We went to Michigan to attend Mr. Pete’s annual family reunion. (and had a great time by the way!)
Sadly we learned that the church that Mr. Pete and his family use to attend, the church where he and his siblings were baptized, received first communion and were confirmed, will be closing by August 1. And this is not the only church in this city slated to close!
Mr. Pete grew up in Flint, Michigan. Since 1970 the population of Flint has dropped almost in half, mainly because of the decline of the auto industry there. Some of you might remember that the death of Flint was the topic of Michael Moore’s first movie, Roger and Me!
During it’s peak, there was a need for the inner city Catholic Churches and Flint had quite a few. Mr. Pete’s Church, St. Agnes, had a number of masses and he remembers there being standing room only many times when he was growing up. We went by the old church on Saturday. It is still well kept. In fact it recently underwent a renovation making it more conducive to a smaller congregation. But the hard fact is that St. Agnes, along with its sister churches, Sacred Heart and St. Luke’s don’t have enough parishoners, and they aren’t bringing in enough to keep their buildings open. I’m sure it was a difficult decision for the Bishop of Lansing, but it would not be good stewardship or financially sound to keep them open.
I have a small connection to St. Luke’s. My grandparents were good friends with Father Donahue. He left their parish in a neighboring town, to found St. Luke’s Parish in Flint. I very vaguely remember his funeral at St. Luke’s and it was packed!! A few years ago we took Rosie there to be baptized at their one and only Sunday mass. Even with all of our family and friends in town for the occasion, the church had a lot of extra room.
Pete’s brother and sister-in-law still attend St. Luke and are active in the parish life there. They are surprised and saddened with everyone else that their faith community as they know it is ending.
When Mr. Pete and I were very young adults, Sacred Heart was THE conservative, orthodox parish in town. At least for a time. I remember attending a wedding there for some good friends who were very involved in that parish. Pete’s brother also gave the homily there once when he was a deacon. I understand by this summer they too were down to one mass and not many parishioners.
The diocese is moving everyone to one bigger parish with over 600 families, St. John Vianney. I think it will be quite an adjustment for people who are use to such small intimate communities to become part of a large parish once more.
There will be adjustments for the St. John Vianney community as well! With these four communities coming together to make one big community, the diocese mandates that the parish has to change it’s name. That is the first thing they will all do together. I pray that they can come up with something that will inspire this new larger community and encourage them all to make these necessary changes. Perhaps God has great plans in mind for this new Catholic community!
In the meantime though, St. Luke’s, Sacred Heart and St. Agnes are getting ready to have their final masses and celebrations together as a parish. Administrators are moving all of the records over to St. John Vianney. It’s one more blow to a community that had had more than it’s share over the past few decades.
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