2014

A Year of Prayer

For a full year, we asked God for his guidance and grace to embark on a great mission – a mission to Unleash the Gospel in our parishes, schools, ministries, families and communities. We asked God to change our own hearts and inspire our work. And God was faithful.

2016

A Time of Listening

Hundreds of leaders and representatives from every parish in the Archdiocese gathered to reflect on and discuss what God was calling us to do. During these listening sessions, we captured nearly 11,000 unique pieces of feedback, hopes, dreams and desires for how we could move our local Church from maintenance to mission.

2016

An Act of Repentance

On October 7, 2016, Archbishop Vigneron and the auxiliary bishops stood before God and asked him to forgive the Church in Detroit for the ways all of us – clergy and lay faithful – had “chained the Gospel,” and for the grace to faithfully move
forward. This powerful moment touched thousands, releasing graces and inspiring a great sense of purpose and resolve in the
faithful across the Archdiocese.

2016

A Synod For Detroit

Over 400 participants gathered to pray, share and discern a plan to move forward and renew the Church in Detroit. It was a
watershed moment in the history of our Archdiocese, and a powerful sign of the great conviction and hope of all the faithful, our leaders and our Archbishop.

2017

Fr. Solanus: A Witness to Hope

On November 18, 2017, the first anniversary of Synod 16, more than 70,000 faithful and pilgrims from around the world filled Ford Field to witness and participate in the beatification Mass for Capuchin priest Father Solanus Casey, a providential sign, a model for our mission to proclaim God’s love and an intercessor in our efforts to unleash the Gospel.

2018

The Letter and Movement

On Pentecost Sunday 2017, Archbishop Vigneron published his pastoral letter Unleash the Gospel, the roadmap for our archdiocesan missionary transformation. This is the foundational document that inspires and guides our ongoing missionary activity. It is a repository of the graces of Synod 16 that allows us to move forward with confidence, focus and resolve. Since its release, we have witnessed the first fruits of the Holy Spirit powering the movement.

2019

Sent On Mission & New Vision for Catholic Schools

With the goal of re-founding the Archdiocese of Detroit parish-by-parish for our mission to unleash the Gospel, parishes and schools began discerning how they could align all their activity and ministry to boldly share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

2020

Families of Parishes

Synod 16 called for a complete renewal of structures of our parishes to make them radically-mission oriented. The increasing shortage of priests and the health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic accelerated this process of renewal.

On Pentecost Sunday, Archbishop Vigneron announced that over the next two years, all parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit will join other parishes in new groupings called “families of parishes.” These groups of three to six parishes will share resources to advance the mission. Each family of parishes will be served by multiple priests and deacons.

2021

Looking Back and Looking Forward

In the five years since more than 400 clergy and laity from across the Archdiocese of Detroit gathered for Synod 16, our community and our world have undergone significant change.

We in the Archdiocese of Detroit have responded by adjusting some of our plans, but our ultimate goal of transforming southeast Michigan into a community of joyful missionary disciples remains unchanged. With the ever-constant guidance of the Holy Spirit through the joys and challenges of the past five years — and into the future — we can be certain that we are called to go forth together with Apostolic Boldness and Confidence in God.

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