JULY 11 • 2024 | 27

The Shrine of the Little Flower in 
Royal Oak on May 31, 2022, before 
a “discussion of the Jewish-Catholic 
Relationship.” This event was 
co-sponsored by the Detroit JCRC/
AJC and the Archdiocese of Detroit. 
The Shrine was founded by Father 
Charles Coughlin, who had an 
antisemitic radio show in the 1930s.

traditional Jewish blessing to 
mark special occasions.
The new plaque went 
up in November, as 
antisemitism across the 
country was spiking 
following the outbreak 
of the Israel-Hamas war, 
though parties involved 
said the timing was 
unconnected. Smith has 
asked Bettin to write a 
notice about the change in 
the parish bulletin, but such 
a column so far has not 
been published. Bettin said 
he still intends to write the 
column, but that so far he 
has been limited by space.
In his hopes for the 
Shrine’s future, Bettin said 
he wants the congregation 

to focus less on Coughlin 
and more on the message 
of Christianity promoted 
by St. Thérèse of Liseaux, 
the saint referred to as the 
“Little Flower” for whom the 
parish is named. Still, some 
more educational activities 
are in the works, including 
a possible church trip to the 
local Holocaust museum 
— which contains a small 
section on Coughlin.
The Jews who worked 
with Shrine on the change 
hope it will help heal a 
small part of their local 
community.
“Before, we would be 
afraid to go in it,” Smith 
said. “Now it’s a friendly 
place.” 

“HIS POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT 
AND PASSIONATE RHETORIC 
GRADUALLY BECAME 

OVERTLY ANTI-SEMITIC.”

— THE SHRINE’S UPDATED PLAQUE ABOUT FATHER COUGHLIN

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