Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Detroit, located at 1000 Eliot Street, was founded and built by German immigrants around 1875. The church sits only a stone's throw away from the Eastern Market. One might expect the church to now be Baptist but it’s actually home to one of the largest black Catholic congregations in Detroit.

Jesuit Consultant, Fr. Don Vettese, was gracious enough to do an introductory interview about Sacred Heart and their dynamic 91-year-old spiritual leader, Father Thomas.

Before meeting with Father Norman P. Thomas for his interview, we had the opportunity to witness just why this priest has been leading this parish since 1968. His sermon was spot on with what's going on today, touching on the mass shootings as well as the political divides in our country. The 10:00am service was filled with the spiritual energy of a full choir accompanied by a band.

Father Thomas admitted when he first came to lead this flock of Catholics, Detroit was in a great deal of turmoil. "I thought I knew so much, I had so much to learn,” Thomas reflected on a moment in time that is still etched in his memory. He told a story of when he drove two local residents who had been shot by the National Guard while they were partaking in the uprising on 12th street. One of the men would die from his wounds.

We are so fortunate to be able to feature this iconic church in our historical film and we are even luckier to have Father Thomas as one the guiding spiritual leaders.