St. Adalbert’s Basilica is a beautiful turn of the century cathedral located in Grand Rapids, MI. Construction of this incredible structure began in 1907, when the cornerstone was laid. It was completed in late spring of 1913 for a total cost of about $150,000.

St. Adalbert’s parish originated with a small group of Poles who settled in St. Paul in 1870 and formed the St. Adalbert Aid Society in 1872. At that time the purpose was to assist new immigrants in settling in the area, finding housing, and employment. In 1879 the parish bought the wood frame Church of St. Louis from its French speaking congregation to have a meeting structure. After construction of this Basilica was completed in 1913 the original wood structure was moved on horse-drawn wagons to Belmont, Michigan to become the parish church there.

Basilica comes from the Greek meaning “royal” or “house fit for a king.” A basilica church is usually of Romanesque style, with the altar set before a rounded wall called the Apse. Over the altar is a raised Baldachino, or canopy, resting on four pillars. To obtain the title of “Minor Basilica,” the parish church must have played a significant role in the furthering of the Faith of a particular area. St. Adalbert Basilica is the only church of this rank in the State of Michigan, and one of the very few in the United States.

Superior Boiler was pleased to have two Series 1600 Steam Triad boilers heating the facility. The space for the boiler was very small, so the small-footprint Triad’s were the perfect choice.

Each boiler was fired with a burner firing natural gas. The boiler that was replaced was leaking and operating well below standard efficiency. The church was also intrigued by the modular concept, the reliability of steel, and the fully assembled, “packaged” nature of the Triad boilers that came ready to install, with no sections to put together.