Our HISTORY
A Proud HISTORY
St. Cecilia Catholic Church was founded in 1921, and its influence did not stop there. In 1967, the parish high school closed and was converted into the recreational center we know today as Ceciliaville.
Racial tensions escalated this same year, not three miles away, and Riots sparked across the city. With the vision to create a safe community of activity for the neighborhood’s youth, St. Cecilia Pastor Fr. Raymond Ellis and Assistant Pastor Fr. Edward Olzsewski offered the parish’s high school gym. The Ceciliaville recreational center included a locker room, cafeteria, kitchen, and bathrooms. In addition to sports programming, it offered skills training, music, art, child care, food distribution, and adult education.
Soon the Ceciliaville gym opened its doors to welcome Black men who sought sanctuary from the violence and, over time, became known not only as a safe haven but a place to be mentored and form lasting friendships, as well as a place to seriously compete on the basketball court.
Under Fr. Ellis’ direction and leadership, St. Cecilia’s Athletic Director Sam Washington, Sr., converted the gym into a safe haven. It attracted thousands of young men from southeast Michigan who came to play basketball at Ceciliaville, many of whom went on to become professional basketball players, including Magic Johnson, Dave Bing, Jalen Rose, and Earl Cureton. Ceciliaville set countless other men up for successful college and national sports and business careers, ready for life’s challenges and opportunities.
Ceciliaville has been an anchor in Detroit’s West Side through some of the most significant trials the city has faced. And, with the support of Mayor Mike Duggan’s neighborhood efforts, it is poised to uphold and expand its impact on changing the lives of young people in Detroit today.
