{"id":161,"date":"2019-11-26T20:17:34","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T20:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/s895683416.onlinehome.us\/?page_id=161"},"modified":"2020-01-12T17:03:16","modified_gmt":"2020-01-12T17:03:16","slug":"timeline","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/christgoodshepherd.org\/index.php\/timeline\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

The city of Lincoln Park grew very rapidly after World War II ended in 1945.\u00a0 \u00a0During the war, there had been a huge influx of workers into the city of Detroit due to the many jobs available in the defense industry.\u00a0 Servicemen and women returned home to find an extreme housing shortage within the city of Detroit.\u00a0 Lincoln Park offered a direct route to downtown Detroit and the Ford Rouge Plant via Fort Street and Dix-Toledo Road. Lincoln Park also offered an easy commute to the steel mills located along the Detroit River.\u00a0 Soon new homes began springing up across the city.\u00a0 \u00a0It was with this backdrop that Father Joseph Torzewski founded Christ the Good Shepherd Parish in Lincoln Park in 1947.<\/p>\n

While the church was being constructed, Mass was held at Hoover Public School across the street. The original Christ the Good Shepherd Church (the current \u201cold gym\u201d) was dedicated and opened for services in 1948. In 1950, construction began on Christ the Good Shepherd School.\u00a0 In late summer of that same year, Sisters of St. Joseph arrived to assume administration and teaching duties at the school.\u00a0 That fall, classes began using the upper and lower levels of the church as classrooms.\u00a0 There were 330 students enrolled.<\/p>\n

In 1951, students began classes in the first ten classrooms built.\u00a0 The following year, 428 students attended the school, and the first 8th Grade graduation was held.\u00a0 In 1955, the current church was built.\u00a0 It was designed to be a gym, with a new church to be added at a later time.\u00a0 In 1957, a larger convent was built (the current \u201cParish Center\u201d), and another eight classrooms were added to the school.\u00a0 At this point, approximately 1,300 students attended the school.\u00a0 In 1961, six more classrooms were added.\u00a0 Enrollment at the school hits its peak that year with 1548 students.<\/p>\n

In 1965, in a combined effort, Christ the Good Shepherd and St Pius Parishes broke ground for the construction of Aquinas High School.\u00a0 The school would remain open until 2000.<\/p>\n

In 1978, Sr. Kathleen Lupton left.\u00a0 She would be the last of the Sisters of St. Joseph to serve as principal. Also in that year, the \u201cold church\u201d was converted to a gym.\u00a0 In 1985, the convent was closed, and the last of the Sisters of St. Joseph left.\u00a0 The teaching staff would remain composed of all lay men and women for many years after.<\/p>\n

In the year 2000, the Christ the Good Shepherd Activities Building was opened.\u00a0 It consists of a full sized gymnasium with locker rooms, as well as a well equipped cafeteria and kitchen.<\/p>\n

By 2010, due to declining enrollment, the decision was made to enter into a merger school arrangement with Mount Carmel Catholic School, and Wyandotte Catholic School. The merger school would be housed in the Christ the Good Shepherd building.\u00a0 This merger school was renamed as John Paul II Catholic School, and opened in 2011. The merger arrangement would last eight years before being dissolved in 2019. In the fall of 2019, a new parish school emerged at the Christ the Good Shepherd sight. This new entity is called\u00a0 \u201cSt. John Paul II Classical Catholic School\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\t