Cardinal Maida leaves legacy of schools as he retires
Jan 26, 2009
DETROIT -- Cardinal Adam Maida said Thursday that helping to establish several new schools in the city of Detroit is among the proudest achievements of his tenure, but that he had hoped to be more of "a builder."
"I was hoping to build more schools and churches, but I found myself downsizing," Maida said.
"The demographics of the city were just so difficult to maneuver," he said. "But some of these other things became the real success stories."
Shifting demographics, urban sprawl and other factors forced a substantial reorganization of parishes and schools in the archdiocese of 1.3 million Catholics. There were 315 parishes in the archdiocese when Maida arrived in 1990. But after closings, mergers and the clustering parishes, there are now 281, according to the archdiocese. Meanwhile, 85 schools closed, some voluntarily when enrollments slipped.
But Maida expressed satisfaction that the church helped to provide significant alternatives for productive, disciplined education for youths -- both Catholic and non-Catholic -- in the city of Detroit. They include the network of Cornerstone Schools, the three high schools operated by Covenant House and Loyola High School, which is operated by the Society of Jesus -- the Jesuits.
"I'll never forget being at Loyola and one of the mothers of one of these young men came up to me -- and I haven't had a hug like that since I came to Detroit," Maida said, smiling at the memory. "And her words to me were, 'Thanks for saving my child.' "
"That's all I needed to hear -- thanks for saving my child," he said. "It gives you the courage and the energy to keep working, doing one child at a time, just in little groups. I wish I could have addressed thousands before leaving."
Maida, 78, sat for a 30-minute interview Thursday, as he prepares to relinquish his responsibilities to Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who will be installed Wednesday.
In retirement, he said, he will live in Plymouth at the Inn at St. John's, the conference center and golfing facility that Maida established at the site of the former St. John's Seminary. Among Maida's first acts upon arriving in Detroit in 1990 was to reject the proposed sale of the seminary, which once served graduate seminarians preparing for the priesthood, before it was consolidated into Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Maida wanted the facility rehabilitated for its current use.
The establishment of schools in the city helped the church counter the shifting Catholic population, which is substantially white, to the suburbs.
"The cardinal always had a very special interest in the growth of the inner city schools," said Sam Joseph, executive director of Covenant House, which serves 13 cities in the United States, but operates schools only in Detroit.
"We are for students who have dropped out and at-risk kids," Joseph said. "That is very unusual and the cardinal was extremely supportive of this. From the beginning, he was one of those who invited Covenant House to Detroit. And when we arrived, he donated 5.3 acres of land for a school at I-94 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. He just turned over the property to Covenant House."
In 1990, a small, committed group of business, civic and religious leaders conceived of Cornerstone Schools as an answer to Maida's challenge at the Detroit Economic Club "to make all things new again."
The schools opened in 1991 with 167 students. Today, they serve 1,100 students. They received an ample boost last year when the Detroit Tigers agreed to help market them.
"I guess one of my disappointments has been, when a person comes in you are full of dreams and you have one idea that you want to build and what the building will look like," Maida said. "But I guess God has his own plans of how things will unfold."
Maida said he takes much solace in the fact that he believes the "Together in Faith" process that guided much of the reorganization of the archdiocese during his tenure also resulted in a network of 4,000 clergy and laity working together to devise the program. That network continues to function, he said, and will provide seeds from which his successor can grow Catholic education and the faith in Metro Detroit.
El Cardenal Maida se jubila como arzobispos de Detroit
Jan 07, 2009
Allen H. Vigneron, nuevo arzobispo metropolitano de Detroit.
El Papa Benedicto XVI ha aceptado la renuncia al gobierno pastoral de la archidiócesis norteamericana de Detroit del Cardenal Adam Josehp Maida.
Su sucesor es el hasta ahora obispo de Oakland Mons. Allen Henri Vigneron (1948). El cardenal Maida cumplirá 79 el próximo 8 de marzo. Era arzobispo de Detroit desde 1990 y fue creado cardenal por Juan Pablo II el 1994.
Cardinal Maida speaks to solidarity and Detroit
Dec 12, 2008
The leader of the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit speaks to the reality of impending layoffs and struggle over unemployment in the Motor City and beyond.
My brothers and sisters in the Lord,
As the liturgical year comes to a close and we begin a new Church year with Advent, we face incredible challenges and much uncertainty with regard to the economic well-being of our families, our Church and our metropolitan area. Yet, we are people of faith. With Christian hope, we trust God is with us precisely in times of loss, pain and darkness; we believe He will work with us to grow closer to Him and one another through these tough times.
Advent is a season of hopeful expectation. At this darkest time of the year, we proclaim that Christ is our light and Christ is our hope. While the government and business communities are searching for reasonable and just solutions to the current economic challenges, the Church seeks to help us put these things into a spiritual perspective.
Again and again, the Scripture for these weeks of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany proclaim God's Word of consolation and hope, even in the midst of uncertainty, loss and suffering. On Christmas Eve, we will hear the encouraging words of Isaiah, words that ring true for believers in every age: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone … For a child is born to us, a Son is given to us …"
We will also hear the message the angels addressed to the shepherds that first Christmas, a message we need to hear more than ever: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy … a Savior has been born for you, who is Christ and Lord …"
As your archbishop, I am writing to offer some pastoral insights and suggestions about how we might prepare to celebrate Christmas this year when economic conditions are so grim.
Many people in our community have lost their jobs or face the likelihood of permanent layoffs. Countless people live in fear of losing their homes, while many others have experienced loss of pensions and serious diminishment of personal investments. The automobile industry, our primary employer, is going through a major transition. While many of us have lived through other times of downsizing and economic downturns, this time, the prospects for recovery require radical changes. Things in Michigan will probably never be the same.
Like our brothers and sisters all around the globe and over the course of the centuries, the residents of this area have always been people of extraordinary tenacity, perseverance and determination, ready to do whatever it takes to survive, even to thrive. As believers, we have all the more reason to see these challenging times as an opportunity to be creative: we know that living more simply can be spiritually purifying, bringing us closer to God and one another. Wherever there is death, there is also reason for hope and resurrection, new birth and new life. During a time of great crisis some 200 years ago in our then-frontier settlement, Fr. Gabriel Richard was inspired to write: "We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes." Those words remain to this day as the motto of the City of Detroit.
Our overall vision - the common good
Ultimately, the economy is not just about money; it is about people — about us — fellow human beings made in the image and likeness of God. Our spiritual well-being and our human dignity do not depend on the fluctuations of the stock market. No matter what happens to industry or big business, we belong to God and have rights and responsibilities for one another. At times, we may feel anxious about things we cannot control, we need to meditate all the more on God's investment in us and His desire that we live as His family supporting one another.
God made us social creatures. We grow and thrive in our relationships and by life together in our families and in communities of faith and service. None of us can live for very long all on our own. We crave the loving support, and challenge, of being with and for others. Each of us has something to give and each of us has some need to receive. We are all at our best when we are part of a healthy flow of giving and receiving in respectful relationships.
Every aspect of our Western culture has trained us to think and act competitively. We often speak of "winners and losers." Mistakenly, these dynamics can suddenly be transferred to larger economic concerns. As the Advent Scriptures remind us, instead of giving into divisiveness, each day we need to renew our commitment to the common good, remembering we are truly brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of one same God and Father. As the birth of the Son of God in our midst teaches us, we are called to live together in solidarity.
When Pope John Paul II visited the archdiocese two decades ago, he spoke eloquently about the virtue of solidarity to which the Polish people gave special witness and testimony during the darkest hours of Communism. He spoke poetically about how the word "solidarity" rose up from the shores of the shipyards along the Baltic Sea and became part of our universal vocabulary as a word and virtue that "rolls like a wide wave over the face of the whole world which realizes we cannot live according to the principle of 'all against all' but only according to another principle 'all with all,' 'all for all.' Solidarity must take precedence over conflict… "
For prayerful reflection:
When I make decisions about economic matters for myself and my family and my co-workers, in what ways do I take into account the larger common good?
Do I approach people and things in a competitive or collaborative manner?
To what degree am I willing to sacrifice my own convenience or my own desires for Christmas gifts so that I can offer assistance of time or talent to others?
Part Two: Charity, our hope and joy
Building on Scriptures from St. Paul and St. John, in his first encyclical, "God is Love," Pope Benedict the XVI reminded us that each of us has been "loved into being" by God's surprising and unmerited, selfless love. We were made for love. Naturally and spontaneously from childhood we reach out for a loving connection with others.
