Some metro Detroit Catholic churches could stop holding weekend Masses as the Archdiocese of Detroit moves forward with a major restructuring plan.
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The archdiocese is changing how its 209 parishes operate. Some parishes could merge. Others could lose weekend Masses altogether.
The reason comes down to two big challenges: fewer Catholics in the archdiocese and fewer priests.
"This is a challenging conversation for all of us," said Father Mario Amore, Executive Director for parish renewal at the Archdiocese of Detroit.
For some parishioners, the possible changes mean more than losing weekend Mass. It's about the future of the churches they've called home for generations.
"We need to do something to be able to continue to serve and be a strong Catholic presence throughout the six counties of southeast Michigan," Amore said.
At its peak, the archdiocese had about 1.5 million Catholics. Today, that number is closer to 900,000. By 2029, the archdiocese projects fewer than 165 priests serving in parish ministry.
On Monday, the archdiocese released new model proposals based on feedback from more than 17,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
"In the months of August and September, we took all of that feedback and we analyzed it. We raised key themes and then all of that information led to our refinement models which we see today," Amore said.
Amore says losing weekend Mass doesn't automatically mean a church will close.
"We want to be sure that those ministries are able to continue. So that means we need to have further conversations, especially at the sites that may no longer have Mass. They may not be a Mass site anymore how we can creatively continue to offer the assistance to those in need," Amore said.
Final decisions by the archdiocese are expected in April.
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