Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In 2016 Archbishop Vigneron wrote his pastoral letter Unleash the Gospel. In this letter, he challenged all of us who are Disciples of Christ to embrace our vocation and be Spirit-filled evangelizers. Here at the Mother Church of Detroit, we have taken this seriously. The letter calls Catholics to “understand the entire geographical territory of the parish to respond with cultural competency and outreach” (UTG Action Step 2.1.5c). This way of understanding our community is an important component of our work to grow our Cathedral, into an Apostolic Center of Arts and Culture that will provide arts, culture, education, and service opportunities for the spiritual and social renewal of the people we serve. This will allow people of all faiths and backgrounds to be warmly welcomed within the Catholic Church.
I am writing to you today to share an exciting update on one way in which we are carrying out our mission. As you are aware, for the past two years, we have been working with MHT Housing, Inc., the largest developer of affordable housing in our state to redevelop the vacant land on the southwest corner of Woodward and Calvert directly across the street from the Cathedral. Our goal is to construct a building with affordable housing, retail, and space for community programs, classes, and other vital neighborhood services.
In July of this year, we received the very exciting news that the project has received approval for much needed Tax Credits. This means we can continue making concrete plans to begin construction in March 2022 with an estimated completion date of March 2023. “The Cathedral Apartments” will feature 53 two-bedroom units. Sixteen of the units will be subsidized with vouchers from the Detroit Housing Commission, offering further affordability for these units.
Once “The Cathedral Apartments” are built, development proceeds and cash flow will benefit the mission and ministry of our parish. I will be able to share more details about this important aspect of the project in the months ahead. To learn more about the project, please visit the Apartments page of our website.
This is an exciting and unprecedented time for the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish community, and I am very grateful for your ongoing support of our efforts to obey the Holy Spirit and undergo our missionary conversion.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Blessed Solanus, pray for us.
St. Anne, pray for us.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father J.J. Mech
Rector
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament