Regarding Fraternite Notre Dame
The Archdiocese of Detroit Department of Communications invites parishes to publish the following advisory in their bulletins:
Regarding Fraternite Notre Dame
Each of us in the Catholic faith community has a responsibility to reduce error, avoid schism, and promote ecclesiastical communion. To that end, the Archdiocese of Detroit shares the following information about a group operating in Detroit and elsewhere called “Fraternite Notre Dame,” which presents itself as a traditional Catholic religious order of priests, friars, and religious sisters.
Fraternite Notre Dame entered the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2018 without the permission of the Archbishop of Detroit. As you may know, valid Catholic religious orders may not enter a diocese without the permission of the local bishop.
The group bought the former Most Holy Name of Jesus church building on Van Dyke Avenue on the eastside of Detroit. Most Holy Name of Jesus Church is no longer a church according to the Church’s law; it was closed in 1990 and deconsecrated, meaning it would no longer serve as a sacred space for Catholic worship. The building was sold to another religious group, which later sold the property to Fraternite Notre Dame.
Fraternite Notre Dame represents itself as being in full communion with the Catholic Church and asserts that it has a Cardinal-liaison assigned to the group by the Vatican. Despite the Archdiocese of Detroit’s multiple requests for confirmation or clarification, the group has not presented anything to support these claims.
In the interest of truth and to avoid confusion among the faithful, we must clarify that, as best we are able to tell, Fraternite Notre Dame is not an organization in ecclesiastical communion with the Catholic Church. Catholics are advised to avoid association with this group.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Let us pray that God will bring all Christian communities into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, so that we may all be one. (cf. John 17:21)
