St. Anne Church / St. Anne Chapel
The first building used by Catholics on Grosse Ile was originally the island’s first school. It was moved here from Thorofare and Church Road. Named St. Anne Church, it was recognized as a mission in 1863. Among its supporters were Archange Brodhead and Catherine Wendell. The sisters were granddaughters of William Macomb, who with his brother purchased the island from Potawatomi Indians in 1776. Mrs. Brodhead and her children provided a place in their home for priests to stay when they visited the island to celebrate mass. The family also took care of the church.On August 15, 1915, Father John R. Command laid the cornerstone for this building, which was named Sacred Heart Church. Using donated stone and mostly volunteer labor, the congregation was ready to install the windows and furnace by November. Four years later, it petitioned for a resident pastor, noting the problems of “haphazardly having one mass on Sundays, as a priest could not always be secured.” Sacred Heart became a parish in 1919 and soon had its own pastor. This building was renamed St. Anne Chapel after the parish built its new church, which was dedicated in June 1969.
Plaque via Michigan History Center