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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2009 /  A final liturgy

by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published July 3, 2009

Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic Fr. Dariusz Strzalkowski, pastor, celebrates the closing Mass at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Detroit, last Sunday. With him at the altar is Fr. Donald Archambault, vicar of the Trinity Vicariate, who concelebrated the Mass.

DETROIT — Last Sunday's Mass marked the closing of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, but those who have worshipped there need to continue their faith journeys, its pastor told the congregation gathered for the event.

"It's the end for the parish, but it's not the end for you. Take all the joys you experienced in this church, and move on," Fr. Dariusz Strzalkowski said in his final remarks at the close of the Mass.

He spoke to a church filled to standing-room-only capacity with current and former members of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, and of the two westside parishes that merged four years ago to form it – St. Gemma and St. Christine.

Earlier, during his homily, he addressed those former parishioners who have since found new parish homes in other neighborhoods, saying those who remained at St. Catherine of Siena to the end will need them to be invited and welcomed to join their faith communities.

Also as part of the ceremony, Fr. Strzalkowski recited special prayers at the altar, at the organ and at the baptismal font, and then removed the ciborium containing the remaining blessed hosts from the tabernacle and left the doors to the empty tabernacle open, carrying the ciborium with him in the final procession out of the church.

He then handed the ciborium to Fr. Donald Archambault, vicar of the Trinity Vicariate, who concelebrated the closing Mass, to be taken from the building.

Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic Some parishioners and former parishioners remain talking outside St. Catherine of Siena Church after the parish’s closing Mass last Sunday.

Several members of the local community of Passionist priests, which used to staff St. Gemma Parish, were at the Mass. Although the Passionists sold their nearby monastery to an Orthodox community, they still operate St. Paul of the Cross retreat center.

St. Gemma and St. Christine parishes began this decade with a little more than 400 families, but only 234 remained at the time of the 2005 merger. The former St. Gemma Church on West Davison near Telegraph became the new parish's worship center, while the former St. Christine Church on Fenkell was sold. But the buildings that housed St. Christine's soup kitchen and outreach efforts were retained by St. Catherine of Siena Parish so that those ministries could continue.

Now, the former St. Catherine Church and rectory, and the former St. Gemma convent and elementary school buildings will be put on the market, but the remaining former St. Christine buildings – and their ministries – will be taken over by Christ the King Parish as part of the Together in Faith process.

When St. Gemma and St. Christine merged, it was hoped the declining numbers would stabilize and perhaps even grow, but membership had declined to 124 families by the end of last year and continued to fall this year.

Exacerbating the situation caused by the declining numbers was a series of break-ins and gang activity in the former school and convent buildings, as well as break-ins at the rectory.

Christ the King Parish, on Grand River Avenue in northwest Detroit will acquire most of the former territory of St. Catherine Parish, with one neighborhood each going to St. Suzanne Parish in Detroit and to St. Hilary Parish in Redford Township.

Fr. Strzalkowski's new assignment is as pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Taylor.