Our Lady of La Salette Included in Archdiocese of Detroit Reorganization Plan

A plan presented to Archbishop Allen Vigneron on Wednesday night to address a shortage of priests, along with financial challenges in the Archdiocese of Detroit, includes a proposal to unite in Berkley with Our Lady of Fatima in Oak Park and in Ferndale.

The planning group that devised the proposal (see attached PDF) did not address how would be impacted, or how the parishes would come together.

"People should not be afraid, but they should certainly be aware," said La Salette Deacon Dan Darga, who urged parishioners to contact the church directly if they have questions.

The proposal is part of the “Together in Faith” process that began in 2004 and grew to involve approximately 1,500 lay Catholics from the 270 parishes within the Archdiocese of Detroit.

"These recommendations – formed through the parishes themselves, reviewed and amended by a group of mostly lay advisors called the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) – call for a number of multi-parish efforts in areas ranging from youth ministry to vocations to financial considerations," reads a statement distributed by the Archdiocese of Detroit (see attached PDF). "They also include recommendations to reduce some worship sites by merging and closing parishes."

Darga said Our Lady of La Salette had representatives on South Oakland Vicariate Planning Group 2, which oversaw recommendations for parishes in Berkley, Oak Park, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Clawson and Troy.

"Archbishop Vigneron will spend the next several weeks reviewing the recommendations he has received," according to the archdiocese statement. "Based on them, he is expected to put forth an archdiocesan-wide pastoral plan in February of 2012."

However, Darga said the recommendations are by no means set in stone and that other proposals have been put forward as well, including one from the priests representing the South Oakland Vicariate Planning Group 2 parishes. That plan, he said, emphasizes the importance of .

The archdiocese has been supportive of the Berkley school, which this year launched , Darga said.

 received $20,000 for teacher training to launch the first-of-its-kind program in the archdiocese, as well as $30,000 for school operations from the Archdiocese of Detroit, he said.

"I considered that, really, a vote of confidence," Darga said. "They sent it to us because this is a model that's new to the archdiocese and has potential to be used in other parishes, too. I can't imagine they would give us tens of thousands of dollars and then close the school.

"The big thing we have going for us at La Salette is the school," which has stable enrollment and draws a diverse student body from the local community, Detroit and beyond, Darga said.

He added that OLLS's the Rev. Patrick Connell has said he sees the reorganization plan's failure to mention the school as a positive sign.

While the proposal also leaves unclear how the parishes would be combined, the change would occur when a pastor leaves.

"(Father Connell) is a young man," Darga said of La Salette's spiritual leader. "He's not 50 yet. Father's far from retiring. ... The wildcard is what happens in other parishes."

Darga said the archdicoese likely will make decisions about parishes without pastors or that are in dire financial straits first.

Forntunately, the deacon said, the financial council at OLLS has spent the past few years reviewing the parish's finances and taking steps to improve them, including:

• reducing staff
• paying down debt (incurred for maintence such as replacing the roof)
• economizing on utilities and expenses

"We're  not without challenges, but we have a solid budget," he said. "We're working very hard to live within our means like any family would."

The challenge for parishioners is how to cope with change, the deacon said.

"We have a great group of people who do a good amount of work," Darga said. "Sometimes, when we hear things like this, it makes us realize we can do a little more, give a little more."

He encouraged parishioners to get involved by contributing their "time, talent and treasure" to make the parish better.

As the changes unfold, Darga said, the community needs to consider what it will do if it loses its pastor.

"The diocese is working hard to make sure we can do what's important," Darga said.

If you have questions about the proposal, please contact OLLS at 248-542-3757 to speak with Father Patrick Connell at extension 12, Deacon Dan Darga at extension 11 or Principal Dan Terbrack at extension 22.