Our Lady of La Salette Supportive of Restructuring Plan

It's “business as usual” for now at Berkley's Our Lady of La Salette Catholic church after Archbishop Allen Vigneron announced a wide-ranging restructuring plan for the Archdiocese of Detroit's 267 churches.

The Together in Faith restructuring revealed Monday calls for Our Lady of La Salette to eventually merge with St. James of Ferndale and Our Lady of Fatima in Oak Park.

It’s a move that Our Lady of La Salette pastor Patrick Connell supports completely.

“I support the archbishop and his effort to make the plans for Our Lady of La Salette, Our Lady of Fatima and St. James,” Connell said. “In early 2012, Our Lady of Fatima and St. James are to move forward as cluster partners. Once this merger takes place, the merger between Our Lady of Fatima and St. James then will become a cluster partner with Our Lady of La Salette.”

Models for initial collaboration will develop after that. “It will include contingency plans for programming and such,” Connell said. “But we really don’t know what kind of shape that’s going to take on for Our Lady of La Salette yet.”

Regardless of how the plans shake out, Connell said, the focus is clear.

“The contingency plans for programming, outreach and administration, which is what we do as Catholic churches, all centers on Christ," Connell said. "He is our guide.”

For the near future, however, there will be few changes at Our Lady of La Salette church or school.

“It will be business as usual,” Connell said. “For at least the next two years.”

Berkley resident Jim Leslie wasn't overly concerned about the plans. "It doesn't sound like much is going to change around here," he said as he headed into church for Ash Wednesday services. "I don't see it as much of an issue."

Pamela Evans of Southfield is encouraged by what she heard. "The church has to change and get more in line with the state of the economy and the times," she said. "I respect that. I think the changes are a positive thing, whatever they result in at the end of the day. If Our Lady of La Salette has to be a part of that change then I think only good can come of that."