At Christmas, we contemplate the mystery of God sending His son to live like us, with us and for us — a God of solidarity. The infant in the manger cannot help but fill us with gratitude and then move us to deeds of charity. Once we realize how deeply we have been loved, we cannot help but want to love others in return. Our very custom of gift-giving at Christmas is truly a reflection of God's divine gift-giving that we celebrate at Christmas.
Being charitable means more than just being generous on an occasional basis or feeling a stirring of empathy for another person in urgent need. Charity is ultimately about our need to give. Charity is indeed a vocation, a life-long calling which comes from being baptized sons and daughters of God. It is a way of giving in which the other is always affirmed and strengthened, ennobled and dignified. In Christian charity, we strive to see the face of Christ in the other and we want the person receiving our charity to see Christ's face in us. As St. Augustine once put it, we should speak of "one Christ loving Himself" through us.
Pope Benedict stresses, even though there is a legitimate role for government to ensure the rights of all, especially the most vulnerable, the state cannot possibly provide for everyone. As he says, there are many other "living forces" that must respond to the needs of people, needs which often go beyond our desire for "bread alone." The Church as an organized institution has a role and a responsibility to be one means of such charitable outreach and service.
Here in the archdiocese, in our parishes and through many social service agencies, we have a long and distinguished track record of service for people of all backgrounds. Many of our parishes have been offering job-fairs and discussion groups and counseling for those who are seeking new employment opportunities. We are proud to have an active St. Vincent de Paul Society, our Catholic Social Services agencies, and other faith-based programs that provide resources for body and spirit.
The Catholic Church partners with many civic and ecumenical organizations to address the immediate and long-term needs of people of all ages and circumstances. We also commend the many other non-profits who provide "daily bread" to individuals and families, day in and day out. We can take justifiable pride in the 40-year history of Focus: HOPE, which was a creative response to challenges at a time when our nation was going through political and sociological transition. We need the same kind of creative strategies today.
There is something each of us can, and must do, every single day for one another. While we may not have the economic means to help others, every one of us has the ability to pray and find a way to be of service. Charity is a way of life, a virtue to be nurtured daily through prayer and action. We give love to God for His own sake and love to our neighbors on account of God.
Hope dawns as we cooperate with the grace of God that calls us to conversion and turning away from anxiety about self. God asks us to be purified and simplified so that our awareness of His presence and love will be all the more vital and dynamic.
Prayer, alone or with others. is one of the most powerful "medicines" or therapies of all; as we pray, we discover a sense of peace and a fresh perspective. We begin to see ourselves and our circumstances as God does. As Pope Benedict says, "seeing with the eyes of Christ" we can give to others "the look of love they crave."
Let us consider God's love for us and our ability to love one another. In the context of the Christmas season, I ask you to meditate on the Christ Child in the crib, giving thanks to God for the many ways you have been touched and loved by the charity and goodness of others in the past. Consider also how God has used you in very specific ways to be a sign and source of hope and healing for others and how you might – even now – be more generous in giving of your time, talents, or treasure.
For prayerful reflection:
How might I show charity to others immediately around me?
How might my choices for celebrating Christmas this year be different?
Do I need to consider a simpler style of living?
Part Three: Eucharistic stewardship
We are stewards of gifts and blessings that do not belong to us. Everything about our lives is a gift from God. In the U.S. Bishops' 2002 pastoral letter on stewardship, we are reminded that "… as Christian stewards, we receive God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord."
The archdiocese, along with our parishes and schools, agencies and institutions, is especially conscious to exercise careful and deliberate decision making when using all the resources entrusted to us. As Church leaders, we are called to be much more than just practical or thrifty; we know that good stewardship is also an act of faith, an act of witness and thanks to our Creator, an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters.
As Catholic Christians, we celebrate our stewardship as we gather for the Holy Eucharist. We give back to the Heavenly Father all that He first gave us. When we offer the bread and wine, we are offering our daily labor, our joys and our sorrows. The Lord, in turn, accepts what we offer and transforms it, consecrating it into His Body and Blood. He then returns it to us as nourishment for our body and spirit, trusting that we, in turn, will keep the cycle going as we share our resources with our brothers and sisters.
Our communion with the Lord necessitates a communion with each other. Communion can only happen when there is first some sacrifice, a decision to allow ourselves to be diminished. In the Holy Eucharist we enter into the sacrifice of Christ and recognize that everything we are and everything we have is a sharing in His redeeming transforming love.
To celebrate and fully appreciate the rich potential of the Holy Eucharist, we need to think of this sacrament as a true sharing of gifts, asking ourselves what do we bring to the Lord and what we need to receive from Him. Our holy exchange of gifts is not only about material things, but first and foremost about compassion and mercy.
For prayerful reflection:
What gift would I like to offer the Lord this Christmas?
What gift do I receive from Him?
What gift do I receive from others?
How can I put the Eucharist into action by being more generous with others in need or by being willing to humbly admit my own vulnerability and dependence on my own need to receive?
Do I believe in the power of prayer and that in many ways prayer is our greatest resource?
Conclusion: A people of hope
Sometimes in life we feel we have little power over the circumstances around us. Who of us – single handedly – could change the flow of our economy or turn things around? And yet, each of us has the power to hear God's Word and to use our time and talents to express concretely and creatively our solidarity with our brothers and sisters, many of whom are profoundly suffering in body or spirit. This holy season of Advent and Christmas provides us countless opportunities for charity, something as simple as a smile, a "thank you" to the grocery bagger, taking a tag from the Giving Tree, providing company or help for the homebound.
We all need to receive and we all need to give. Most of us find it much easier to give; it is humbling to admit we need the help of others. Everything about our culture encourages us to be self-reliant and independent. As we have seen, our lives are interwoven. In today's unusual circumstances, many will need to admit their need for help from relatives, friends or the Church; please remember there is no shame in such vulnerability. Every one of us has something to give, something to offer.
During the Depression, my own family suffered greatly. I truly believe we became stronger through the challenges. Hardest on me, as a 6-year old, was the loss of our home in a terrible flood. I will never forget watching the raging waters destroy our community. And I still recall my father's assurance to us that everything would be all right, that we were all together and safe in God's hands.
Each person – no matter what – has the power to make a difference, the power to build up, affirm and strengthen. Alone, we cannot do it. But together, we can proclaim, even at this time of darkness, that Christ is our light and Christ is our hope. We wait together for the coming of the Lord. We trust His coming will be as certain as the dawn and the light of His love will make us into a people of hope.
May the Lord bless our nation, our world and especially our region as we begin a new chapter of our history. May the light of Christ shine upon us and through us so we may be ministers of Christ's message of hope to one another and to all in need.
Please be assured of my special prayerful remembrance for you and your families during these holy days of Advent and Christmas.
Sincerely yours in the Lord,
†Adam Cardinal Maida
Archbishop of Detroit
Issued on the 2nd Sunday of Advent
December 7, 2008
Cardinal Maida gathers interfaith leaders to respond to auto industry crisis
Dec 12, 2008
Cardinal Maida of Detroit invited over a dozen local Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders to a private meeting yesterday to respond to the crisis affecting the automobile industry. “We have a great concern for the countless individuals and families who are in great distress because of the economy,” said Cardinal Maida. “It is time to stand in solidarity.” The group pledged to work together to lobby the US Congress on behalf of the troubled industry.
Cardinal Adam Maida sits down with Daily News for Q&A session
May 13, 2008
One of 17 Catholic cardinals from the United States, Cardinal Adam Maida, the Archbishop of Detroit, is the oldest “prince of the church” still active in the country.
(naplesnews.com, May 12, 2008) In addition to his duties in Detroit and membership in the College of Cardinals, which is responsible for selecting the pope, Maida, 78, is the founder of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., an interfaith conference center that was a stop on Pope Benedict XVI’s recent tour of the United States. Maida sat with the Daily News recently before celebrating the Baccalaureate Mass at Ave Maria University. Maida is on the board of governors of the Ave Maria School of Law, which is moving from Michigan to Southwest Florida in 2009, and is the ecclesiastic adviser to the Ave Maria Mutual Funds. Both are entities also founded by Ave Maria University Chancellor Tom Monaghan. Below is the excerpted interview.
Q: What do you think the role of the Catholic Church and the Vatican is in terms of relations between the Western and Islamic worlds and how do you think Pope Benedict has addressed that topic so far?
