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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit

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Archdiocese of Detroit

Archidiœcesis Detroitensis
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Location
Country United States
Territory Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne
Episcopal conferenceUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Ecclesiastical regionRegion VI
Ecclesiastical provinceDetroit
Statistics
Area3,901 km2 (1,506 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of 2021)
Increase 4,325,465
Decrease 1,131,660 (Decrease 26.2%)
Parishes224[1]
Information
DenominationCatholic Church
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedMarch 8, 1833 (191 years ago)
CathedralCathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Patron saintSt. Anne
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
ArchbishopAllen Henry Vigneron
Auxiliary Bishops
Vicar GeneralJeff Day
Bishops emeritus
Map
Website
aod.org

The Archdiocese of Detroit (Latin: Archidiœcesis Detroitensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan in the United States.

The archdiocese consists counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne. It is the metropolitan archdiocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Detroit, which includes all dioceses in the state of Michigan. In addition, in 2000 the archdiocese accepted pastoral responsibility[2] for the Catholic Church in the Cayman Islands, which consists of Saint Ignatius Parish[3] on Grand Cayman.[4]

Established as the Diocese of Detroit on March 8, 1833, it was elevated to archiepiscopal status on May 22, 1937. The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament has served as the mother church since 1938. Ste. Anne's in Detroit is the second oldest continuously operating Catholic parish in the United States dating from July 26, 1701; it now serves a large Hispanic congregation.[5][6] In the early 21st century the archdiocese faced a sexual abuse scandal, starting with four priests convicted in 2003 of sexual abuse of minors.

History

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See also: History of Detroit
Ste. Anne de Détroit (1887) Founded in 1701, it is the second oldest continuously-operating parish in the United States.

Before the Diocese of Detroit was formed, Michigan had been under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Quebec from 1701 until sometime after 1796; de facto American sovereignty was established in that year. At the time, the Diocese of Baltimore encompassed the whole of the United States. Upon the creation of diocesan seats at Bardstown (1808) and later, at Cincinnati (1821), Detroit and Michigan were assigned to those sees.

Pope Gregory XVI formed the Diocese of Detroit March 8, 1833, and named Monsignor Frederick Rese from the Diocese of Cincinnati as its first bishop.[7] At the time, the Diocese of Detroit covered Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas to the Missouri River.[7]

In 1843, the Vatican transferred all of the territory in the Diocese of Detroit that was not in the State of Michigan to the Diocese of Milwaukee.[7]

On July 29, 1853, Pope Pius IX formed the Vicarate Apostolic of Upper Michigan, with responsibility for the Upper Peninsula. The territory of the diocese would be further reduced to its current size by the organization of the dioceses of Grand Rapids (1882), Lansing (1937), and shortly after the see was elevated to the status of an archdiocese, Saginaw (1938).[1]

The son of Prussian Polish immigrants, Reverend John A. Lemke, born in Detroit on February 10, 1866, was the first native-born Roman Catholic priest of Polish descent to be ordained in America. He was baptized at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church (1843), at the corner of St. Antoine and Croghan (Monroe Street), on February 18, 1866, attended St. Albertus for his primary education, and studied at Detroit College (now the University of Detroit Mercy), where he received a bachelor's degree in 1884. After attending St. Mary's in Baltimore, he completed his theological studies at St. Francis Seminary in Monroe, Michigan, and he was ordained by Bishop John Samuel Foley in 1889. His added confirmation name was Aloysius.[8]

In 1921, the archdiocese published a poster prohibiting the provision of sterilization and abortion services in its hospitals. This became the basis of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.[9]

The Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, located at 9844 Woodward Avenue, in Detroit has served as the mother church since 1938. Earlier cathedrals were: Ste. Anne de Detroit, 1833 to 1848;[10] Sts. Peter and Paul Church, 1848 to 1877;[11] 1877 to 1890, St. Aloysius (as pro-cathedral), 1890 to 1938, St. Patrick's Church at 124 Adelaide Street.[12]

In January 1989, Cardinal Edmund Szoka implemented a controversial plan to close 30 churches within the archdiocese. He also ordered 25 other parishes to improve their financial situation or face closure.[13] The plan resulted from a five-year study which analyzed maintenance costs, priest availability, parish income and membership before recommending closure of 43 parishes.[14]

The Association of Religion Data Archives indicated a Catholic membership in the archdiocese of 907,605.[15]

In May 2011, Archbishop Allen Vigneron announced that Pope Benedict XVI approved his request to name Saint Anne as patroness of Detroit. The papal decree stated that Saint Anne has been the city's patroness since time immemorial.[16]

