St. Florian's parish consists of predominantly
Polish members whose families were
immigrants from
Poland and settled in Hamtramck after
Dodge opened an automobile factory in 1910. Clergy are of the
Ministry of the Society of Christ Fathers to Polish Migrants. The influx of Polish immigrants created a need for churches. The first Polish Catholic Church in Detroit was
St. Albertus(1872), followed by St. Florian (1907) in Hamtramck and six others in surrounding Detroit:
Sweetest Heart of Mary(1888),
St. Casimir (1882),
St. Francis of Assisi (1889),
St. Josaphat (1889),
St. Stanislaus (1890's),
St. Hedwig (1903) and
St. Hyacinth (1905).
By 1907, Ford, Dodge and Packard plants were employing many Polish immigrants who settled in Hamtramck Township or in contiguous neighborhoods on what was then the northern edge of the city of Detroit. The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit recognized the need for a church to serve Polish residents, and established the parish named for St. Florian, patron of Poland, in 1907. Services were initially held in a storefront. Ground was broken for a church building in March 1908. The cornerstone was laid on July 12, 1908, and the dedication was held on January 10, 1909. As the congregation grew the original building quickly became inadequate. Parishioners amassed $500,000 (in pre-
Depression funds) to build a larger sanctuary.
(Wikipedia)