A: Well, we know that the Holy Father struck a nerve when he spoke at Regensburg a few years ago. (In Sept. 2006, Pope Benedict quoted from an old text that described Muhammad, Islam’s founder, as bringing “things only evil and inhuman.”) Consequently that created, I think, a great opportunity for dialogue. Before that, I think there was an isolation of one community from another. There were questions of mistrust. In these very days there are groups of Muslims from the Middle East meeting at the Vatican in dialogue with the Catholic church and the Holy Father. Isn’t it wonderful that you have people speaking to each other rather than destroying one another in a violent way? I think the Holy Father’s comments to the peoples of the world and especially to the Muslim community is a message of peace and understanding and respect. The Holy Father speaks often of reciprocity, that is, what to do in peace in love and respect to your fellow human being. We would ask that that same kind of greeting and relationship takes place where we are in predominantly Muslim situations, states and governments. The Holy Father has created these channels for dialogue and understanding, which I think is going to be extremely historic as we look to the future. It certainly beats terrorism.
Q: In the past you’ve advocated for an increased role for the laity within the church. I was wondering if you could speak to how the Ave Maria project exemplifies that idea.
A: I’ve known Mr. Monaghan for the past 18 years. As the Archbishop of Detroit and with (Ave Maria College in Michigan), I witnessed the great good that he accomplished in our community, in our church up in Detroit. When he came to me with this idea of Ave Maria in South Florida, I know a few things about South Florida, and I know the great opportunities that are here, but also the great challenges and the great needs. We do need a Catholic university in this area and I believe he saw that and being the visionary that he is and the risk-taker that he is and a man who was very successful selling pizzas, he thought he might just be able to do something with Ave Maria, too.
From the very beginning, it sounded like a grandiose idea, but now that we’re here for this graduation and I guess this is the fifth year and we see its development and growth, it’s just fantastic. I think the hope that he will create a whole new town and create a university which will have a very, very serious impact, for the people not only here but the people throughout the country. It will be a place people will tune into from time to time to hear its message. His message will be one which will be consistent with what is the church’s message. I think he will take his plans at the direction of our Holy Father, who leads us, and the leadership given by the local church authorities, working in harmony with them. One thing I know of Mr. Monaghan is he’s always worked in sync with legitimate church authorities. The laity working together with the clergy I think is the greatest opportunity to create a civilization of love as our late Holy Father, John Paul II indicated. I commend Mr. Monaghan for everything he’s done. I know that the world should be better because of what he accomplishes here.
Q: I know that you’re on the board of the law school. Can you speak to some of the considerations that went into the decision to move down here?
A: Some of the situations occurred because of some difficulties there were with zoning and things and expanding Ave Maria at Ann Arbor. So I think Mr. Monaghan saw this as even a greater opportunity, a better opportunity, long term. Naturally it was difficult to come here, to an area which is undeveloped and start new. Nobody knows what it was going to yet be, but we have great hopes and dreams to develop it and it’s evolving beautifully. But we don’t know ultimately what it’s going to be. Maybe it will be some day greater than Ann Arbor.
Q: Do you wish the law school could have stayed in Michigan?
A: I really have nothing to say about that. You know some of this is in litigation and I can’t speak to the issues. All I got to say is that we got to keep dialoguing with the people and see where the processes take us.
Q: What was your reaction to the recent national survey that discussed the fact that Catholics were losing more adherents than any other religion but that numbers were about the same because of increased immigration to the country? What does that say about the future of Catholicism in this country?
A: I think we’re driven by our culture and especially with our young people we know that culture is formed by many, many factors. I think there is this great mobility in our society. I think there is a great freedom and people have many choices. Maybe those choices and freedom wasn’t as available in years past as they are now. For us it becomes a challenge to put forward the word of God and the kingdom of God as the ultimate destiny for humanity and for every human being. Can you imagine Jesus saying to 11 men go out and preach the news to the whole world? Can you imagine going into the Grecian and Roman Empires, which were absolutely without values and very, very pragmatic in their civilization at the time 2,000 years ago, and going into that lion’s den literally and figuratively and say go preach the gospel? Now you have one-third of the people on the planet who have heard the word of Christ and we still have a lot of work to do. When I think of that challenge and numbers they come and go, but I look at the quality of the people. The way the Lord started with four very humble men unschooled, without Ph.D.s or MBAs, doing his work. It’s God’s work. Don’t ever bet against the Lord or the Holy Spirit. You’ll lose. No question.
Sophie Maida Mother of the cardinal
Jan 31, 2008
Sophie Cieslak Maida, mother of Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida, died Wednesday of natural causes in her Scott Township, Pa., home, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit. She was 99.
(freep.com, January 31, 2008) In addition to the cardinal, she is survived by sons the Rev. Thaddeus (Ted) Maida of Pennsylvania and Daniel Maida of Presto, Pa.; a sister; three grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be Saturday in Pennsylvania.
Prepping the Ground
Dec 20, 2007
In a round-table interview with his archdiocesan TV
station, Detroit's Cardinal Adam Maida spoke of
retirement enough for one local outlet to dub it
"impending."
Whispers in the Loggia, Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Prepping the Ground
In a round-table interview with his archdiocesan TV
station, Detroit's Cardinal Adam Maida spoke of
retirement enough for one local outlet to dub it
"impending."
While no credible rumblings of a transition at the
helm of the 1.5 million-member Motor City fold are
currently on the immediate radar, the latest
well-sourced estimates have tipped the handover to
occur shortly after the first of the year.
The reports are lent significant credence by the
change of tack on the part of the 77 year-old
cardinal, who has -- until now, that is --
consistently held the line that he had "no plan to go
anywhere."
Asked to summarize his 17 years in Detroit, the
cardinal said that "this good and faithful servant
gave the best he could, the best he had."
The eldest active member of the American hierarchy,
Maida will turn 78 in March. In the global church,
only Bangkok's Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu is
older among active Latin-rite cardinals.
Made a cardinal in 1983 and head of the church in
Thailand's capital since 1972, Kitbunchu turns 79 in
late January.
'That's all God's work ...'
Apr 25, 2007
Interview with Cardinal Maida.
(freep.com, April 25, 2007)
QUESTION: Your papers have been sent in, so to speak, to the Vatican. Are you awaiting a decision?
ANSWER: I sent a letter to the Holy Father, John Paul II at the time, offering my resignation on the occasion of my 75th birthday (March 18, 2005). He didn't respond, and in the meantime he died. Then I did get a response from Pope Benedict XVI, and in the response he said, we received your letter and we'd ask you to continue on as archbishop until you hear from us.
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Q: One could draw the conclusion that the last 17 years has been a period where the church has lessened its presence in the city of Detroit and expanded its presence in the suburbs.
A: My ministry is to God's people. As part of that ministry, where there is poverty, where there are people who suffer, where there is injustice, those are issues that I have to address in our community. My work as a bishop, as a priest, is to be sensitive to everyone. I come, obviously, from a Catholic sense of everybody is my brother and sister, my neighbor -- so the city itself is very much in my focus as a part of my ministry.
Q: Can you be as influential in the city if you are less of a presence?
A: I can't have the same voice maybe that the other archbishops had prior to me when all of our churches were alive and functioning in the city. The power structures were visible then, brick and mortar. But there were people here, too. When it comes to the political problems in the city, etc. I don't get that much involved.
I know Mayor (Kwame) Kilpatrick. We talk, but we don't socialize as may be possible in other places.
We make a significant contribution dollar-wise, every year to the needs of the people in the city. It's not publicized that much, but it is there.
Q: You mentioned things you wished had been more successful in your time here, things you wish had gone better. One of them I would think is the effort to recruit more men to the priesthood.
A: Yes. That's all God's work in the end. We try to create the atmosphere, we try to create the environment, we try to create the response to the needs of the people and attract young men. But we are living in a culture that is changing quickly.
I think it is just part of the culture in which we live where people are reluctant to make lifelong commitments in this changing atmosphere. Consequently, we haven't maybe been as successful in recent years attracting as many young men to the priesthood as fast.
Q: How many new priests will be ordained this year?
A: This year we will have one. Smallest number I have had. Next year we will have seven. It fluctuates. It's just a long process, going through the seminary.
Q: Cardinal (John) Dearden stayed here. Cardinal (Edmund) Szoka is a little different in that he has been living at the Vatican, but he has an apartment here. Would you remain here (when you retire)?
