SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church
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“Twenty-eight years ago the increasing need of a new parish in the southern portion of the city, resulted in the formation of SS. Peter and Paul Church, and the erection in 1888 of a substantial brick edifice on the corner of Wyne and Fayette Street.”
-James C. Mills, History of Saginaw County Michigan, published 1918.
As Saginaw City and East Saginaw became great lumbering centers in the second half of the nineteenth century, their populations grew rapidly - as did the number of churches in the cities. By the 1880s, Saginaw City’s St. Andrew’s was too small to serve the needs of the community, and a second parish was formed for parishioners living south of Court Street; additional parishes had already been formed in the city of East Saginaw. The cornerstone laying for a new Catholic Church in the Sixth Ward was held on June 12, 1887. The Saginaw Evening News reported:
“Yesterday the exercises of laying the cornerstone of the Sixth Ward Catholic church were held and the church named Sts. Peter and Paul. Several societies in connection with the churches here and in East Saginaw gathered at St. Andrew’s Academy between 2 and 3 o’clock, and shorty after 3 the procession formed and moved to Fayette street, where the church is located. Everything passed off very smoothly.” *
After listing the participants in the procession and describing the ceremony in detail, the article noted: “It was 6 o’clock before the ceremonies were concluded. Fully 3,000 people participated.”
Newspaper articles suggest that fundraising for the building was pursued with passion; however, it was a challenging task that dictated the pace of construction. As the summer of 1887 came to a close, an article appeared in the paper:
“The new Sixth Ward Catholic Church will be enclosed by the 1st of December, but it is not yet decided whether the work of finishing will be pushed, as that will depend on whether funds can be raised.” (Saginaw Evening News, September 14, 1887.)
It would take over a year to complete the new church. However, its dedication, on October 21, 1888, was celebrated with enthusiasm as the crowd was estimated at 1,000 – perhaps a little beyond the capacity of the new church. Saginaw architect F.W. Hollister is credited with the structure’s design. It was described in the paper:
“The church building has been erected at a cost of $15,000. It is a brick and stone structure with slate roof. It is somewhat plain architecture but a substantial building. The interior is plainly finished. The windows are of rich cathedral glass and very pretty. During the present week the pews will be rented and commencing next Sunday regular services will be held at 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock in the morning.” (Saginaw Evening News, October 22, 1888.)
As the SS. Peter and Paul parish grew, the original church building was joined by a school, rectory and convent. With additions and alterations, the 1888 building would serve the community for generations. In 1960, the parish claimed to have the largest Catholic congregation in the city. By the late 1960s, conversations started about replacing the church building. A new site was purchased on West Michigan and South Center. On October 2, 1976, the congregation moved to its new building. Before the demolition, sections of the windows from the 1888 building were removed and installed in the new church.
SS. Peter and Paul was combined with St. Stephen parish to form the parish of St. Dominic. For several years, St. Dominic Parish used both the St. Stephen’s building on Mackinaw and the West Michigan church. Today, the former West Michigan SS. Peter and Paul is listed as for sale.
The Recipe: German Green Beans
Home Cooking Secrets of Saginaw, published by the Sts. Peter and Paul Altar Society, c. 1955
German Green Beans:
2 c. cooked green or yellow string beans
4 slices bacon, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 Tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Cider vinegar
Fry bacon until crisp, add onion, sugar, salt and as much vinegar as there is fat in the pan; this is usually about ¼ to 1/3 c. Mix together and bring to boil. Add cooked hot string beans and stir together. Serve immediately. Mrs. Margert Kaufman
CTK NOTES:
One could cheat and use steamable frozen string beans - not that we ever would. This is a straightforward preparation and quite good.
* Saginaw Evening News, June 13, 1887.