Patricia Montemurri is an award-winning Detroit journalist who reported for the Detroit Free Press for 37 years. As an author, Montemurri specializes in Detroit’s Catholic history, writing four books for the ‘Images of America’ series by Arcadia Publishing, including “Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of Michigan” and “Blessed Solanus Casey.”

Thanks to the Detroit Historical Museum, we were able to film an extensive interview with Montemurri on the cobblestone walkway in the “Streets of Old Detroit” immersive display on the lower level of the museum.

Montemurri discussed several topics with us: Native Americans, Father Gabriel Richard, the work of Catholic Sisters and Nuns, Detroit’s 1967 civil unrest, how gospel church choirs bred musical superstars, and even about a little mammal that lives along the Detroit River — the muskrat.

The muskrat is a unique figure in how some Detroit-area Catholics practice their faith during the season of Lent. Catholic tradition says that for the 40 days before Easter, Catholics are supposed to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays. However, there is an exception in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

The Archdiocese of Detroit was founded by French immigrants who often lived through harsh winters when it was difficult to fish in ice-covered lakes and rivers. So Catholic officials allowed them to eat muskrats, which live in swampy wetlands, on Fridays during Lent. This tradition continues in downriver Detroit and near Monroe where during the season of Lent, there are parish dinners and venues where you can eat muskrat and it might be enhanced by some kind of stew.

Montemurri admits she’s tried the dish and says that it is definitely an acquired taste. We believe her.

Thank you, Patricia, for your contributions to this film’s project. And thank you to Rebecca Salminen-Witt and Sarah Murphy at the Detroit Historical Society for welcoming us into the museum.