A: Certainly. Absolutely. I have no intention of leaving the Archdiocese of Detroit. When the bishop comes into a diocese, it's like a marriage. You give your whole life and you assume that it is going to be forever. Once you're committed to the people, you give your life to them. You want to be with them until the end.
Q: This past year the war in Lebanon has probably been one of the most contentious times we've seen in the local interfaith community in your whole time here. We haven't seen you particularly active, at least in public ways, bringing that community back together.
A: I've been in touch one-on-one. I've had private conversations with various members of our ecumenical community. We haven't come together as a group.
I pretty much take my cue from the way the Holy Father has been conducting his ministry. He speaks to all the constituencies of the world. He tries to be as supportive and helpful as he possibly can. In my case, I try to do the same thing. Build a community, respect each other, our respective beliefs, try to live in peace with one another.
Q: How would you describe your relationship with Gov. Jennifer Granholm?
A: As a governor, I respect her for her leadership, and I respect her for her trying to do the best she can given the conditions that we have here in Michigan.
But when it comes to matters of faith, if, for example, she espouses a policy which is contrary to what I believe, I will confront. Not confront her personally, but I will confront the issue. Perhaps the one best example I can give is when she vetoed the bill in which partial birth abortion would not be allowed in this state. I was the leader of a referendum by the people who overrode her veto. But I didn't make any personal attack on her person, but on her judgment she made on that question.
I can tell you one that is on the surface, that is coming up: pushing legislation to promote embryonic stem-cell research. To me, I think it is a great mistake -- not only a mistake, but I think it is wrong. We are not opposed to stem-cell research, adult stem-cell research. But for the government, or for the governor, to take a position and carry the flag for that particular issue, to me is wrong, and I'll say so publicly.
Q: Have you communicated that to her in a letter or some other form?
A: Yes.
Q: Does she disappoint you in that regard when she takes public positions that are contrary to church positions?
A: Yes. Because I think there are ways in which she can still govern properly and still maintain the positions that should be a matter of conscience for her.
Q: So, when your successor arrives and sits across from you, you are going to say to him, the first thing you need to know is ... ?
A: The first thing you need to know is you're the luckiest person in the world. This is a great archdiocese. Great people. I have to honestly say that. If you offered me any other diocese in this country, I'd take Detroit. There are challenges ... (but) you can make a difference. I just can't believe the cooperation I get, the generosity. Dollar-wise, yes, they are generous. But they are generous with their time, their talents, their gifts. In my position, I think I must be the envy of everybody to have so many wonderful people around willing to help. That is the blessing of this work.
Cardinal, imams show mutual respect, vow to continue dialogue
Oct 06, 2006
When Detroit Cardinal Adam J. Maida and Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Francis R. Reiss, along with seven Muslim imams and eight prominent Muslim laymen, emerged from a one-hour meeting Sept. 28, it was to give a message of mutual respect and solidarity in their commitment to continued dialogue.
DEARBORN, Mich. (CNS, Oct-4-2006) -- The meeting, held at the request of local Muslim leaders in the wake of controversy following a speech made by Pope Benedict XVI during his recent trip to Germany, brought the Christian and Muslim leaders together at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn.
"I am here to reaffirm, strengthen and renew the long-standing positive rapport we have enjoyed over the years," Cardinal Maida said at the media briefing following the closed-door meeting.
"Our meeting here today should not be seen solely as a reaction to the events surrounding Pope Benedict's remarks. Rather, it is one more opportunity to affirm our friendship and commitment to dialogue," the cardinal said.
Noting that he had been meeting with Muslim leaders, as well as with leaders of other faith communities, for more than a decade through the Religious Leaders Forum, Cardinal Maida said, "Catholics and Muslims have stood in solidarity to promote issues concerning the dignity of the human person."
"Our meeting here today is one more sign that lines of communications are open from all sides. For my part, I pledge to continue to strengthen all efforts at such dialogue, and I trust in our continuing close collaboration as we work together to build a society with justice and peace for all," he added.
Imam Hassan Qazwini, spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of America, America's largest mosque, said the Muslim community in Michigan wanted to emphasize the need for mutual understanding between Catholics and Muslims in light of the reaction to Pope Benedict's recent remarks.
And he praised Cardinal Maida for his willingness to meet with area Muslims under such circumstances.
"When we remember that the number of Muslims and Catholics exceed half of the world's population, it is easy to see that it is extremely crucial for religious leaders on both sides to continue their efforts in reaching out to each other to mend relations," Imam Qazwini said.
He declared his willingness -- and the willingness of other local Muslims -- "to fully participate in dialogue and promote Catholic-Muslim relations in ways that ensure the betterment, advancement and spiritual growth of our respective communities."
After the formal presentations, other participants spoke privately to reporters covering the event of their hopes for the future of Catholic-Muslim relations.
Imam Mohamad Mardini, of the American Muslim Center, another Dearborn mosque, said the meeting reaffirmed the commitment to dialogue and to working together to promote peace and justice.
"This meeting today was a meeting to mend the bridges of understanding between the two great religions," he said.
The pope's speech in Regensburg, Germany, cited a historical criticism of Islam and the concept of holy war. The pope later distanced himself from the quoted material and has said several times he is sorry Muslims were offended and that the material did not express his personal views.
Msgr. Patrick Halfpenny, who is archdiocesan ecumenical and interfaith adviser and pastor of St. Paul on the Lake Parish in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe Farms, said the issue of the pope's remarks had provided an opportunity for local Catholics and Muslims to come together to discuss and reaffirm "the values that we share in common."
Victor Begg, one of the Muslim laymen who took part in the meeting, summed it up this way: "Words can heal and words can hurt -- these were the good words today."
Begg told The Michigan Catholic, Detroit archdiocesan newspaper, that there is a local dimension to Catholic-Muslim relations that can be likened to members of a family who sometimes have their differences.
Referring to the violent attacks against Christians and Christian churches in some Muslim-dominated countries, Begg added, "What happened in the rest of the Muslim world was terrible -- that's not us and we totally condemn it."
Detroit cardinal endorses regional bus millage renewal
Aug 05, 2006
Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida is adding his support to renewing a 0.59-mill tax for regional bus service in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
(Detroit Free Press, August 2, 2006) On Wednesday, Maida’s staff sent the text of a short article, supporting the millage renewal, to the more than 300 parishes across metro-Detroit that serve the area’s 1.4-million Catholics. Pastors were asked to print the text in the weekly bulletins they will distribute at weekend masses.
“We see this as an issue of promoting the common good and being responsive to the needs of the poor,” Michael Hovey, director of Maida’s Office for Catholic Social Teaching, said Wednesday. “We need to maintain some effective forms of mass transportation in the metro Detroit area. So, we’re encouraging Catholics to get out and vote to renew this.”
Voters in Macomb County and large parts of Oakland and Wayne counties will decide whether to continue paying for suburban bus service for another four years in Tuesday’s primary election. SMART officials have warned that a rejection of the millage by a majority in any one of the three counties would wreak havoc with the system.
Detroit cardinal marks 50th year as priest
Jun 14, 2006
He's joined by church leaders from around the country, Vatican
(Detoit Free Press, June 8, 2006) Catholic leaders from across the United States gathered in Detroit today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida's ordination.
“The most important lesson I have learned over this half-century is simply this: Every one of us has the gift and power of making all things new in Christ,” the 76-year-old cardinal said in the text of a message he expected to deliver at a two-hour mass for family, friends, parishioners and visiting Catholic leaders.
Maida marked the occasion with a message of encouragement for the 1.3-million Catholic lay people in the six-county Archdiocese of Detroit.
Meeting with reporters early today, Maida said the biggest change he has seen in 50 years is the ever-increasing importance of lay leadership in the church.
“When I started as a priest, never could I have envisioned the contribution that the laity is making in our church today. That just wasn't even in the cards back then,” he said.
Among the Catholic leaders expected to attend the mass were cardinals from New York City, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C. and the Vatican. More than 30 Catholic bishops traveled to Detroit from other states and an interfaith delegation of 20 other religious leaders from metro Detroit planned to attend, as well.
Cardinal Maida counts his blessings
Jun 12, 2006
'Whatever gift we have received is not for ourselves, but for others.'
