With church closings and clustering facing some segments of the Archdiocese of Detroit, a new church building in Northern Oakland County is expected in the next few years.
According to a March 28, 2006 letter from Cardinal Adam Maida, ‘several parishes need to expand their facilities as funds are available? and the ‘Vicariate should move forward with plans for developing a new parish in Davisburg.? The letter endorsed the Lakes Vicariate Plan, which covers 11 parishes including the St. Daniel Catholic Church and the Davisburg Mass Station in the Clarkston area.
The plan was part of the ‘Together in Faith? program launched in the Archdiocese in fall 2004 to identify priorities for strengthening parishes and schools, as stated on the Archdiocese Web site.
Maida’s approval could bring a new church building for the Davisburg Mass Station, which consists of 300 households. The Mass Station was founded in 2003 to provide relief to area churches and create a more accessible church for people in the Davisburg area, said Rev. Michael Savickas, Vicar of the Lakes Vicariate.
The mass station currently celebrates masses at 5 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. on Sundays at Davisburg Elementary school on Davisburg Road in Springfield Township.
Archdiocese Public Relations Associate Richard Laskos confirmed both the Mass Station in Davisburg and St. Maximillian Kolbe in the North Macomb Vicariate are being considered and that they would not affect each other. Laskos said there was no deadline for the additional buildings.
Savickas noted any timetable would be speculative, but explained future plans include starting with a 350-seat chapel with capabilities to be expanded to 500. Beyond that chapel, Savickas said things like a 1,200 seat church to school buildings could eventually follow, but are nothing more than speculation.
Father Chris Maus of St. Daniel Catholic Church discussed the status of the Lakes Vicariate, one of 18 vicariates in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
‘We’re pretty much a growing area and the priest to people ratio is lower here than other places,? said Maus.
‘It’s possible some of our parishes might have to expand facilities to address population growth and increase priest presence in coming years,? he continued. ‘There are no mergers or clusters. If anything they’ll start a new parish (referring to Davisburg). We’re stable to growth in this area.?
The Archdiocese Web site lists the Lakes Vicariate as having a 1:3.716 priest-to-people ratio and predicts the general population to increase over five percent in the next three years. Except for three parishes, the ratio is above the diocesan average.
Maus also explained church closings and clustering plans will affect parishes that have population shifts from their area dramatically, those closings should not affect St. Dan’s.
Representatives of the Davisburg Mass Station referred repeated questions from The Clarkston News to the Archdiocese of Detroit.