St. Joseph Church

Impressive as the exterior of St. Joesph's Catholic Church is, the interior is stunning. Built by a largely French congregation, it is often open and well worth a visit.

Lake Linden's French-Canadian community was already 50 years old, with some very prosperous members, in 1910 when it was building this beautiful, twin-towered church, its fourth church building. It's a remarkable church in many ways —for its size and prominence in the townscape, akin to a European church's; for its nearly intact pre-Vatican II interior replete with heavenly scenes with clouds, and a row or two or decorative electric lights; for its windows depicting key scenes from the life of Christ and some saints, including Joan of Arc; and for its outstanding music.

The large Cassavant organ was expanded by noted Michigan organ builder James Lauk. Organist and music director David Short has successfully developed competent congregational singing, not mumbling, and the Mass is actually sung! It's all a treat for Catholics who look back fondly on the church in the 1950s. (The homilies, it should be said, are quite up-to-date.)

The church has two facades. The east façade was designed to face the lake. (That part of the lake is now the high school football field.) In 1910, the fledgling Michigan Highway Department changed the highway route to its present location, to eliminate some twists. So the church built another, even more impressive facade on the west.

St. Joseph is one of those Michigan parishes that are the historic hearts of ethnic communities now widely dispersed. Thus it was possible to raise some half a million dollars for the church's and organ's recent renovations.

701 Calumet/M-26. (906) 296-4191. Visitors welcome weekdays after Mass until about 2:45. Sunday Mass 8 and 10 a.m. Weekday Mass at 7 a.m. in summer, 8 a.m. otherwise. Wheelchair-accessible.

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