(The Detroit News, June 09, 2006) DETROIT -- Heralded by trumpets and the Archdiocesan Chorus, Cardinal Adam Maida celebrated 50 years as a priest Thursday in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, which was filled with 55 cardinals and bishops from across the country, Catholics from around Michigan, clerics from other Christian denominations, representatives of the Jewish community and an imam.
"The most important lesson I have learned over this half-century is simply this: Every one of us has the gift and power of making all things new in Christ," Maida, 76, said. "Whatever gift we have received is not for ourselves, but for others."
The cavernous cathedral on Woodward, restored to shimmering during Maida's tenure in Detroit, was filled to the back pews for a 2 p.m. Eucharist Liturgy of Thanksgiving.
Maida's golden jubilee was, as he said, "a joyous occasion," which included a reception in large white tents, set up on the Cathedral Plaza, that sheltered the throng from an afternoon shower. Attendance at the Mass and the reception was by invitation.
Maida has served Catholics since before the seminal Second Vatican Council that changed much about how Catholics practice their faith to an unsettled time of declines in the number of priests in the United States, fewer faithful in the pews and more Catholics questioning clergy about some of the tenets of their faith.
"As Vatican II evolved, we had to evolve," Maida said at a press conference several hours before the Mass. "And then we had huge cultural changes take place, not only in the Church but also in our society. And we had to adapt to that."
Many who attended the jubilee praised Maida for his stewardship. At one juncture in the liturgy, Maida received a prolonged standing ovation.
"I was so pleased to see so many clergy coming in from all across the United States," said Diane Aman of Southfield, who attended the Mass with her husband, Luther. "We're so glad that we have him here."
Maida's recent years have not been without controversy amid instances of sexual abuse by priests, consolidations of parishes and schools, and concerns about millions of dollars he used to start a center in Washington, D.C., dedicated to Pope John Paul II.
Maida begins his 17th year as archbishop of Detroit on June 12. As required, he submitted papers for his retirement last year.
But, as the veteran prelate likes to joke, "I was told to hang on a while.
"And there is more work to be done," Maida said.
"I don't know. I am one year over, already. But, then, you can keep going. And I am happy to be here for this happy occasion."
Detroit cardinal unveils sweeping parish reorganization
Apr 03, 2006
Maida acknowledges the ‘pain and sense of loss’ congregations will feel
(FREE PRESS, March 29, 2006) Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida today announced a sweeping Catholic parish reorganization plan across six counties of southeastern Michigan that will challenge churches to share resources and a dwindling number of working priests.
“Even with advance knowledge and awareness and active participation in the process, there is no denying the pain and sense of loss for a parish … the sense of trepidation for the future,” Maida said.
With his announcement, delivered at Detroit’s Sacred Heart Seminary, Maida capped an 18-month review of parish finances and demographics known as Together in Faith that will affect the churchgoing habits of an estimated 1.5 million Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
“Yes, we did have to cope with the declining numbers of priests and shifting population trends in southeast Michigan. … But from the very beginning, Together in Faith, was about making parishes and schools stronger and more responsive to the emerging needs of the church and world at the beginning of the Third Millenium,” Maida said.
Most of Detroit’s 67 Catholic churches — the city bore the brunt of the 1989 church closing plan — will stay open. Hard hit this time will be the inner ring of older suburbs, once home to large baby boomer families now grown and moved elsewhere.
The plan is to be implemented over the next five years, and whether some parishes survive will depend on whether their pastors choose to stay, and stay healthy, past the typical retirement age of 70 for priests.
The realignment was necessary to deal with a dwindling number of priests in the Detroit archdiocese. The number available to work in the Detroit area has declined 23 percent since 2000. The average age of priests working in the archdiocese is 56 and there are no priests currently under age 30.
Now, the archdiocese provides one priest to serve an average of 2,900 parishioners. In growing outposts of northern Oakland and Macomb and western Wayne counties, however, one priest may be assigned to a parish with 4,000 members or more.
In the late 1980s, the Detroit archdiocese under Cardinal Edmund Szoka was the first major U.S. diocese to close churches en masse — about 30. But since then, it has become routine across the country as shifting demographics unfold.
Even before Maida’s announcement today, some parishes closed in recent years after parish councils evaluated demographics and finances, among them St. Agatha in Redford, St. Dominic in Detroit and SS. Kevin and Norbert in Inkster.
Here are some of features of the Catholic parish reorganization plan to be posted today on the Archdiocese of Detroit's Internet site, www.aodonline.org. Further details are to be shared at masses across metro Detroit on April 1 and 2.
The plan calls for a broad array of moves, including church closings, parish mergers (in which existing parishes will close and form a new parish) and parish clusters (in which priests are spread across a geographic area to serve a group of parishes).
The plan also involves a major new push to regionalize and share important resources, such as innovative programs for Catholic youths that might involve young people from several parishes. These expanded programs are likely to unfold over the next five years.
Here are details of the plan announced today:
BY JUNE 2006
Detroit: Closing — Guardian Angels, Martyrs of Uganda, St. Brendan.
Merging — St. Anthony with Annunciation/Our Lady of Sorrows. Immaculate Heart of Mary with St. Gerard. Clustering or merging — Our Lady of Good Counsel, Our Lady Queen of Heaven and St. Raymond.
Dearborn: Creating merger plans — St. Joseph and St. Martha.
Hamtramck: Merging — St. Ladislaus (partner to be determined).
Warren: Creating merger plans — St. Cletus and St. Louise; Ascension, St. Dorothy and St. Leonard.
Livonia: Clustering — St. Genevieve and St. Maurice.
IN FALL 2006
Dearborn Heights: Merging — St. Albert the Great and St. John the Baptist.
Dearborn/Detroit: Clustering — St. Alphonsus, St. Barbara, St. Clement, all in Dearborn, and St. Cunegunda in Detroit.
Memphis/Smiths Creek/Columbus: Clustered parishes that will realign — All Saints in Memphis, Holy Rosary Mission in Smiths Creek, St. Philip Neri in Columbus.
MarineCity/Algonac/Harsens Island: Clustered parishes that will realign — Holy Cross in Marine City, St. Catherine of Alexandria in Algonac and St. Mark on Harsens Island.
Port Huron Area: Five parishes will be reduced by one — St. Edward on the Lake in Lakeport; t. Mary, St. Joseph and St. Stephen, all in Port Huron, and St. Christopher in Marysville.
TO SUBMIT CLUSTER PLANS BY DECEMBER 2006
Downriver:
Christ the Good Shepherd and St. Henry, both in Lincoln Park, and St. Pius X of Southgate.
Our Lady of Lourdes in River Rouge, St. Francis Xavier in Ecorse, St. Elizabeth and St. Helena, both in Wyandotte.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Stanislaus Kostka, both in Wyandotte.
Our Lady of the Woods in Woodhaven and St. Roch and St. Victor, both in Gibraltar.
St. Francis Cabrini in Allen Park and St. Hugh in Southgate.
St. Joseph and St. Patrick, both in Wyandotte.
St. Joseph and St. Timothy, both in Trenton, and St. Cyprian in Riverview and Sacred Heart in Grosse Ile.
St. Alfred, St. Constance, St. Cyril and St. Paschal, all in Taylor.
Detroit: Our Lady Help of Christians and Transfiguration. Also, St. Louis (partner to be determined).
Hamtramck: St. Florian and Our Lady Queen of Apostles.
Westland: Divine Savior and St. Theodore; St. Richard and SS. Simon and Jude.
Westland/Garden City: St. Raphael and St. Dunstan, both in Garden City, and St. Damian in Westland.
Dearborn Heights: St. Mel and St. Sabina.
East Side: Our Lady Queen of All Saints in Fraser and St. Donald in Roseville.
Holy Innocents in Roseville and St. Barnabas in Eastpointe.
St. Basil and St. Veronica, both in Eastpointe.
St. Germaine and St. Gertrude in St. Clair Shores.
TO MERGE IN 2007
Southfield: St. Beatrice, St. Bede, St. Ives and St. Michael.
Clinton Township: St. Claude and St. Thecla; St. Louis and St. Valerie.
TO CLOSE IN 2007
Detroit: St. John Cantius.
TO MERGE OR CLUSTER IN THE FUTURE:
Troy/Birmingham: St. Alan in Troy and St. Columban in Birmingham.
Harper Woods: Our Lady Queen of Peace and St. Peter the Apostle.
TO MERGE OR CLOSE WHEN PASTOR LEAVES:
Detroit: St. Andrew, St. Anthony (Lithuanian) and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Redford: St. John Bosco.
