Detroit is an incredible place. A few years ago, I struck up a conversation with a visitor from out of state who, after listening to me rave about the Motor City, asked if I worked for the Chamber of Commerce. I had to laugh—because I don’t. I just believe in this city!
And I’m not alone. USA Today readers voted the Detroit Institute of Arts the #1 art museum in the country. They also named the Detroit Riverwalk and Campus Martius Park the best of their kind in the entire United States. Detroit has even been awarded a three-star rating in the first-ever Michelin Green Guide, recognizing our exceptional history, cultural collections, and vibrant visitor experiences.
The New York times not only named Detroit in the top 50 places in the world to visit, but to quote a glowing article about Detroit, published last week in Architectural Digest: “Detroit’s downtown is growing in population in an astounding way. And a series of developments have revitalized many abandoned buildings and underutilized areas, fostering a new era for the city once most famous for its decline.”
We certainly know decline; we’ve lived it! I was born exactly one month after the Detroit Riots. It is such a sign of hope to hear again and again the glorious things happening here in our city. As the article states, Detroit was once known for its decline but is now rebounding. I want to remind you that this is not the city’s first resurgence. Detroit’s motto, “Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus,” is Latin for “We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes”. This was penned by a Catholic priest, Father Gabriel Richard after the devastating Great Fire of 1805. The motto symbolizes the city’s destruction and its subsequent, resilient rebirth, and spirit of rebuilding.
Now, let’s talk about the Church! Some might say that today the Church is in decline—fewer priests, fewer than 40% of Catholics attending Mass weekly, and less cultural presence in society. But I’ll say it again: it is such a sign of hope to hear again and again the glorious things happening here. This time I am talking about our Church. We have a strong leader in Archbishop Weisenburger. We have had an explosive growth in membership and attendance. In fact, we’ve seen an 82% increase in contributing households from 2022 to 2025. This mirrors our pastoral emphasis on mission, welcome, and excellence in liturgy. Mass counts have grown 22% over the same period. Sacramental life is thriving. Across the last three years we have celebrated over 120+ sacraments annually; Confirmations are up over 300%; we also have about 16 adults inquiring here at the Cathedral about how to become Catholic. “The Journey with the Saints pilgrimage” has exceeded our expectations. 4,000 pilgrims have literally come from all over the world to encounter the Lord through the apostles’ relics, an experience described as the only one of its kind, inviting deep prayer and renewed discipleship. Momentum is growing. We have strengthened our ministries and outreach. We have both a new Volunteer and Programming Coordinator who are equipping teams for liturgy, hospitality, and service. We’ve expanded formation with Bible studies, a parish book club, continuing-education, OCIA sessions, and marriage retreats that have served 400+ couples over the last three years.
What I started saying in this article about our city, I can say the same for our Mother Church. I love our Cathedral. Blessed Sacrament is an incredible place. As we look ahead, our mission remains simple and bold: to draw every heart closer to Christ in the Eucharist and to share His mercy beyond our doors. I encourage you to get involved. Like our city, people are recognizing the Cathedral and the Catholic Churches exceptional history, collections, and visitor experiences. Are we there yet. No. But, in this Jubilee year of Hope, “We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes”.
God Bless,
Fr. J.J.