In February 2012, Vigneron announced a second plan to consolidate churches to address declining membership and clergy availability within the archdiocese. Under the plan, two parishes would close in 2012 and 60 others were to consolidate into 21 by the end of 2013. Six additional parishes were asked to submit a viable plan to repay debt or merge with other churches and the remaining 214 parishes in the archdiocese were asked to submit plans by the end of 2012 to share resources or merge.[17]

Sexual abuse

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In August 2002, Wayne County prosecutors indicted Reverends Harry Benjamin, Robert Burkholder, Edward Olszewski, and Jason E. Sigler on criminal sexual conduct charges. The four priests, all residing out of Michigan, had previously been incardinated in the Archdiocese of Detroit. They were all accused of sexually molesting 11 to 13 year old boys.[18]

In May 2019, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel indicted two priests who had previously served in the archdiocese:[19]

  • Neil Kalina, a former priest at St. Kiernan Parish in Shelby Township, was indicted on four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1984 with a boy between the ages of 12 and 14 and for supplying the boy with cocaine and marijuana. He had left the priesthood in 1993 after a 1985 conviction for drug possession.[20] He was convicted and sentenced in July 2022 to up to 15 years in stated prison.[21]
  • Reverend Patrick Casey was charged with raping a 24 year-old gay man. Casey was counseling the man, who was experiencing suicidal feelings, during confession when the assault occurred.[22]In October 2019, Casey pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.[23] [24]

In July 2019, the archdiocese removed Reverend Eduard Perrone, pastor of Assumption Grotto Parish in Detroit from public ministry after determining that allegations that he sexually abused a child decades ago were "credible." Perrone denied the charges.[25] The archdiocese took action based on accusations from a Wayne County police detective who claimed that Perrone sexually assaulted a boy 40 years earlier. However, the alleged victim later retracted his allegations. In August 2020, Perrone received a $125,000 settlement from Wayne County for a defamation lawsuit he filed against the detective[26] That same month, 20 parishioners from Assumption Grotto sued the archdiocese. They claimed that the archdiocese framed Perrone on the sexual abuse allegations because he was a traditionalist Catholic priest who had allegedly exposed scandals in the archdiocese. [27]Perrone was found guilty of three violations of canon law in May 2022. He was allowed to resume public ministry, but could not return to Assumption Grotto.[28]

In July 2019, Reverend Joseph Baker was indicted on first-degree criminal sexual conduct with someone under age 13. The archdiocese had previously placed limits on his public ministry.[29] Baker was convicted in October 2022 and was sentenced to three to 15 years in prison.[30]

In September 2020, former archdiocesan priest Gary Berthiaume was arrested on charges sexually assaulting a teenager at the rectory of Our Lady of Sorrows in Farmington in 1977.[31] The same year, Berthiaume was arrested for sexually abusing two minors and served six months in the Oakland County Jail before being transferred out of the state of Michigan.[31] In October 2020, Nessel charged Berthiaume with second-degree sexual assault, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted.[32] In December 2020, Assistant Attorney General Danielle Russo Bennetts stated during a pre-trial hearing that further investigation revealed that Berthiaume had two other possible sex abuse victims..[33]

In December 2020, several male employees of Orchard Lake Schools in Orchard Lake, Michigan, sued their employer and Vigneron. They alleged that Reverend Miroslaw Krol, the director of the Schools, had sexually abused them. Although the Schools were located in the archdiocese, they were not operated by it. However, the lawsuit stated that Vigneron, as a member of the Schools board, knew about the accusations against Krol and did nothing about them.[34]

A report outlining a four-year investigation into how Michigan's dioceses handled reports of sexual abuse was released by Nessel's office in January 2024. Much of the abuse alleged is beyond the statute of limitations. Nessel said the Diocese of Gaylord cooperated with investigators and was "instrumental" to the report. Her office has charged eleven priests with sexual abuse crimes, leading to nine convictions.[35]

LGBTQ community

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The archdiocese fired a reporter working at their Michigan Catholic newspaper, Brian McNaught, when he came out as gay in 1974. McNaught then founded an LGBTQ Catholic organization called Dignity Detroit.[36]

Vigneron in 2013 stated that he would not allow Catholics who support same-sex marriage to receive communion in the archdiocese. He said that taking communion while disagreeing with the church on this issue is "double-dealing that is not unlike perjury."[37]