Westland: St. Bernardine of Siena.
TO BE STUDIED FOR NEW CHURCHES
Northern Oakland: Davisburg mass station
Northern Macomb: St. Maximillian Kolbe
'No definitive conclusion' reached on papal center's future
Mar 22, 2006
Catholic leaders met at the financially ailing Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in northeast Washington on Thursday afternoon, but reached no conclusion on how to save the center, Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida said in a statement afterward.
(Detroit Free Press, March 16, 2006) WASHINGTON, D.C. — “The board considered a variety of options, but arrived at no definitive conclusion. I was encouraged by the frank and creative suggestions that came forward during the meeting,” Maida said in a typed statement that was issued to reporters as he left the center.
The cardinal and board members declined to talk with reporters.
In his statement, Maida said the focus of the three-hour board meeting was on shoring up the center’s budget, which has run multimillion-dollar deficits since it opened in 2001.
So far, the Archdiocese of Detroit has loaned $17 million to the center to make up annual shortfalls. That is on top of a $23-million mortgage the archdiocese secured to finish construction of the $73-million building.
The center’s leadership discussed “how best to restructure finances and energize fundraising,” Maida said.
At this point, the center’s original goals remain unchanged, the cardinal said.
“The board supports the efforts to move the cultural center forward in its goal of bringing the richness of the church’s intellectual and artistic heritage to bear upon the great issues facing contemporary American society,” he said.
Detroit archbishop allows meat-eating on St. Patrick's Day
Mar 12, 2006
Although most Roman Catholics normally aren't supposed to eat meat on Lenten Fridays, the Archdiocese of Detroit is making an exception this year for St. Patrick's Day.
(The Associated Press, March 8, 2006) DETROIT -- Cardinal Adam Maida on Wednesday announced in a statement that he "grants his blessing and permission" to parishioners and Catholics visiting the archdiocese to eat meats Friday, March 17.
The cardinal in Washington, D.C., has issued a similar proclamation.
Catholics age 14 and older normally are required to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday.
Maida reminded parishioners that even with the exception, it is important to perform some personal acts of penance, especially during Lent.
Archdiocese support $40 million for troubled museum, cardinal reports
Mar 04, 2006
In a Feb. 2 letter to Detroit priests, Cardinal Adam Maida reported that a financially troubled Washington-based museum and Catholic think tank owes the Detroit archdiocese $40 million, including $17 million in funds directly from archdiocesan coffers.
(ncronline.org, Feb. 17, 2006) WASHINGTON (National Catholic Reporter) – In the letter, first reported by the Detroit Free Press, Maida defends the archdiocesan investment in the John Paul II Cultural Center. “As it relates to the cultural center, not unlike our parishes and schools or other properties, my advisers and I considered this project – from its very inception – worthy of our financial investment.”
The archdiocese’s support for the center, wrote Maida, “has taken two forms: a bank loan drawn for the center, but secured by the archdiocese ($23 million), and a direct loan to the center ($17 million).”
NCR reported Feb. 3 that the archdiocese had loaned “approximately $36 million” to the center, a 100,000-square-foot museum and think tank. Built at Maida’s instigation, the $75 million, five-year-old cultural center has failed to attract tourists or museum goers to its Northeast Washington location.
In a Jan. 23 e-mail addressed to the center’s staff, the executive director of the facility, Msgr. William Kerr, said that the center’s board of directors will meet in mid-March “to consider a thorough restructuring proposal of the mission, activities, personnel and administration of the center.” Maida informed the priests that the center’s board will soon “consider refocusing select elements of the center’s mission.”
The center’s 2005-2009 strategic plan warns: “If we do not eliminate the debt, everything that has been developed to date will be destroyed.”
Maida’s explanation of the level of archdiocesan support for the Washington museum comes as he prepares to act on recommendations to close or consolidate dozens of Detroit parishes. The Detroit archdiocese has closed three-dozen schools in the past three years. “It [the cultural center] was [Maida’s] dream,” Sister Joelene Van Handel, a pastoral minister at Nativity Parish in Detroit, told National Catholic Reporter. “He made it happen and now he’s going to pay the price for it.”
Said Sister Van Handel: “I have never gotten the kind reaction from people like I’ve gotten on this one. [They are saying,] ‘I’m really angry about the money being put into this cultural center… when we’ve got the loss of the schools and we’ve got the closing of churches. Where are we as church?’”
Maida said he plans to issue a pastoral letter in late March that will provide details on parish closings and consolidations.
Blessed be the Steelers
Feb 09, 2006
Cardinal was born and raised near Pittsburgh, still holds season tickets.
(The Detroit News, January 31, 2006) DETROIT -- Sitting in the stands in Pittsburgh in 1972, Cardinal Adam Maida witnessed one of the greatest plays in football history, dubbed the "Immaculate Reception." And if he considers the title the least bit sacrilegious, he gave no hint at his news conference Monday.
Born and raised near Pittsburgh, Maida spent the first 54 years of his life in Steelers country. He bought three season tickets about 45 years ago. He still has them.
"So, am I a Steelers fan? Yes," Maida said, smiling broadly. "As a priest, I always arranged my schedule so I could get to the Sunday games."
Maida, who was friends with the late owner of the team, Art Rooney Sr., is an example of the Steelers' close relationship with Catholics.
The team's training camp has even been at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., since 1966.
And the team's Catholic following is evident in one of its largest fan clubs -- the Pittsburgh Steelers Fan Club of Baltimore, which has more than 3,300 members.
Essex, Md., resident Jack Staley, president of one of its chapters, says at least half of the club is Catholic and compares its appeal to that of the University of Notre Dame.
"It's a religion to us," he said.
Staley, 45, lived in the Pittsburgh area as a boy and remembers people making it a priority to go to Mass before the games.
"I don't think (the team and its ownership) push the Catholic faith on you. We just all happen to be (Catholic)."
In Detroit, when the Communications Office of the archdiocese issued a news release Friday saying Maida was officially "neutral" about the Super Bowl, Maida roared with laughter.
"I'm going to get off this neutral thing: I'm rooting for the Steelers!" Maida said.
Inundated with media requests for the cardinal's views on the Big Game, the archdiocese held a news conference so reporters from Metro Detroit and Pittsburgh could attend.
Maida removed his authentic Steelers' helmet from his display case and brought it along. He also brought his plaque emblazoned with a picture of the Immaculate Reception, and an explanation of how the play occurred.
'Immaculate Reception'
Roman Catholics, of which there are 1.5 million in Metro Detroit, may celebrate the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation, every Dec. 8.
But the cardinal clearly celebrates the Immaculate Reception just about every day.
"Now, this took place on Dec. 23, 1972, and I was there," Maida said. "And I'll never forget, the stadium was half-empty. There was only 22 seconds left.
"My brother wanted to leave to beat the traffic. I told him, 'It ain't over till it's over.' "
The Immaculate Reception was a pass from Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw that caromed off another player and was caught by running back Franco Harris, who ran for a touchdown with only seconds remaining in the game. The Steelers defeated the Oakland Raiders for an NFL divisional title.
Maida, who plans to attend Sunday's game, confessed to having several invitations. He said he has attended three of his beloved Steelers' four Super Bowl victories, including one against Dallas.
"I think it was 35-31," he said, correctly remembering the score of the 1979 Super Bowl against the Cowboys. "And we played to the last minute, almost like the game the other day with Indianapolis. You did not know what was going to happen until it was over."
Maida, with both feet into all the Super Bowl hype Monday, told Metro Detroiters they should take the time to enjoy the huge cultural event that is making the city the center of attention. He also counseled them not to forget the homeless, who he said have become a focal point during Super Bowl week, only to be forgotten afterward.
And, as Maida told it, his love affair with the Steelers has its roots in one of the most sacred of all Catholic rituals -- the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.
Maida, Rooney were friends
As a young priest, Maida was studying law at Duquesne University and living in downtown Pittsburgh in St. Mary's parish. Art Rooney, the legendary founding owner of the Steelers, took Communion daily at St. Mary's. It did not take long for the two to become friends.
In addition to his pious practice of being a daily communicant, Rooney, who died at 87 in 1988, was the patriarch of a prototypical Irish-Catholic family. His son, Dan, who now owns the team and is a friend of Maida's, was a high school quarterback at North Catholic High in Pittsburgh, as was Dan's son, Arthur.
