National Shrine of the Little Flower named a Minor Basilica
Pope Francis has bestowed the title of “basilica” upon the National Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church, its inaugural mass as a basilica will be celebrated April 22, 2015. The designation of basilica is in recognition of its robust parish life, which includes eight weekend masses, and its stature as a destination site with relics from various Catholic figures, including its namesake St. Therese of Lisieux (Detroit Free Press Feb 1, 2015).
The church’s first pastor was the Rev. Charles Coughlin in 1926. That year he also began his radio broadcast to raise money to build the parish complex. His radio speeches were very popular, but they gradually became very political to the point that his radical viewpoints and anti-Semitic themes were too controversial for church leaders and under pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters his radio broadcasts ended. You can listen to more than 60 broadcasts from 1938-40 posted on the library Special Collections page on “An Historical Exploration of Father Charles E. Coughlin’s Influence“.
Also on the page you will find digital images of Social Justice, the newspaper published by Father Coughlin from 1936-1942. Social Justice also came under fire for its pro-Axis propaganda and eventually had to shut down as well.
