St. Francis de Sales church circa 1884, SCHS photo courtesy Earl Cousineau Collection
A stained glass window salvaged from the St, Francis De Sales Catholic Church built in 1884 and destroyed by fire in 1953. Earl Cousineau Collection.
The historical society building on the corner of Deer and Weston is home to hundreds of historic photographs, manuscripts and artifacts related to Schoolcraft County’s past. One such item is a stained-glass rose window that was salvaged from the original St. Francis de Sales church in Manistique, following the April 1953 fire which rendered the building unsafe. The window was donated to the society in 2019 by the family of Earl Cousineau, and will be on display at the historical society booth during Folk Fest. We look forward to the day when hundreds more items from our archives can be put on display in a museum dedicated solely to the history of Schoolcraft County.
Catholics were slow to settle in Manistique, but by 1884, men like John Costello and Joseph Plante sought to unite local Catholics. Bishop Vertin sent Father Majerus to Manistique in 1883 to form a congregation. Construction of the new Catholic church building was completed in 1884, but it took an additional two year to finish the interior. The church stood at the corner of Oak and Lake Streets, serving the Catholic community for nearly 70 years. Father Theodore Aloysius Majerus was appointed as the first pastor. The original church building was enlarged on two occasions to meet the needs of a growing congregation.
Smoke billows out of the doors and window of the church on April 29, 1953. Vern Linderoth photo.
Plans were already underway for a new church building when the fire broke out in the basement of the St. Francis de Sales church on April 29, 1953. The fire was discovered at 9:00 a.m. near a wood furnace by church custodian Dencil Young. A day dreaming student looking out the window of the parish elementary school next door also sounded an alarm when he noticed smoke coming from a basement window of the church.
Both the regular Manistique Fire Department and the Volunteer Fire Department responded quickly to the blaze and the fire was brought under control by noon. The flames were extinguished before they could reach the sanctuary, but the building was extensively damaged. All of Manistique’s fire fighting equipment was engaged in fighting the fire, including the 1914 Dodge Brothers truck with the 1883 hook and ladder truck and the new American LaFrance. A fire truck from the Gladstone fire department was called out and stood by as a precaution in case fire broke out elsewhere in town. It was feared for a time that the rectory of the church was in peril and Rev. Fr. Frances Scheringer and Rev. George Pernaski were advised to remove personal belongings and furnishings as a precaution.
Despite the efforts of the fire department, the building was declared unsuitable for further use. Almost all of the windows were broken, the floor was warped and holes had been cut in the floor in order to get water on the basement timbers. The owner of the Oak Theater, J. L. Leduc offered his facilities for use for Sunday morning church services. Daily masses and confessions took place in the parish school hall.
Following the fire, plans for the construction of a new church building were expedited. The ruins of the old church were torn down during June of 1953 and by the following month construction of the new church was already begun. The new St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church was dedicated on June 15, 1954 by the Most Rev. Thomas L. Noa, bishop of Marquette, who delivered the sermon.
Film taken of the 1953 Catholic Church fire by Manistique photographer Vern Linderoth can be seen on our You Tube channel.