Michigan’s largest Catholic archdiocese is considering suspending weekend Mass at up to 90 parishes as church leaders grapple with shrinking congregations, a shortage of priests and mounting financial pressures across the Detroit region.
The Archdiocese of Detroit last week added 32 parishes to its list of where masses could be axed as part of its restructuring process, on top of the 58 already identified in previous plans. The proposals form part of a two-year reorganization process that church officials say is necessary to adapt to changing demographics and declining participation in parish life.
Archdiocesan data show Mass attendance has fallen 40 percent since 2011, dropping from 231,076 worshippers to 139,088 in 2024, despite the wider Detroit region’s population increasing by nearly 100,000 people during the same period…