Sharing the Light

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

April 2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We are embarking together on a mission, guided by the Holy Spirit, to transform the Archdiocese of Detroit into a band of joyful missionary disciples. This mission requires a bold commitment to living our faith and sharing it with everyone we meet. Aided by your prayers and support, our parishes, schools and other ministries are aligning their structures and resources to this shared mission. Importantly, those of us working at the archdiocese’s Central Services, serving the wider community, know we must always take great care to be good stewards of your financial gifts and our collective resources.

This requires a commitment to transparency. In 2011, I wrote a series of updates called “Sharing the Light,” to address common questions and concerns from you, the faithful, and to update you on our activities. My intent was to provide you with the facts regarding the challenges and opportunities we face as brothers and sisters in Christ. As we work together to bring Christ to all those within our reach, I am restarting my “Sharing the Light” communications, adding new topics and updating those already published here. On behalf of my coworkers, I commit that we will annually review these categories each fall, updating the information and adding new topics, as needed.

As the people of God, we are all called to assist with our transformation into a missionary, outward focused, archdiocese. As I wrote in my pastoral letter: “The new ‘mission territory’ is our own neighborhoods, workplaces, schools and even our own homes.” Therefore, as you meet people and help them to encounter Christ, you may encounter questions about the Church or misunderstandings about the archdiocese and our initiatives. I pray that this depository of updates, with frequently asked questions and answers, will be helpful as you share our faith with others.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron
Archbishop of Detroit