Maida says he's focused on city schools
Jun 25, 2005
As the nation's Catholic bishops unveiled a fresh affirmation of the importance of parochial schools, Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida said Thursday that he plans to announce a new commitment to Catholic education in Detroit in the coming weeks.
CHICAGO (Detroit Free Press, June 17, 2005) -- Maida stressed that he will not reverse any of the 18 metro Detroit school closings he announced in March, but he said his staff is negotiating to form partnerships that will provide new faith-based schools for Detroit students by fall.
"I'll have some very good news to share," Maida said. "You'll hear by July."
In light of the strong new emphasis on Catholic schools being made by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Chicago, however, Maida's promise met with a skeptical response in Detroit.
"What he's probably talking about is that some of the closed schools may become charter schools and there may be others that will become faith-based schools, but we're not hearing anything about new Catholic schools in Detroit," Sister Jolene Van Handel, principal of the now-closed East Catholic High School, said Thursday.
"If the cardinal is doing something about opening a new Catholic school in Detroit, believe me, there are a lot of us who'd like to know what he's planning."
Van Handel said she recently helped prepare a proposal to organize a new Catholic high school in the city, funded partly by nonprofit grant money. Maida's staff rejected that idea, she said.
The principal of one closing Catholic high school also said he has heard nothing about potential partnerships or attempts by the cardinal to bolster Catholic education in the city.
"We haven't been notified of any new efforts to boost Catholic education in Detroit. Not a word," said Michael Reece, principal of Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods, which is fighting the order to close the school in court.
On Thursday, the bishops released a major new statement they plan to discuss and, most likely, approve today. Titled "Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium," the statement was to be posted on the bishops' Internet site, www.usccb.org, and will be printed and sent to dioceses and Catholic schools nationwide.
The statement counters arguments that Catholic schools are merely a service for Catholic families and should migrate as populations shift. Rather, the statement says, "Catholic schools must remain available and accessible in all areas of a diocese for children who are poor, from middle class to disadvantaged. Catholic schools should also be available to students who are not Catholic who wish to attend them.
"This has been a proud part of the history of Catholic schools in the 19th and 20th centuries. We must continue this outreach in the new millennium."
The statement also stresses the need to expand schools in areas of Hispanic immigration, where church-run schools should be a major part of an effort to "reach out and welcome Hispanics and Latinos into the Catholic faith communities in the United States."
Van Handel said, "And, in Detroit, they just closed Holy Redeemer High School in a growing Hispanic neighborhood. When I hear what the bishops are saying in this statement, it makes my blood boil here in Detroit."
With this round of school closings, only 12 Catholic schools will remain open in Detroit, where 50 years ago there were more than 10 times that number.
As the bishops' conference broke up Thursday, Maida said his staff is reporting that many Detroit-area students displaced by the school closings have enrolled in other Catholic schools. "And that's good news, because it helps those schools ... stay healthy," Maida said.
"My focus right now is entirely on giving more opportunities to poor children in the city with these new partnerships we're putting together," Maida said. "It's beautiful to see the way some of these things are coming together, because we can end up doing more to help children if we work with others."
However, the cardinal declined to offer specific details, saying, "We need to be sure that we've got all the agreements, all the approvals, before we say more."
Regarding the appointment of the new Bishop of Grand Rapids
Jun 25, 2005
Since the death of Bishop Britt in May 2004, the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Grand Rapids have been anxiously waiting for a new bishop. Now, their prayers have been heard! Acting through the person and office of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, the Lord is sending the Diocese of Grand Rapids an excellent and seasoned pastor, our own auxiliary bishop, Walter A. Hurley.
(wzzm13.com, 6/21/2005) From the day of my arrival here in Detroit 15 years ago, Bishop Hurley has been one of my closest collaborators and advisors, indeed a trusted friend.
His pastoral wisdom, training in Canon Law, considerable skills at organization and administration, along with his deep love for the Church, have been great blessings for all of us in Detroit, and will stand him in good measure as he begins his new ministry as a Diocesan Bishop.
Over his 40 years as a priest of Detroit, Bishop Hurley has been a pastor of three diverse and large parishes, has served as Metropolitan Judicial Vicar, Moderator of the Curia and Auxiliary Bishop. In every one of these roles, he has served with distinction.
Attentive to justice for all parties, he has handled the delicate pastoral and juridical concerns related to cases of clergy sexual abuse. A natural leader among his peers, he has been an articulate and convincing spokesperson for all Church teachings and discipline, and is well-known for excellent homilies.
From my close collaboration with him, I know that without overlooking any other aspect of diocesan life, he will give the needs of priests his first and highest priority. He will be a strong, wise and loving Shepherd. We will miss him in Detroit but happily, he will still be close-at-hand, part of the province of Detroit and involved with the Michigan Catholic Conference.
Selection of Pope Benedict XVI 'God's work'
May 05, 2005
Cardinal Adam Maida told Roman Catholics gathered for Mass on Sunday that the selection of Pope Benedict XVI had accomplished "God's work," and that the election process taught him about the power of prayer.
DETROIT (Detroit Free Press, May 1, 2005) -- Speaking to worshippers at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, the 75-year-old leader of the more than 1 million-member Archdiocese of Detroit said he was lifted by their support while he was in Rome.
"I realized the power of God's prayer and somehow I sensed an identity with all of you," Maida said. "What has been accomplished is not only the work of cardinals in a conclave, but what has been accomplished is God's work."
Maida, who traveled to Rome for the funeral of John Paul II, was among the 100-plus men who selected the new pope.
Earlier Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI made the first appearance of his papacy at the third-floor window of his apartment in Vatican City, telling the tens of thousands in the square below that he was keeping up the cherished tradition of his beloved predecessor.
John Paul died on April 2 at the age of 84, three days after his last time at the window, when he made a silent appearance and raised his hand in blessing. German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, one of John Paul's closest aides, was elected pontiff on April 19 and took the name Benedict XVI.
After the service in Detroit, 80-year-old Hattie Tyson, who was confirmed in the cathedral, said she was hopeful the new pope would have the same ability to connect with people that John Paul II had.
"He was like Martin Luther King Jr. When he spoke, the world stood still," Tyson said as she gazed at photos in the cathedral's wings that commemorated John Paul's visits to the area. "I guarantee the new one's going to be good. He learned from a pro."
Maida showed similar hope.
He pointed to Ratzinger's life experiences as a young man in Nazi Germany, his intelligence and his humility as signs that the new pope will continue reaching out to the suffering, expanding the church and helping revive Catholicism in western Europe.
"Brilliant people are brilliant because they will listen and study and analyze well, not because they have the answers," Maida said. "In his humility, in his simplicity, in his concept of service, that all augurs well for his ministry."
El cardenal Maida invita a dejar la elección del Papa «en las manos del Espíritu Santo»
Apr 12, 2005
El cardenal Adam Joseph Maida, arzobispo de Detroit, Estados Unidos, desde 1990, llegado a Roma para participar en el Cónclave considera que al elegir al sucesor de Juan Pablo II «debemos dejar todo en las manos del Espíritu Santo».
ROMA, domingo, 10 abril 2005 (ZENIT.org).- Esta es la entrevista que concedió el purpurado estadounidense antes de este sábado, día en el que los cardenales por unanimidad han decidido dejar de ofrecer declaraciones a la prensa.
--¿Cuál fue su oración tras recibir la noticia de la muerte de Juan Pablo II?
--Cardenal Maida: Recé al Señor. Él conoce mi alma, mi corazón y mis intenciones mejor que yo, por eso sólo le pedí en ese momento que el alma del Santo Padre pueda reposar en paz. Pedí por la Iglesia para que Dios esté cerca de nosotros en estos días. No sólo de nosotros, los cardenales, sino de todos.
--¿Cuál ha sido su impresión en estos días en Roma?
--Como en cualquier gran acontecimiento humano, hay algo de electrizante. Algo muy, muy especial, y no se trata del impacto de los medios. No hay modo de reproducir la experiencia de estar aquí, de ver lo que acontece y participar en ello.
Reflexionaba sobre el continuo afluir de personas y pensaba en las enormes diferencias entre los peregrinos. ¡Es casi toda la humanidad! Colores diversos, culturas diferentes, jóvenes y ancianos. He visto gente en silla de ruedas y era increíble contemplar lo que estaba pasando.
