In 1905, Detroit Bishop John Foley authorized the establishment of a parish, named Most Blessed Sacrament, to serve the Catholic community living just beyond what were then the city's northern outskirts at Grand Boulevard. Father John Connolly was named its inaugural pastor. Although he entertained a grand vision for the future, Father Connolly initially faced a bleak reality.

The fledgling parish was mired in debt from the very beginning. The first services were held in an old shoe factory in August of 1905. Through a series of ingenious fundraising efforts, Father Connolly managed to lead his congregation out of its financial quagmire by 1912 and plan for a beautiful new church. The contract for construction was awarded to architect Henry A. Walsh of Cleveland, Ohio. Construction began in 1913 and, within two years, the cruciform Norman Gothic exterior of Ohio sandstone and Indiana limestone, minus its twin spires, was completed. Finishing the cavernous interior however, was an entirely different matter.

Mindful of the difficulties he encountered in attempting to extricate his parish from debt, Father Connolly proceeded with the completion of Blessed Sacrament's interior slowly, contracting the work on a piecemeal basis only when parish funds permitted. The onset of World War I further added to the delay. Finally, on Thanksgiving Day 1930, Bishop Michael Gallagher solemnly dedicated the finished interior. This dedication, however, was tempered by the fact that the church still lacked spires.

In 1938, a new era dawned. Detroit had been elevated to an archdiocese the previous year and its spiritual leader, Archbishop Edward Mooney, recognized the need for a new cathedral to accommodate a growing Catholic population. In January of 1938, the Archbishop petitioned Rome to designate Blessed Sacrament as the archdiocesan cathedral, saying, "…it is well located on Woodward Avenue, the principal street of the city…the church is an imposing Gothic structure which for beauty of design and distinction of ornament would rank well among the cathedrals of the country."

Pope Pius XI concurred with Archbishop Mooney's assessment and granted his petition to make Blessed Sacrament the cathedral for the Archdiocese on February 20, 1938. (The papal representative who came to Detroit to inspect Blessed Sacrament after Archbishop Mooney had proposed it as the cathedral site was Giovanni Battista Montini of the Vatican Secretariat of State. He was later to become Pope Paul VI.) The Archbishop's next goal was the construction of the long-delayed towers. However, circumstances beyond anyone's control postponed that project.

The Great Depression seriously jeopardized the financial situation of the entire Archdiocese. Blessed Sacrament Parish was in no position to assume the burden of debt that would certainly be incurred should work on the towers commence. Archbishop Mooney was undeterred, however, and insisted the work begin. Henry Walsh happily submitted his design for the twin towers, but urged Archbishop Mooney not to make the plans public. Walsh feared potential financial problems at the parish might delay construction and that, in the meantime, someone else would utilize his design elsewhere.

"I always maintained that Blessed Sacrament Cathedral was the only one of its class. I never wished to have it duplicated," he noted. Walsh's unexpected retirement in 1938 due to failing health followed by the onset of World War II forced the plans to be shelved again. It wasn't until several years after the war ended, that the Archbishop, now Cardinal Mooney, resurrected his dream of seeing the cathedral completed. Finances were far more secure, thanks in large part to the newly created Archdiocesan Development Fund. Detroit architect George Diehl was selected as Walsh's successor. Diehl stayed true to Walsh's original plans and made certain the result would be a unified, harmonious structure. Work on the spires began in 1950. At the same time, Diehl took the opportunity to make considerable changes to the interior as well, expanding space wherever possible, notably in the sacristy.

In 1951, the city of Detroit made elaborate plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding, which simultaneously marked the two and one-half centuries of the presence of the Catholic Church in southeastern Michigan. To observe this milestone, the Archdiocese staged its own joyous celebrations with the now completed Cathedral as the focal point. It was regarded as one of the finest examples of neo-Gothic architecture in the Midwest. Visiting church officials and dignitaries from across the United States and overseas joined in the solemn consecration of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral on November 17, 1951. Although television was still in its infancy, local NBC affiliate WWJ-Channel 4 broadcast the ceremonies live.

Countless events have graced the interior of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral since that day. There has been a seemingly endless succession of baptisms, weddings, confirmations and ordinations, all capped by the spectacular visit of His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, to Detroit in September 1987. By the end of the 20th century, however, the Cathedral was in great need of modernization and plans were drawn for a total renovation of the interior. The man chosen to supervise this vital project was internationally renowned architect and designer Gunnar Birkerts.

Born in Riga, Latvia, Birkerts emigrated to the United States in 1949. After a brief tenure with the Chicago architectural firm of Perkins and Will, he joined with famed Finnish designer Eero Saarinen in Bloomfield Hills. His personal vision and creativity are manifest in projects as varied as the National Library, Riga, Latvia; the United States Embassy, Caracas, Venezuela; the Museum of Glass, Corning, New York; St. Peter's Church, Columbus, Indiana; the 1300 Lafayette East Cooperative, Detroit; the law library addition, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and the setting for the 1987 Papal Mass at the Silverdome, Pontiac.

The redesigned worship space of Blessed Sacrament Cathedral reflects Birkerts' keen insight into the use of light as a means of creating an open, airy interior. Nowhere is his design philosophy more evident or more appreciated. Our Cathedral will now fulfill its role as a symbol of unity, harmony and spirituality as envisioned by its founder nearly a century ago and serve as a beacon to guide Catholics of the Archdiocese of Detroit into the 21st century.