Survey closed July 31, 2026 · Refined maps expected October 2026
Our church is at risk of being shut down due to the Archdiocese of Detroit's restructuring plan. It is the only Croatian Catholic church and ethnic gathering place in Michigan, protected by church law, financially stable, and with an available Croatian priest.
The Survey Has Closed
To everyone who filled out the Archdiocese survey — who sat down with a screen and a deadline and put into words what St. Lucy means to you — thank you. You wrote in English and in Croatian. You helped parents, grandparents, and neighbors get their answers submitted. You made the case for Model B in your own words, which is exactly what mattered.
Those responses are now part of the official record. Whatever comes next, the Archdiocese cannot say this community was silent.
Hvala vam — Thank you
Before You Read On
What follows on this page is a long road: models and planning areas and dates that run into 2027. It may seem hard. But our Croatian ancestors and relatives and some of us have seen hard times and done hard things before.
Five centuries ago, Croats earned the papal title Antemurale Christianitatis — Bulwark of Christendom — after fighting off Ottoman invasions for generations. And thirty years ago, after Borovo Selo and Tenja and Dvor and Dalj and Vukovar and Ovčara, and far too many atrocities to name here... Croats still kept going, held on, and saw the sun rise once more on what was rightfully theirs.
So whether it takes fifteen minutes or two more years, whether you speak up by yourself or with help from a friend or family member, whether you're American-born or barely know a word of English... Make sure the AOD knows who you are and what is yours.
St. Lucy Croatian Catholic Church is your home.
Defend it!
The Situation
The Archdiocese of Detroit (AOD) is restructuring its parishes across the region, and St. Lucy Croatian Catholic Church has been placed into Planning Area 9 for review. Of the four restructuring options the AOD has put forward, only one, Option B, keeps St. Lucy open as a parish with Mass. The other three would end Sunday Mass at St. Lucy entirely, which would mean the end of our parish as a living community of faith.
St. Lucy is not just a building. For over a hundred years, our community has gathered here in good times and hard times: baptisms, weddings, funerals, and Sunday Mass in our own language. It began as St. Jerome Parish in 1924, moved to 8 Mile Road in 1955, and has called Troy home since 1996. It is the only Croatian Catholic parish in the entire state of Michigan, and parishioners drive from across southeast Michigan, some from over an hour away, to be here.
This page was created by fellow parishioners, Andrew Mutavdžija and Marija Franetovic, to help our community understand what is happening and to make sure every parishioner has the chance to be heard before the survey deadline. This is not an official statement from St. Lucy parish or the Archdiocese. It is us, the people in the pews, asking each other to act.
The Case for St. Lucy
These are the core arguments parishioners raised at the Listening Sessions on May 2 and May 9, 2026. You don't need to repeat all of these arguments; just pick the one or two that resonate with you the most and put them in your own words.
St. Lucy is a "personal parish" under Church Law (Canon 518), created specifically to serve the Croatian-speaking faithful. The real question isn't how our numbers compare to neighboring parishes. It's whether the Croatian Catholic community in southeast Michigan still exists and still needs this ministry. It does, and it's growing with new immigrants.
St. Lucy carries no debt, runs balanced budgets, and holds roughly $2.5 million in liquid assets, including a transformational gift from parishioner Mary Sostarich. Our building, built in 1996, is in excellent condition. We are not a burden on the Archdiocese. We are a contributor.
We identified a bilingual Croatian and English-speaking priest whose bishop was ready to release him to serve us. A formal request was submitted on February 24, 2026, and denied without explanation on March 23, 2026. The priest shortage that drives this whole process has a solution sitting right in front of it.
St. Lucy is the only Croatian Catholic parish in Michigan. If it closes, parishioners won't simply transfer to a nearby Area 9 church. Many will end up elsewhere, and some, especially elderly parishioners who have worshipped and confessed in Croatian their entire lives, may drift away from the Church entirely.
The AOD's planning packet reportedly shows zero baptisms, weddings, confirmations, and funerals for St. Lucy in recent years. Parishioners at the Listening Sessions confirmed this is not accurate. If the survey response form gives you the option, it is worth noting that decisions should be based on correct numbers.
To read a full summary of parishioner comments from both listening sessions and statements prepared and made by Andrija Mutavdžija and Ivo Tešija, navigate to the Statements section.
What Happens Next
The Archdiocese has entered what it calls the refinement phase. Our survey answers are now with the teams drafting the second round of models, which will be posted in October 2026. Nothing is settled: the Archdiocese has said plainly that a site which kept its weekend Mass in the first draft may lose it in the second, or the reverse. Option B keeping St. Lucy open was never a guarantee, and it is not one now.
The public comment window is closed. From here, feedback travels through pastors and parish leaders — which makes staying organized, and staying reachable, the whole task between now and April 2027.
Parishioners spoke at the St. Lucy listening sessions on May 2 and May 9.
Archdiocese chooses not to assign St. Lucy a priest.
The Planning Area 9 survey closes. Our parishioners made the case for St. Lucy in their own words.
Responses reviewed behind closed doors by Archdiocese staff, outside consultants, and selected advisory bodies.
A hand-picked group of priests and lay leaders redraws the proposals. Parishioners are not part of this step.
Two revised models per planning area posted publicly — down from the three or four each area was first given. Ours had four. Fr. Amore: they “might be similar… or they might be very different.”
Archbishop Weisenburger releases his final decisions.
Final plans take effect. New priest assignments begin.
For sites left without a weekend Mass, a separate discernment process about their future begins.
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