Otra cosa que me ha impresionado ha sido que, aunque he ido a la plaza de San Pedro centenares de veces en mi vida, nunca he visto tanto silencio, a pesar de la cantidad de gente que había. Gran silencio, a pesar de todas las oraciones que se recitaban, diría que se trataba de una experiencia celestial. Ha sido conmovedor. He visto multitudes enormes en el pasado... pero nada parecido.
--Sé que usted está muy empeñado en la dirección del Centro Juan Pablo II de Washington, que incluye un museo sobre la vida del Pontífice. En su opinión, ¿cuál es la herencia mayor de este Papa?
--Es muy difícil clasificar al Santo Padre y su herencia. En cuanto al «John Paul II Center», en Washington, pienso que es un lugar en el que esa herencia se revelará plenamente. Es un espacio en el que la gente seguirá viniendo a recordar y narrar los acontecimientos, y la herencia evolucionará a lo largo de la historia.
Cuando reflexiono sobre lo que nuestro Santo Padre ha realizado en su vida, cuando veo lo que afirma la prensa mundial, y lo que ha significado para tantas personas, me quedo estupefacto por el hecho de que lo hayan observado tan de cerca, escuchado con tanta atención y sean ahora capaces de expresar el impacto que el Santo Padre ha tenido en su vida, en la vida de su cultura, y en la de sus países. Es de verdad muy iluminador.
Un aspecto que me impresiona de verdad es la santidad de la persona, el hecho de que esa santidad sea también cercanía a Dios y comunique a casi todo el resto credibilidad e integridad. Pienso que, cuando se ve a una persona tan auténtica, tan santa y buena, uno se derrite y, como sucedió a la gente que vio a Moisés, cuando descendió del Monte Sinaí, no se veía más que la luz que irradiaba de su rostro.
Creo de verdad que el Santo Padre estaba muy cerca de Dios. Era un verdadero místico, y espero que su herencia sea la profundidad de su vida teológica, desplegada en muchos modos, y reflejada en tantas cuestiones actuales, de nuestra cultura y de las demás culturas del mundo.
De alguna manera, el Papa Juan Pablo II ha sido capaz de capturar ese aspecto universal del amor misericordioso de Dios con todos, como parte de su misión y de su obra en la Iglesia.
Cuando me arrodillé en oración, di gracias a Dios por esta experiencia y por este tiempo, no había nada preparado, era sólo lo que me salía del corazón en aquél momento, y ha sido como si Dios estuviera de alguna manera presente.
Cené con el Santo Padre en enero y sé cuánto se esforzaba en comer y hablar, e incluso cantar, y ahora parecía tan en paz, y no se trataba de una paz artificial. A veces se pueden hacer cosas raras con el maquillaje y la tecnología, pero mientras le veía sentí que era un hombre que ha vivido la propia vida, ha servido a Dios y al pueblo de Dios, y ver que la gente ahora reacciona de esta manera confirma su misión y el modo en que la ha desempeñado durante toda su vida, incluso al final.
Estaba también reflexionando sobre cómo ha atraído a la gente. Jóvenes, ancianos, sanos y enfermos... explicando cómo sufrir y aceptar estas pruebas, cómo afrontar la experiencia humana de la que muchos de nosotros tienen miedo, y que él ha sabido abrazar y vivir con dignidad. Ha sido muy conmovedor.
--Considerando el afecto que siente por Juan Pablo II, ¿cuál de sus características le gustaría ver en el nuevo Papa? ¿Qué es importante para usted?
--Puedo decirle que no he pensado en ello. Todos mis pensamientos y mis energías se concentran ahora en el Santo Padre. He ido a verlo nada más ofrecer una Misa en las capillas vaticanas.
--Como cardenal estadounidense, ¿qué piensa de la decisión de Bush de presidir la delegación de Estados Unidos en el funeral?
--No me sorprende. Creo que han mantenido divergencias, sobre todo en el asunto de la guerra, dado que el Santo Padre estaba muy empeñado en promover otro tipo de política respecto a Irak. Pero a pesar de esto, había un cierto afecto recíproco entre los dos, porque cada uno veía en el otro ciertos valores que compartía.
Creo que el presidente Bush ha reaccionado con naturalidad. Yo también he sentido esa afinidad con el presidente en algunas ocasiones.
--¿Qué siente en este periodo de luto, y con vistas al Cónclave?
--Estoy todavía tratando de orientarme, acabo de llegar. Ni siquiera he encendido la televisión porque quería estar tranquilo. He leído, he rezado y he recitado el oficio y el rosario, viviendo una cosa tras la otra.
En casa, en mi despacho, todo pasa con mucha rapidez, con una cita cada cuarto de hora. Aquí he venido con la idea de asistir sólo por un motivo: he dicho a mi equipo que no me importunen con cosas de Detroit, porque estoy aquí con una misión. La misión es en cierta manera responder al espíritu de Dios, mientras celebramos la vida de Juan Pablo II y después tenemos la responsabilidad de elegir a su sucesor.
--¿Qué nos dice del Cónclave?
--He sido consultor del Código de Derecho Canónico y ya desde 1972 voy y vengo a Roma unas cinco veces al año, lo que me ha ayudado a trabajar con gente muy diversa y, ahora, con cardenales que entonces eran sacerdotes. Este es el momento de trabajar juntos porque estamos llamados a una tarea más elevada.
Diría que los conozco muy bien al menos a la mitad, pero hay otros que no conozco y por esto es tan importante estar aquí. Ninguno de nosotros conoce al otro demasiado bien y por consiguiente esta experiencia nos hará crecer; habrá una curva ascendente de aprendizaje respecto a los que no conocemos, y hablaremos con los que ya conocemos.
Sin embargo todavía no he hablado con ningún cardenal sobre un digno sucesor. No he tenido este tipo de conversaciones. Habrá tiempo. Debemos dejar todo en las manos del Espíritu Santo.
Merging and Closing Parishes and Schools
Oct 21, 2004
Detroit Catholic Cardinal Adam Maida is launching a controversial yearlong study of his 304 parishes and 138 schools in metro Detroit to prepare for mergers and closings, due mainly to the ever-worsening priest shortage.
(Detroit Free Press, October 14, 2004) But news of the plan Wednesday sparked opposition from a prominent Detroit priest who helped to lead protests against the mass closing of dozens of the city's Catholic churches in the late 1980s.
Ned McGrath, the spokesman of the cardinal, said closings are inevitable.
McGrath announced a series of 12 regional conferences that the cardinal's staff will hold, starting tonight. At these meetings, representatives from each parish and school will be told how to fill out a complex survey about their programs, their finances and the neighborhoods they serve. The questionnaires run 10 pages for schools and 20 for parishes. They eventually will form the basis for Maida's reorganization plan.
Cathy Wagner, who will coordinate much of the planning work during the next year, said Catholics in the six-county Archdiocese of Detroit soon will become familiar with three terms that will determine their future: sacramental, strategic and sustainable.
To prove their health, parishes must present data on the surveys to show that they are regularly celebrating masses, baptisms, marriages and other Catholic sacraments, Wagner said. Second, they must show that their location either is crucial to serving nearby Catholics or plays another vital role in meeting neighborhood needs. Third, they must show that they have a plan for continuing to flourish during the next decade.
Criteria for schools are similar. They include having proper classroom facilities, paying staff members competitive wages and meeting an annual budget, said Sister Frances Nadolny, director of Maida's education department.
The criteria also include a goal of moving toward serving an enrollment that is 75-percent Catholic. Not all schools will attain that goal, Nadolny said, but it is one of the factors Maida's staff will consider in helping the cardinal shape his final blueprint for the area's 1.5 million Catholics by late 2005.
Though all parishes and schools will be evaluated, McGrath and other archdiocesan officials admit that the pressure will be heaviest on parishes in Detroit and the ring of older suburbs, where many Catholic families once lived in densely packed neighborhoods. Now, they have migrated in large numbers toward distant suburbs.
"In our older core areas, our population is down about 40 percent, and, in the newer areas, it's up about 50 percent," McGrath said.
Archdiocesan figures project that a crucial shortfall in the number of priests -- the main problem driving the reorganization plan -- looms almost immediately. One report, released Wednesday, said, "By 2006, if the number of parishes remains the same, there will be seven fewer priests than parishes. By 2009, 29 fewer priests."
McGrath said there is no target number of parishes to cluster or to close.
Cardinal Maida leaves legacy of schools as he retires
El Cardenal Maida se jubila como arzobispos de Detroit