"Mi te trebamo!""We need you!" — and we mean it. Every survey response counts.
Parishioner-Led Campaign
St. Lucy Croatian Catholic Church — Troy, Michigan — founded 1924
SPASIMO SVETU LUCIJU | A PARISHIONER CAMPAIGN, NOT AN OFFICIAL ST. LUCY COMMUNICATION
"Mi te trebamo!""We need you!" — and we mean it. Every survey response counts.
The Situation
The Archdiocese of Detroit 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 Archdiocese 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 Mutavdzija 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 Archdiocese is collecting feedback from parishioners on the four restructuring options. Your response is part of the official record. The deadline is Friday, July 31, 2026.
Go to the Survey ↗TIP There are two churches named "St. Lucy" in the system. Choose the one with "Croatian" in the name. All fields are required, so type N/A for any question you don't want to answer.
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 them in the survey. Pick the ones that resonate with you and put them in your own words.
St. Lucy is a "personal parish" under 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, Fr. Matija Žugaj, whose bishop is 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 Archdiocese'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.
In Their Own Words
At the May 2 and May 9 Listening Sessions, dozens of parishioners spoke about what St. Lucy means to them. Here is a small sample of what was shared.
One parishioner shared that their family was among the founding members of old St. Jerome Parish, that their mother worked in its kitchen, and that St. Lucy is now their family's third Croatian church home across a century. A younger parishioner described being baptized at St. Lucy with a godfather who traveled from Canada for the occasion, and called St. Lucy "their family's rock" after fleeing hardship abroad. Stories like these were repeated again and again on May 2 and May 9: families who built this parish with their own hands and their own labor, and who see it as the place where they have cried at funerals, celebrated weddings, and raised their children in the faith.
What Happens Next
The Planning Area 9 survey is open. This is the window for your voice to count.
Archdiocese chooses not to assign St. Lucy a priest.
Refined restructuring models are reviewed by priests, parish leaders, and consultative bodies. Up to 40% of the models could still change during this phase, which is why participation now matters.
Final pastorate models and priest assignments are expected to be published by the Archdiocese.
Any move to close St. Lucy can be contested through the Church's Canon Law appeal process. Parishioners are prepared to use every legitimate avenue available.
How You Can Help
Fill out the survey before July 31. Go to tinyurl.com/AODSurvey26, scroll to the bottom, and click "Spring 2026 Listening Session Survey." Make sure you select the St. Lucy with "Croatian" in the name.
Write your answers in a separate document first. Online survey forms can time out and erase what you typed. Draft your response in Word or Google Docs, then copy it into the survey.
Speak from the heart. Use the arguments above if they're helpful, but your own story, why St. Lucy matters to you and your family, is the most powerful thing you can share.
Choose Option B. Of the four models, Option B is the only one that keeps Mass at St. Lucy. When the survey asks about each option, this is the one to support.
Share this page. Send it to fellow parishioners, family members, and Croatian-American community members across Michigan. The more voices the Archdiocese hears, the better.