Cathedral's architecture wows Archbishop-designate Weisenburger as he makes whirlwind tour in first visit to Detroit
DETROIT — Archbishop-designate Edward J. Weisenburger said Feb. 11 he was touched by the warm reception he's received from the people in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Seminarians, members of the media, archdiocesan clergy and lay staff packed the room for an introductory press conference and burst into applause when the sixth archbishop of Detroit entered with a broad smile on his face.
As Archbishop-designate Weisenburger donned a Detroit Lions hat and introduced himself, the faithful from across the Archdiocese of Detroit got a glimpse into the new leader of the Catholic Church in southeast Michigan who seemed approachable, joyful, and down-to-earth.
“I loved Archbishop Weisenburger’s joy,” Fr. J.J. Mech, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and soon-to-be neighbor of Archbishop-designate Weisenburger, told Detroit Catholic. “There is a very approachable, very down-to-earth type to him. I really appreciated his style in regards to receiving Detroit’s hospitality with great humility, but also, when he was asked certain questions, he took them seriously.”
During the press conference, the archbishop-designate told a story about his time studying at the American College Seminary at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, where his spiritual advisor counseled him on the virtues of saying "yes."
Fr. Mech said the story offered an important insight into the archbishop-designate’s willingness to respond to the Holy Spirit.
“I love his trust and how his first go-to response when answering, whether it was the Holy Father or anyone, is ‘Yes,’” Fr. Mech said. “His willingness is such an appropriate response in this Jubilee Year of Hope, when all the Church in the archdiocese and the world are hinging on the hope the Holy Spirit brings to us.”
Archbishop-designate Weisenburger embarked upon a whirlwind tour of the Archdiocese of Detroit for three days, visiting Sacred Heart Major Seminary, the archdiocesan Chancery in downtown Detroit, the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and various sites throughout the archdiocese — including greeting Cardinal Adam J. Maida, Detroit's fourth archbishop.
With news of Archbishop-designate Weisenburger’s appointment and visit, members of the Church in southeast Michigan have had a chance to meet their new leader and reflect on his appointment.
“I look forward to seeing his wisdom,” said Fr. Stephen Burr, rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. “When there’s a change like this in leadership, there is a chance for a new vision, new eyes to be placed on the seminary, upon the Archdiocese of Detroit, and that will cast a future of hope that the Lord wants us to have.”
Other dignitaries at the Feb. 11 press conference were struck by Archbishop-designate Weisenburger’s focus on the importance of community in living a Christian life and the significance of recognizing God’s presence in every individual. This echoed his episcopal motto, "Behold, the Lamb of God," inspired by St. John the Baptist’s words upon seeing Christ approach.
“We are blessed to welcome Archbishop Weisenburger’s leadership, vision and pastoral care, and we continue our mission to bring the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to those in need throughout southeast Michigan,” said Paul Propson, CEO of Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, the charitable arm of the Archdiocese of Detroit, of which Archbishop-elect Weisenburger will serve as president of the board of trustees in his role as archbishop of Detroit.
In addition to leading an archdiocese spanning six counties in southeast Michigan, which is comprised of an estimated 900,000 Catholics out of a general population of 4.3 million, Archbishop-designate Weisenburger will serve as the metropolitan of the ecclesial province of Detroit, which is comprised of the archdiocese and the six suffragan dioceses in Michigan.
The archbishop of Detroit chairs the Michigan Catholic Conference board of directors, which governs the conference's operations and serves as the official voice of the Catholic Church in Michigan on matters of public policy.
The Michigan Catholic Conference also develops, coordinates, and manages programs that provide retirement benefits and insurance coverage for Catholic lay employees and clergy.
“We congratulate Archbishop-designate Weisenburger on his appointment to lead the Detroit archdiocese, and we look forward to welcoming and supporting him in his role as chair of the MCC board of directors,” said Paul Long, president and CEO of the Michigan Catholic Conference.
Long also thanked retiring Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron for his 16 years of service as chairman, particularly for framing public policy matters in light of the Gospel.
“Archbishop Vigneron is a kind and pastoral man who leads with his faith at the center of all he does,” Long said. “We are thankful for his wisdom on matters related to MCC’s public policy advocacy and for providing necessary support for efforts to serve church employees throughout the state of Michigan.”
Fr. Mech echoed Long’s and many others' sentiments — including Archbishop-designate Weisenburger’s — on the role Archbishop Vigneron played in setting a missionary focus for the Archdiocese of Detroit, stemming from the fruits of Synod 16 and his subsequent pastoral letter, Unleash the Gospel.
“Archbishop Vigneron’s grace in his spirituality and his ministry is one of the biggest impacts he had on the Church here,” Fr. Mech said. “He took to the very core of his being what it meant to be archbishop of Detroit. Nothing he did ever contradicted what he believed in following what the Holy Spirit was asking of him. And sometimes, those were some challenging things. But I love how he was a mentor to many, including me; that is the greatest thing I learned from him.”
Fr. Mech received Archbishop-designate Weisenburger on Tuesday evening for the new archbishop’s first tour of his cathedral.
“He was taken aback by the beauty of the cathedral,” Fr. Mech said.
Fr. Mech told Archbishop-designate Weisenburger about some of the pastoral missions at the cathedral, including a recently installed dog park on cathedral grounds and a 53-unit affordable apartment complex the cathedral built across Woodward Avenue as a way to minister to the needs of the community.
“He lit up because he was excited we were going out into the neighborhood,” Fr. Mech said. “He loved the dog park and how it is building community. He found it clear that we were engaging in that part of the ministry.”
Archbishop-designate Weisenburger has seen his fair share of cathedrals from serving as the rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City, his former cathedra at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Salina, Kansas, and his current seat at St. Augustine Cathedral in Tucson, Arizona.
Fr. Mech knew it had been a long day, so he allowed the archbishop-designate some time alone in the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament’s Eucharistic side chapel.
“We gave him some privacy to walk around, and we found him in the Blessed Sacrament chapel,” Fr. Mech said. “He kept looking up — gothic architecture elevates the height of the building — and he was in awe at how large and how beautiful it was. He mentioned its beauty so many times, which he is really going to enjoy.”
Archbishop-designate Weisenburger will be installed as archbishop of Detroit at 2 p.m. on March 18 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
