The Archdiocese of Detroit is entering a new phase of its restructuring process that could force several churches to close because of a priest shortage, declining Mass attendance, and limited funds.
Local ABC affiliate WXYZ reported that the archdiocese currently has 209 parishes. According to data from fact sheets the archdiocese provided to each parish, 138 parishes currently have fewer than 600 regular Massgoers. Attendance currently stands at 14.7% and has been falling by an average of 4% each year. A lack of priests also poses problems, and the number of priests is expected to decline by roughly 25–30% over the next decade, according to the data. In addition, the Catholic population is aging, with funerals now more common than marriages or infant baptisms.
More than 200 priests gathered in Detroit March 3 to review plans for various areas of the archdiocese, initiating “Phase 2” of the restructuring plan. CBS News reported that Father Mario Amore, executive director of the archdiocesan Department of Parish Renewal, said the restructuring discussions must be centered on looking “strategically across the diocese to see where our parish communities need to be so that we can continue to serve everyone to the best of our abilities.”
According to WXYZ, Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger compared the situation to a hospital. He said that if Detroit had dozens more hospitals than it currently does but maintained the same number of healthcare providers, people’s health would suffer.
He added that once parishes become incredibly small, they cease to function as communities. The restructuring process acts as a way to redirect “our energies and our efforts so that we can really go back to that mission of the church as opposed to just kind of maintaining buildings,” he said.
Fr. Amore expects that priests will be reassigned across the archdiocese to different communities, but said that “there is no set plan.”
“[I]f there was, we wouldn’t be doing all of this work,” he said, according to CBS News. “But we are committed to that transparency, and we’re committed to a process that engages every person that wants to be involved.”
According to WXYZ, parishioners are invited to review information about their area and parish through the fact sheets provided by the archdiocese. Each parish will also host two listening sessions this spring.