, of two adjacent homes on Mitchell Street in 1962 and in 1972.  A separate cemetery section was obtained at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Van Dyke in Detroit, where along with those of Holy Cross Parish, Hamtramck, many of our beloved members lay at rest.

                In 1989, All Saints purchased property on 17 Mile Road in Sterling Heights for the purpose of building a new church.  In April 1990, the church, rectory, parish hall, and the two homes on Mitchell Street were sold.   On Sunday, October 21, 1990, the land was blessed during a groundbreaking by: Rt. Rev. Joseph Zawistowski, Bishop Ordinary of the Western Diocese, with the assistance of local clergy: Father Senior Gabriel Grzesik, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish; Very Rev. Joseph Tomczyk, Pastor of Our Savior Parish; Rev. Edward Sobolewski, Pastor of Holy Cross Parish; and Rev. Zygmunt Medrek, Pastor of All Saints Parish.

   
       Oct. 1990 Phil Szydlowski & Dwight Berend breaking ground.          Mass & blessing of the grounds by
                                                                                                                  members and clergy of the Western
                                                                                                                  Diocese.
                                                                                                                  
            From May 1990 until June 1992, while All Saints Parish was without its own building, masses were held at Holy Cross Church.  At that time parish committee meetings were held at the home of Frank and Genevieve Kozlowski.  Meetings of the Altar and Maria Konopnicka Societies took place at the home of Chester and Sophie Szydlowski.

            In 1990, the Parish Committee, headed by Dwight Berend, along with Rev. Medrek, hired architect Carl Gaiser to design the new church.  In 1991, a design was soon selected and Oak Builders was chosen as the contractor to begin construction on the new church. The church and parish hall, along with the rectory, were completed in June 1992.  All of the parish Societies and parishioners took part in the work and expenses of building the new facilities.  The new church was Blessed and dedicated on September 12, 1992 by Prime Bishop John Swantek, with the assistance of Western Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Joseph Zawistowski, and local Polish National Catholic Church clergy; Very Reverend Senior Joseph Tomczyk, Very Reverend Senior Gabriel Grzesik, Reverend Edward Sobolewski and All Saints Pastor, Reverend Zygmunt Medrek.  Rev. Dr. Zygmunt Medrek retired in 2000.  Fr. Jacek Soroka was the pastor until 2006.  Fr. Jacek Zebrowski was pastor in 2006 and 2007.  Father Raymond Drada was appointed pastor of All Saints in 2007.
 
 
1990 Building of new church & rectory.   June, 1992 Church completed.     2011 All Saints Parish today.

The list of Parish Committee Chairpersons is as follows: