ST. MARY STAR OF
THE SEA CHURCH
In 1880 Bishop Casper Henry Borgess of
the Detroit Diocese approved the estab-
lishment of a second Catholic parish in
the city of Jackson. The cornerstone
ceremony for the parish church was held
on July 4, 1881. The present limestone
Romanesque structure, erected in 1923/26,
was designed by Frederick Spier of De-
troit. One of the towers houses the 2,700-
pound 1902 bell from the parishÕs
first church. The edifice also features
stained-glass windows imported from
Innsbruck, Austria, and Italian Carrara
marble altars and communion rails. The
confessionals and sacristy cases were
built using the pews of the first building.
During the parishÕs growth from 124
members at its founding to 3,800 at the
time of its centennial, it has had only
six pastors.