In June 2020, the archdiocese fired the female music director at Auburn Hills for marrying a woman. In August 2020, Vigneron kicked out two pro-LGBT Catholic groups, Fortunate Families Detroit and Dignity Detroit, the latter of which was formed by the reporter the archdiocese had fired decades earlier. Vigneron forbid the groups from gathering at churches or having priests perform mass for them, saying the groups were incompatible with the virtue of chastity.[38]

Vigneron wrote a pastoral letter in 2024 to leaders in six counties within the archdiocese requiring that all employees, students, and youth program participants "shall respect their God-given biological sex." Vigneron did not use the word "transgender" but warned that accommodating "individuals experiencing gender confusion" is dangerous. In a podcast following his letter, Vigneron said that the idea of acceptance of transgender people is "a toxin that's been deposited in our culture" and compared it to a virus.[39]

Bishops and archbishops

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Bishops

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  1. Frederick Rese (1833–1871)
    - Peter Paul Lefevere (coadjutor bishop 1841–1869); died before his succession as bishop
  2. Caspar Borgess (1871–1887)
  3. John Samuel Foley (1888–1918)
  4. Michael Gallagher (1918–1937)

Archbishops

[edit]
  1. Cardinal Edward Aloysius Mooney (1937–1958)
  2. Cardinal John Francis Dearden (1958–1980)
  3. Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka (1981–1990), appointed President of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See and later President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and Governatorate of Vatican City State
  4. Cardinal Adam Joseph Maida (1990–2009)[40]
  5. Allen Henry Vigneron (2009–present)[41]

Current auxiliary bishops

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Former auxiliary bishops

[edit]

Other archdiocesan priests who became bishops

[edit]

Coat of arms

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Former archdiocesan coat of arms (1937–2017)

In June 2017, the archdiocese adopted a new coat of arms. It features the archdiocesan patroness St. Anne, three stars representing the Holy Trinity, a door representing Blessed Solanus Casey of Detroit, and waves representing the Great Lakes. It replaced a coat of arms featuring antlers and martlets that dated back to 1937.[46]

Churches and regions

[edit]
Main article: List of Roman Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Detroit

The Archdiocese of Detroit is divided into four administrative regions:

Each region is divided into vicariates.[47] Since 2021, to promote a missionary focus, the archdiocese has grouped its parishes into families, consisting of three or more parishes.[48]

Schools

[edit]
Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan
Main article: List of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit

In 1964, the archdiocese operated 360 schools with an enrollment of 203,000 students. These included 110 primary schools and 55 high schools in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park The Catholic school population decreased over the decades due to the increase of charter schools, the rise in tuition at Catholic schools, the small number of African-American Catholics, the exodus of White Catholics to the suburbs, and the decreased number of teaching nuns.[49]

As of 2013, the archdiocese had 96 schools with 30,000 students. There were four primary schools and three high schools in Detroit, all of them on the city's west side.[49]

Universities and colleges

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Suffragan sees

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Ecclesiastical Province of Detroit

