CNA Staff, Nov 17, 2025 /
14:05 pm
The Archdiocese of Detroit has announced a restructuring process that will lead to church closures and parish mergers as a result of declining church attendance, its archbishop said.
Archbishop Edward Weisenburger announced in a letter over the weekend that due to a shrinking Catholic population in the archdiocese, a two-year restructuring process will see some parishes close while others will be collected into groupings called “pastorates,” led by one pastor and his team.
He said the “struggle to care for buildings and parish structures where there are very few people” is preventing the Church there to focus on “areas where the Church is growing.”
Weisenburger said that currently there are 900,000 Catholics in the archdiocese, and fewer than half of those attend Mass regularly. Many parish buildings were constructed at a time when there were 1.5 million Catholics in the archdiocese.
Because of this, the archbishop said there are too many buildings to maintain and it has been “stretched too thinly to serve as well as we want.”
According to the archdiocese, there has been a “dramatic decline in baptisms, first Communions and confirmations, and a steady decline in marriages” since 2000.
In 2010, 252 priests served the archdiocese. There are 224 today, and that number is expected to shrink by 40% in the next decade. In addition, the majority of active priests are over the age of 50.
Three-quarters of parishes are also projected to shrink in the next five years, and currently 67% of parishes have fewer than 600 weekly Mass attendees.
The archbishop encouraged his flock not to give in to “anxiety or despair” but said he believes “the situation we are facing is one that holds real and blessed opportunities. I believe with all my heart that God is inviting us to reimagine parish life, priestly ministry, and our mission.”
He said the restructuring will be guided by three pillars: “vibrant parishes,” “flourishing priests,” and “mission ready.”
The timeline for the restructuring began in March, when Weisenburger — who had just been installed as the sixth archbishop of Detroit — held 17 listening sessions across the archdiocese over several months. After data from the sessions was analyzed and he consulted with priests and other parish leaders, Weisenburger announced the restructuring on Nov. 16. Priests will meet in January 2026 to develop the pastorate models, and additional listening sessions in parishes will then take place.
The plan will be implemented beginning July 2027 through July of the following year.
In his letter, the archbishop told Detroit Catholics they can follow each step in the restructuring process in the Detroit Catholic, the archdiocese’s free online news source.
The archdiocese said 30 other dioceses across the United States are currently restructuring due to declines in numbers and participation. This month, the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, also announced a restructuring plan.
Dubuque Archbishop Thomas Zinkula said the restructuring was necessary due to “dramatic shifts in population, culture, and finances within our archdiocese. We are using only 37% of our church capacities each weekend. Since 2006, Mass attendance is down 46% throughout the archdiocese.”
Amira Abuzeid is a senior editor at Catholic News Agency.
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