About

Since our founding in 1873, St. Aloysius Catholic Church has been home to parishioners of all walks of life, from the homeless to the wealthy, and to those living downtown or in the suburbs. Our community is diverse, and our city is growing: we want you to know that if you’re not a part of our community yet, we welcome you and hope you find a home here. St. Aloysius is a place for you to encounter Christ, grow in relationship with Him and with others, and to join us in becoming the hands and feet of Christ to the community around us. 

Before it became a Catholic parish, St. Aloysius was dedicated as a Presbyterian church in 1861. It was later purchased by the Bishop of Detroit, and held its first Catholic service August 24th, 1873. Our church stood before the first street railway was built, before the first public library opened, and even before the first telephone was installed in the city. From its founding, St. Aloysius drew Catholics from all over Detroit. In April of 1930, the church was razed to make way for its present magnificent structure, which stands as a modern-day monument to the history of Catholicism in Detroit.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born the oldest of seven children to aristocrats in Northern Italy in 1568. His father was a Marquis and his mother was a lady-in-waiting to Isabel, the wife of King Phillip II of Spain. As the eldest son of a marquis, his father expected him to become a soldier, which was the norm for the class at that time.