Catholic Archbishop Orders 38 Parishes Merged into 18 by 2016, but Churches Can Be Spared
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Catholic Archbishop Allen Vigneron released Monday a complicated, wide-ranging restructuring of 267 parishes. The plan rejected several recommendations submitted to the diocese in November. At least 38 parishes will be merged or reduced to 18 parishes by 2016 – but a newly-merged parish in many instances may retain two, or three churches. Vigneron directed many more parishes to merge in the coming years, but did not always specify a date by which the merger needs to take place. • Related: All the details of the Catholic church restructuring plan From the looks of the plan, much will depend on the availability and health of the priests that head parishes, and the parish’s ability to maintain their finances. Vigneron directed most parishes to collaborate on the services they offer, find ways to streamline, and in many cases, identify possible cluster or merger partners for down the road if something happens to their pastors or the bottom line becomes red. That goes for growing suburban parishes and smaller, stable parishes in Detroit. Vigneron’s decisions evoke an ever-growing burden for priests. In several cases, merged parishes will combine three or four current parishes. By ordering mergers, Vigneron has left the new parishes to decide how many church buildings will stay open. Vigneron also decided that the following parishes might close or merge if they don’t work out an acceptable repayment of the debt they owe the Archdiocese of Detroit: Assumption Grotto in Detroit SS. Simon and Jude in Westland St.Florian in Hamtramck St. Alexander and St. Clare parishes in Farmington Hills St. Mel in Dearborn Heights. While not disclosing each parish’s debt, the archdiocese previously has said that parishes owe a combined $79 million to the archdiocese, for loans made for repairs, renovations, school-related issues, etc. The archdiocese said about 35 percent of city parishes and about 20 percent of suburban parishes have financial difficulties. Two parishes will close as planned in 2012: St. Donald in Roseville and Our Lady Queen of Peace in Harper Woods. But others parishes, which were announced as mergers between two parishes that would close one of the churches, are now being given the option to keep both worship sites open. In November, for example, the archdiocese announced that St. Maurice and St. Genevieve parishes were to merge by June and close the St. Maurice site. Now, the two parishes get until the end of 2012 to merge and can maintain both churches as worship sites. Similarly, St. Francis Xavier in Ecorse and Our Lady of Lourdes in River Rouge, which were slated to close one site and merge, are allowed to keep both sites open in a merged parish. Vigneron reversed a death sentence for St. Luke in Detroit, saying the parish will not close as previously stated and will merge with St. Mary of Redford, with two worship sites for now. He also backed off closing St. Leo, which has a soup kitchen and free medical and dental clinics for the poor, allowing St. Leo to stay open through a merger with St. Cecilia. He rescinded some immediate recommendations that some small Detroit parishes – such as St. Peter Claver --- and gave them time to straighten out finances. Vigneron also reversed recommendations to close St. Charles Borromeo, Nativity, Good Shepherd and St. Augustine/St. Monica on Detroit’s east side. Larry Geromin, 67, a lifelong Hamtramck resident, wonders about the fate of Hamtramck’s landmark church, St. Florian. Vigneron decided that St. Florian, which was revealed to have a $1.85 million debt, needs to submit an acceptable debt repayment plan by June 30, or may have to close or merge. Geromin was baptized there, went to school there, and after retiring from the auto industry, was athletic director at the now-closed high school. He remembers his dad bringing home an encyclopedia which, in its entry for Hamtramck, had a photo of St. Florian dominating the skyline. “I get the feeling that the archdiocese wants to bail out of the city,” said Geromin. “To me, it’s becoming a business.” Georgina Cascardo, of Dearborn, attends St. Clement church regularly, but used to go to nearby St. Barbara when her five children were in grade school. She also goes to weekday morning mass at St. Alphonsus. The three east side Dearborn churches are within a 1.5 miles of each other. Vigneron has directed that the three parishes, plus St. Cunegunda in Detroit near the Dearborn border, develop a plan to merge by the end of 2013, but can keep open “multiple worship sites.” “It’s heartbreaking, even though we understand,” said Cascardo. “Church to me is my life. It’s not just a building. But, still if I don’t go to mass, they notice you’re not there. To me, it’s not just a building. It’s a family.” Tom Suski, 63, of Detroit, is a lifelong parishioner and on the parish council at St. Hedwig’s on the west side. The parish is being directed to merge with St. Francis d ’Assisi, but both historically Polish churches will stay open Suski has been apprised of the merger process. “One of the most important factors in a merger is that neither church has to close, and both can stay open,” said Suski. “But all the records are transferred to one of them. There’s one parish council, and one parish roster, and the money would be kept in the same bank.” Even if the parish changes its name, said Suski, both church buildings could be known as St. Francis and St. Hedwig. The parishes have already shared a pastor and co-pastor, both members of the PIME Missionary order. At. St. Hedwig, there’s a growing Hispanic community. Both St. Francis and St. Hedwig have about 200 families each. “We knew it was coming sooner or later. We’re very happy that we’ve remained open for the last eight years in a cluster. We were very happy when PIME took us over,” said Suski. “It hurts in one way…but the priest yesterday said some of the stuff, to move forward, you have to give up.” Some parishioners said the downsizing is a result of the church’s inability to stay relevant for new generations. “Why are there multi-million (non-Catholic) mega-churches going up in the suburbs and then we’re closing all of our Catholic churches? How does that make sense?” said Kevin Karwowicz of Macomb Township, 41. He worries that the church is having problems attracting young folks. “Go in the churches and look at the ages,” he said. “They need to bring back the youth.”
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