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Fire ravages former site of historic Detroit church

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Fire ravages former site of historic Detroit church


Detroit officials are investigating what sparked a fire that burned through a historic, century-old church building for more than four hours Tuesday.

The Detroit Fire Department received a call at 12:34 a.m. about a blaze at the site of the former St. Agnes Catholic Church, at the corner of Rosa Parks and LaSalle Gardens, said Corey McIsaac, the DFD director of media relations.

Within four minutes, the department was at the scene and Fire Chief David Nelson called a second alarm, activating more crews, McIsaac said.

While they managed to preserve the “structural integrity” of the vacant building, she added, its old rectory next door was rendered a total loss.

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Due to the condition of the building, firefighters were not able to get inside, McIsaac said. “They did an awesome job, and due to their hard work and great work, they were able to preserve the structure of the church building.”

There were no injuries to residents or firefighters Tuesday night, according to the department.

The St. Agnes Catholic Church has long been considered a community landmark, drawing figures such as Mother Teresa, who visited the building twice, once in June 1979 and once June 1981, and established a convent for the Missionaries of Charity Sisters at 1969 LaSalle Gardens, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The St. Agnes Parish was established in 1913 by Bishop John Foley and the spot celebrated its first Mass in 1914 in a frame house a few blocks away from the current site. Construction on the 1,500-seat site designed by the firm Van Leyen, Schilling, Keough & Reynolds started in May 1922, according to the archdiocese.

The church was blessed in June 1924 in a ceremony led by Bishop Michael J. Gallagher. St. Agnes Parish was closed in 1989 and the Martyrs of Uganda Parish was established at the site that year, the AOD said.

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The Martyrs of Uganda Parish was closed in 2006, and the property was sold in 2009.

Holly Fournier, the AOD’s media and public relations manager, told The Detroit News: “The Archdiocese of Detroit has had no connection to the property since then and has no information about current ownership or plans for the site.”

In 2022, the Detroit City Planning Commission approved a recommendation to the City Council to approve a rezoning request to redevelop the 5-acre site, according to Historic Detroit.

afayad@detroitnews.com

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Lions place Kerby Joseph on IR, make 2 OL moves for Steelers game

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Lions place Kerby Joseph on IR, make 2 OL moves for Steelers game


The Detroit Lions have finally placed safety Kerby Joseph on injured reserve, effectively ending the All-Pro defender’s season.

Joseph has been dealing with a knee injury for essentially the entire season, but there was some brief hope he’d be able to return to the field. After suffering a setback during a recent practice, Joseph has been sidelined, and Detroit finally decided to end his season after he had missed the past eight games. Technically, Joseph would be eligible to return to the field if Detroit advances to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs, but that seems unlikely. Joseph’s season ends with 18 tackles in six games and three interceptions.

Additionally, the Lions have made several offensive moves to address current injuries. Notably, they have activated guard Christian Mahogany, who has been on injured reserve for six weeks after suffering a leg fracture against the Vikings. It’s quite possible he’ll return to his starting position at left guard, although coach Dan Campbell offered some caution on Friday.

“Yesterday, I thought he looked pretty good. Wasn’t perfect, but I thought he looked pretty good,” Campbell said. “And some of it’s going to be, I know he’s a little sore today, and how he feels in today’s practice. That’s what a lot of it’s going to come down to.”

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The Lions have also elevated offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun from the practice squad. That could be a bad sign for the availability of starting center Graham Glasgow. He’s been dealing with a knee injury that caused him to miss two practices this week and landed him with a questionable designation. The Lions now have several options at center, including Eguakun, Trystan Colon (who is dealing with a wrist injury of his own), and Michael Niese. Campbell said the team has been exploring all options in practice this week.

“We’ve obviously worked Colon because he’s been there. I know he’s got the wrist, but he was out there working with it yesterday,” Campbell said. “Just trying to get Graham off his feet. But I mean, we’ve worked Niese, we’ve worked Kingsley. We’ve kind of just hit all around, and we’re rolling the guards, too. So, it’s really been a little bit of a revolving door trying to get a number of guys ready because there’s a lot of flex going into this game right now.”

Lastly, the Lions also elevated tight end Giovanni Ricci from the practice squad for the second straight week as the Lions continue to be short-handed at tight end in the wake of injuries to Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.



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Detroit Lions running backs open up about life on and off the field

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Detroit Lions running backs open up about life on and off the field


Detroit Lions fans get to sit back and watch running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery put on stellar performances to help lead the team’s offense. What fans don’t often see are the bonds and dynamics that hold the backfield group together. CBS News Detroit’s Rachel Hopmayer hung out with the group at Bronx Bar to shoot the breeze and play some pool.



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Detroit Fire Department brings Christmas joy to family who lost everything in house fire

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Detroit Fire Department brings Christmas joy to family who lost everything in house fire


DETROIT (WXYZ) — Christmas came early for a Detroit family of 10 after the Detroit Fire Department surprised them with a truck full of gifts, nearly a year after they lost their home and all belongings in a devastating fire.

On Jan. 6, Raychelle Womack and her family were living in their home on Santa Rosa Drive near Fullerton Street when it caught fire. All their possessions were destroyed in the blaze.

Watch Demetrios Sanders’ video report below:

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Family’s Christmas saved after fire

“You try buying everything for a new baby and then you lose it all, on top of the other seven kids that you’ve got — that’s everything,” Womack said.

As the family continued recovering from the fire, questions remained about what Christmas could look like this year.

“Whatever we could make happen, that’s what we’re going to make happen,” Womack said.

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That worry disappeared when the Detroit Fire Department and community partners visited the family’s new east side home with a truck full of Christmas gifts.

“To lose everything and then slowly but surely gain everything, it means a lot,” Womack said.

This marks the fourth year the Detroit Fire Department has brought Christmas cheer to families in need during the holidays.

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“We know people lose everything in these fires, so if we can do anything to make their lives better, to make their lives easier, especially around the holiday season, we’re willing to do it,” said Chuck Simms, executive fire commissioner with the Detroit Fire Department.

Simms said the effort is driven by donations and brings joy not only to the families impacted but also to the first responders who participate.

“It’s just a great thing and nice thing for us to do,” Simms said.

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With a Christmas tree now surrounded by gifts, Womack’s children are definitely looking forward to Christmas.

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“It was nice and we appreciate it,” one child said.

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For Womack, only one challenge remains.

“Now it’s making sure everything (gifts) stays closed until Christmas,” Womack said.

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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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