As you know, the Archdiocese of Detroit has begun a process of Archdiocesan Restructuring. I would like to take this opportunity to share some important updates with you—what has been accomplished so far, and what lies ahead.

The process began in November, reflecting on the reasons restructuring is necessary. Declining Mass attendance across the archdiocese, fewer priests available for active ministry, financial strains caused in part by lower offertory contributions, and demographic shifts have all impacted our ability to sustain the care and maintenance of more than 200 church buildings as well as hundreds of other buildings, including schools, rectories, convents, and so on.

In January, over 170 priests from across the archdiocese gathered for three days of prayer, discernment, and strategic discussion to develop the first round of restructuring models. Each model includes potential groupings of parishes within a particular geographic area. These groupings—called pastorates—may consist of one or more independent parishes or they may include parishes that merge into one while maintaining one or more of the church buildings from the merged parishes.

This spring, every parish will host two listening sessions where the first draft of pastorate models will be presented. Our parish listening sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, and Thursday, May 28, beginning each evening at 7:00 p.m. They will take place in the church. You may RSVP for one of these sessions at restructuring.aod.org or you may scan the QR code at the end of this letter to register. These sessions will give you the opportunity to review the models developed by the priests of the archdiocese and to share your feedback on the proposed pastorates. After feedback is gathered from every parish, many of the models may be revised. Ultimately, Archbishop Weisenburger will prayerfully discern the refined models before determining the future structure of the archdiocese, which will take effect beginning in July 2027.

Every parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit will undergo some degree of change as a result of this process. As you consider these changes, I encourage you to view them as opportunities to re-envision how the church can minister to the people of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Given the upcoming structural shifts and the decreasing number of priests assigned to each pastorate, many parishes will experience adjustments to their Mass schedules. In some cases, reduction in the number of Masses offered at a particular location. These changes will help ensure that priests have adequate time to travel between sites and remain available and present to their parish communities.

Changes in Mass times, while challenging, will also present opportunities to welcome new faces, strengthen ministries, and collaborate more intentionally within each pastorate. Parish staff members may see shifts in responsibilities as new teams are formed, but they will also gain opportunities to work together in creative and innovative ways across parish boundaries.

The prospect of change can be difficult to face, especially when it touches our parish communities. Yet I trust, as you do, that through every change and challenge, God is with us. God invites us to set aside our own desires and fears so that we can receive new and hopeful opportunities to renew the Church here in southeastern Michigan. Plan to attend and participate in one of the listening sessions not ready to fight, argue, or insist that we are exempt from change. Instead, come with openness to the Holy Spirit

—with an open mind and an open heart—ready to receive what the Lord desires to give, ready to serve in whatever ways we are called, and always entrusting this important

work to the Holy Spirit.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Father Terrence Kerner