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Annunciation / Good Shepherd Catholic Church

Church of the Annunciation was organized in April of 1906. The first services were held in a private home on Cadillac Boulevard until a more permanent location could be secured. Later that year the church bought the former Hibbard school building and moved it to the site. A school was built in 1908, and the cornerstone for the permanent church was laid in August of 1911. The church was designed by Donaldson & Meier in the Romanesque style, featuring extensive murals painted by A. Z. Bellante. On Christmas Day 1912 the church was formally dedicated.

Annunciation managed to avoid the worst of Detroit’s Catholic church closings in the 80’s and 90’s, merging with Our Lady of Sorrows in 2000. In 2006 Annunciation / Our Lady of Sorrows merged again, this time with St. Anthony and St. Rose of Lima to become Good Shepherd. But by 2016 there simply weren’t enough members to keep the combined church open, and Good Shepherd was merged in Our Lady Queen of Heaven. Good Shepherd wasn’t completely closed, instead being relegated to an oratory, which permitted it to be used for special occasions like weddings and funerals. The final mass was held on January 10th, 2016.

In October of 2021 plans were announced by the Library Street Collective to convert the church into a cultural center called “The Shepherd.” The sanctuary will be split into two gallery spaces and a library for Black arts, while the rectory will become a bed and breakfast. A skate park designed by Tony Hawk and a sculpture park featuring the work of Charles McGee will be built adjacent to the church grounds.