Famous people's places / Detroit – Boston-Edison
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Detroit's Catholic cathedral on Woodward Avenue, built 1913–1915 and consecrated as a cathedral in 1938, seat of archbishops Edmund Szoka and Allen Vigneron.
01 / The story of this place
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Bishop John Samuel Foley established Most Blessed Sacrament parish in 1905, and construction of its permanent Woodward Avenue church, designed in Norman Gothic style by Cleveland architect Henry A. Walsh, began in 1913; the exterior and roof were finished by 1915, though its twin towers were not completed until 1951. Bishop Michael Gallagher dedicated the finished church in 1930, and when Detroit was elevated to an archdiocese in 1938, Pope Pius XI made it the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It has been the seat of Detroit's archbishops ever since, including Cardinal Edmund Szoka, whose funeral Mass was held here in 2014, and Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who was consecrated a bishop here in 1996 and served as archbishop until 2025; Bishop Michael J. Byrnes was ordained a priest here in 1996 and later consecrated a bishop in this cathedral in 2011. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
- Parish founded 1905; church built 1913–1915, towers finished in 1951
- Became Detroit's cathedral in 1938 when the archdiocese was created
- Seat of archbishops Edmund Szoka and Allen Vigneron
- Norman Gothic design by architect Henry A. Walsh
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 9
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- Adam Maida born 1930 · Cardinal Archbishop of Detroit (1990–2009)
Worked here
Detroit's cathedral, his seat as archbishop, renovated during his tenure; here he ordained Michael Byrnes (1996) and installed his successor (2009).
- Edmund Szoka 1927–2014 · Catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Detroit, Vatican administrator
Worked here
His cathedral as archbishop of Detroit, and the site of his funeral Mass in 2014.
- John Dearden 1907–1988 · Catholic cardinal, Archbishop of Detroit
Worked here
The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Detroit during his 21 years as archbishop.
- Allen Vigneron born 1948 · Catholic Archbishop of Detroit (2009–2025)
Worked here
Detroit's Catholic cathedral on Woodward Avenue, where he was consecrated a bishop in 1996 and which was his seat as archbishop.
- Edward Mooney 1882–1958 · first Archbishop of Detroit, cardinal
Worked here
The Woodward Avenue church he designated as Detroit's cathedral in 1938 and served from as archbishop.
- Michael J. Byrnes 1958–2025 · Catholic Archbishop of Agaña (Guam)
Related place
Detroit's cathedral, where he was ordained a priest in 1996 and consecrated a bishop on May 5, 2011.
- Leonard Paul Blair born 1949 · Catholic Archbishop of Hartford (2013–2024)
Related place
Detroit's cathedral, where he was consecrated a bishop on August 24, 1999.
- John M. Quinn born 1945 · Catholic Bishop of Winona–Rochester (2008–2022)
Related place
Detroit's cathedral, where he was ordained a bishop on August 12, 2003.
- Edward Weisenburger born 1960 · Catholic Archbishop of Detroit (since 2025)
Worked here
Detroit's cathedral, where he was installed as archbishop on March 18, 2025.
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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
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