The Nation - News from Jan. 8, 1989

Detroit Catholics apparently received mixed blessings as the city’s archdiocese began announcing which inner-city parishes would stay open and which would close. At least a dozen parishes will close by summer, 18 have been designated as “questionably viable” and were given six months to a year for more study, three targeted for closing will be kept open, two will be merged with other churches and two will remain open until their pastors retire. Nearly two dozen other parishes that did not have Saturday Masses were to learn their fates today. Cardinal Edmund Szoka disclosed his final decisions to pastors in private meetings last week, giving them permission to release the information during weekend services. The church closing plan, announced in September, called for closing or merging 48 parishes. Officials cited declining membership, a shortage of priests and increasing costs.