1940s Shrine Church Little Flowers Detroit Michigan

1930s to 1940s vintage topographical postcard. The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica Catholic Church is a Catholic church in Royal Oak, Michigan. The church building is a designated national shrine that is well-known for its execution in the lavish zig-zag Art Deco style. The structure was completed in two stages between 1931 and 1936.

Named in honor of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (who was known as "the Little Flower"), the church was first built in 1926 in a largely Protestant area. It was founded in 1925, a year before construction started. Within days of the church opening, the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross in front of the church.

A fire destroyed the original wood structure on March 17, 1936. Construction of the new building started in 1931 and ended in 1936. Its completion was spurred by the destruction of the old structure, and it employed large amounts of copper and stone to execute the designs of architect Henry J. McGill of the New York firm of Hamlin and McGill. Pope Francis designated the Shrine a minor basilica on January 31, 2015.