Since 1909, the banks of Orchard Lake have served as a refuge and home for Catholic Polish immigrants in southeast Michigan. What began as the Polish seminary, SS. Cyril and Methodius, which closed in 2022, has since evolved into a thriving school, cultural center, and shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Orchard Lake and St. John Paul II.
During the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. John Paul II was designated as one of 12 pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Detroit where the faithful can visit and receive special graces.
Among other treasures, the campus boasts one of the largest collections of Polish art outside of Poland, a kayak used by St. John Paul II — then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla — during a visit to campus in 1976, relics of St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Faustina, and many other items of significance to the Church and Polish heritage.
detroitcatholic.com
A jubilee pilgrimage of hope through the Shrine of St. John Paul II - Detroit Catholic
Orchard Lake Schools celebrates its historic Polish roots, honoring the revered saint and pope known as the world's 'witness to hope'
