St. Joseph Oratory

St. Joseph Oratory, founded in 1855, is a historic German Catholic church located at 1828 Jay Street in the Eastern Market–Lafayette Park neighborhood area just outside downtown Detroit, on the city's central east side. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and deemed "of national importance" because of its stained glass. Formerly a parish church of the Archdiocese of Detroit, it is presently an oratory dedicated to the celebration of the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite (the Tridentine Mass) under the care of the canons of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.ArchitectureThe Gothic structure of the church, inspired by Himpler´s church St. Katharina (1860-1863) in Wallerfangen (Saarland), had its cornerstone laid in 1870 and was dedicated in 1873, making it one of the oldest extant churches in Detroit. Francis G. Himpler, a Ottweiler (Germany)-born New York architect, designed the building which is considered one of the Midwest's best examples of Victorian Gothic architecture, especially so because the structure is effectively unaltered. The building is distinguished by its stained glass, notable in its intricate designs and wide usage. Also of note is the woodwork, statuary, and original high altar in the interior. St. Joseph Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972; the buildings in the surrounding complex were added in 1992.