St. Anne's Parish describes "who we are" in Detroit. Many people disagree with this belief because one place of religious worship cannot describe everyone in a city. The argument is reasonable, but Sainte-Anne is more than a place of worship. St. Anne's Catholic Church is a symbol that represents the positive and negative connotations of our city. As a city, we seem to forget our past, even though it continues to be with us. Sainte-Anne is a Catholic church originally known as Ste. Anne Catholic Church in Detroit. St. Anne's was founded on July 26, 1701, and is the second oldest operating Roman Catholic church in the United States. Father Gabriel Richard played a major role in Sainte-Anne's impact on the city. Father Gabriel Richard arrived in Detroit in 1796 and soon after helped found a school that became the University of Michigan. Father Gabriel Richard was a proponent of success and his role at St. Anne’s created deep roots in Detroit. (Farmer, 531-532)St. Anne's has played a major role in the development of the city of Detroit and will continue to do so in the future. However, the structure of Sainte-Anne continues to deteriorate. The church has undergone eight restorations since its original founding. (Gay, 98-99) Everywhere inside the church, damage to the ceiling and falling plaster from the walls can be seen. The withered features of St. Anne Parish describe “who we are” in Detroit. St. Anne is a beautiful work of art that is falling apart because there is a loss of feeling of appreciation. St. Anne's is full of handcrafted statues and ceiling paintings that would be considered magnificent in other cities, yet are considered a sign of Detroit's past. The physical aspect of St. Anne is......medium of paper...who we are. The crucial takeaway from St. Anne's Catholic Church is that Detroit is not perfect, but also not completely imperfect. When we look at “who we are” here in the city, we can see a sense of balance. This balance gives us hope that one day Detroit will prosper as it once did. St. Anne's represents not only history, but also a future for the city of Detroit.Works CitedCorpuschristi-detroit.org. Internet. September 22, 2011. .Farmer, Silas. History of Detroit and Wayne Co. and Early Michigan. 531-32. Print.The foundation of Ste. Anne's. Detroit Public Library: E&M 74D4 282 S134. Print.Gay, Cheri Y. Detroit: Then and Now. 98-99. Print.Roman Catholic Church. Ste. Anne of Detroit. 1234 Washington Boulevard, Detroit: Roman Catholic Church. Web.Ste-anne.org. Internet. September 22. 2011. .