Posted on Tuesday, October 17, 2006 - 11:25 am:

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In the late 1800s, the rapid growth of industrialization and urbanization in Detroit, Michigan was accompanied by an increase in population, increase in poverty and an increased number of children, who were orphaned and destitute. Hearing of the Sisters' devotion to helping children, Bishop Caspar Henry Borgess contacted the St. Louis Province of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and appealed to them to help in Detroit.

In the fall of 1883, five Sisters arrived in Detroit and moved into their selected site, the former Beer Brock Ward Mansion on Fort Street near St. Anne's Church. They renamed the mansion the "House of the Good Shepherd.¨ The first girl to request the Sisters' care was "Josephine? who arrived on their doorstep the day after they moved in.

The number of women and girls that sought the Sisters' help was so great during the early days in Detroit that it was soon necessary to build several residential buildings, a convent, a power house and laundry facilities. By the turn of the century, 33 Sisters were caring for more than 200 young women on the premises.

Throughout the next 30 years, the House of the Good Shepherd continued to expand its services and children served. By the late 1930s, it became evident that the Fort Street property was not large enough to accommodate all of the young women who requested the Sisters' help. Fortunately, Archbishop Edward Mooney pleaded the need for new buildings to the City of Detroit on behalf of the Sisters.

Soon thereafter, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, together with the Salvation Army, organized a joint fund-raising campaign called the "Open Your Heart Fund" and successfully raised enough money to construct the new buildings. However, the Sisters needed a site on which to build.

Henry and Clara B. Ford heard of the Sisters' predicament and offered a very generous gift of 50 acres of land on West Warren Avenue across from Rouge Park. The Sisters purchased the property from Mr. and Mrs. Ford for One Dollar and immediately began taking steps to construct the residential buildings, a school, a power house and an auditorium/gymnasium. The first shovelful of earth was turned on August 5, 1941.

On December 8, 1942, the first Mass was celebrated in the chapel on the new site in Dearborn Heights. The House of the Good Shepherd was officially reopened with a new name, Vista Maria.

From 1942 to the mid-1970s, the Sisters assisted thousands of young women with various and several problems. Throughout those years, the girls lived in an environment similar to today's Vision Program. They attended school, participated in activities (both on campus and in the community) and attended religious services.

In the early 1970s, laypersons assumed a greater role in the Agency's activities and eventually were added to the Board of Directors. Throughout those years, renovation projects were completed on both the interiors and exteriors of the residential halls.

The year of 1976 was a time of crisis for Vista Maria due to severely low enrollment. It was during this period that the Sisters began to implement changes in the programs and services offered by the Agency to better meet the needs of the community. These changes resulted in the development of the three distinct residential treatment programs:

VIP (Vista's Interim Placement): Emergency shelter for abused and neglected girls.

Vista: Short-term residential program that prepares girls for independent living and/or foster care.


VITA: Residential program for girls with moderate maladaptive behaviors.


The 1980s and 1990s were years of continued growth and change for the Agency and several additional programs were added. Today, our mission is to provide abused and neglected girls with the emotional, educational, psychological and spiritual guidance they need in order to become productive, contributing members of society. We have a variety of programs that suit a variety of needs.

Address:
20651 W. Warren
Dearborn Heights, MI 48127

Web Site: http://www.vistamaria.org

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Posted on Monday, October 23, 2006 - 1:57 pm:

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In 1944, Giovanni's antipasto was declared by the U.S. government to be "unessential to the war effort" and they were not permitted to buy glass or cans. In efforts to survive the restrictions of the war years, Giovanni developed his now world-famous pâté.

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