See also

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Refereneces

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  1. ^ a b "Archdiocese of Detroit". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  2. ^ "St. Ignatius Parish". Archdiocese of Detroit. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  3. ^ "About the parish". Saint Ignatius Parish. July 17, 2010. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  4. ^ "Mission "Sui Iuris" of Cayman Islands". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  5. ^ Woodford, Arthur M. (2001). This is Detroit 1701–2001. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8143-2914-6.
  6. ^ Poremba, David Lee (2001). Detroit in Its World Setting (timeline). Wayne State University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-8143-2870-5.
  7. ^ a b c "Detroit (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  8. ^ Treppa, Alan R. Rev. John A. Lemke: America's First Native Born Roman Catholic Priest.St. Albertus.org. Retrieved on July 25, 2008. Archived July 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Hamel, Ron (November–December 2019). "100th Anniversary - The Ethical and Religious Directives: Looking Back to Move Forward". Health Progress.
  10. ^ "History". Archdiocese of Detroit. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  11. ^ "History". Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church.,
  12. ^ Austin, Dan. "St. Patrick Catholic Church". Historic Detroit.
  13. ^ "Cardinal of Detroit Orders 30 Parishes In the City to Close". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 9, 1989. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  14. ^ "Detroit Prelate Backs Plan to Close 43 Churches". Los Angeles Times. October 15, 1988. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  15. ^ "County Membership Report: Wayne County, Michigan". Association of Religion Data Archives. 2010.
  16. ^ Kohn, Joe (May 6, 2011). "Saint Anne declared patroness for Church of Detroit". The Michigan Catholic. Archdiocese of Detroit. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  17. ^ Brand-Williams, Orlandar (February 21, 2012). "31 Catholic parishes face consolidation". The Detroit News. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  18. ^ "4 Ex-Detroit Priests Are Charged With Sex Abuse Dating From 60's". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 28, 2002. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  19. ^ "The Latest: 5 priests charged with sex crimes in Michigan". Crux. Associated Press. May 24, 2019.
  20. ^ Cook, Jameson (July 30, 2019). "Accused Former Macomb County Priest Convicted of Drug Offense in 1985". The Macomb Daily. Retrieved July 10, 2021 – via BishopAccountability.org.
  21. ^ "Former Shelby Township Priest Sent to Prison for Sex Abuse". Michigan Department of the Attorney General. July 26, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  22. ^ Warikoo, Niraj (May 24, 2019). "5 Catholic priests charged in Michigan sex abuse investigation". Detroit Free Press.
  23. ^ Carmody, Steve (October 8, 2019). "Former Catholic priest takes plea deal in sexual abuse investigation". Michigan Radio News. Associated Press. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  24. ^ LeBlanc, Beth. "Former Detroit area priest gets 45 days in jail, 1 year probation". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  25. ^ "Detroit priest removed by archdiocese because of 'credible' sexual abuse allegation". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press. July 7, 2019.
  26. ^ Baldas, Tresa. "Suspended priest wins $125K from cop for defamation: She framed me". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  27. ^ Baldas, Tresa (August 17, 2020). "Suspended priest wins $125K from cop for defamation: She framed me". Detroit Free Press.
  28. ^ "Fr. Perrone returns to limited ministry after conclusion of disciplinary trial". Detroit Catholic. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  29. ^ "Metro Detroit priest charged with sexually abusing minor". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press.
  30. ^ Kelly, Dane (March 2, 2023). "Former Michigan priest sentenced to prison, lifetime sex offender registration". WILX. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  31. ^ a b Neavling, Steve (September 29, 2020). "Former Farmington priest arrested on charges of sexually abusing teenager in 1970s". Metro Times.
  32. ^ Wingblad, Aileen (October 21, 2020). "Former priest charged with sex crime in Farmington returns to court next week". The Oakland Press. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  33. ^ "Clergy Abuse Investigation Continues with Clergymen Back in Court" (Press release). Michigan Attorney General. December 7, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  34. ^ Kozlowski, Kim (December 14, 2020). "Lawsuit alleges Orchard Lake Schools leader sexually abused, retaliated against male employees". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  35. ^ LeBlanc, Beth (January 8, 2024). "New clergy abuse report contains allegations against northern Michigan priests, deacons". The Detroit News.
  36. ^ Frank, Annalise (June 27, 2024). "Moments in Metro Detroit LGBTQ+ religious history". Axios.
  37. ^ Warikoo, Niraj (April 8, 2013). "Mich. gay marriage backers urged to skip Communion". Detroit Free Press.
  38. ^ Warikoo, Niraj (August 8, 2020). "Archdiocese of Detroit throws out 2 LGBTQ Catholic groups". Detroit Free Press.
  39. ^ Warikoo, Niraj (March 28, 2024). "Detroit's Catholic archbishop calls trans identity 'gender confusion' in letter". Detroit Free Press.
  40. ^ "Maida, Adam Joseph". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  41. ^ Kohn, Joe (February 6, 2009). "Archbishop Vigneron installed as 10th chief shepherd of Detroit diocese". The Michigan Catholic. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  42. ^ "Resignations and Appointments" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  43. ^ Stechschulte, Michael (May 23, 2022). "Pope appoints Vatican diplomat Archbishop Russell as Detroit auxiliary bishop". Detroit Catholic. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  44. ^ "Regarding the Civil Lawsuit Filed Against Archbishop Paul Russell". Archdiocese of Detroit. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  45. ^ "Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Jeffrey Monforton as Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit; Appoints Bishop Paul Bradley as Apostolic Administrator of Steubenville | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  46. ^ Stechschulte, Mike (June 3, 2017). "Archdiocese's new coat of arms a visual reminder of Church's mission". The Michigan Catholic. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  47. ^ "Region and Vicariate Maps". Archdiocese of Detroit. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  48. ^ "Families of Parishes". Families of Parishes - Archdiocese of Detroit. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  49. ^ a b Montemurri, Patricia (February 1, 2013). "Detroit area's Catholic schools shrink, but tradition endures". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014.

References and further reading

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