This is a groundbreaking partnership between The Catholic Initiative and Catholic schools, churches, and parishes to ensure Catholics can continue to worship God and receive the pastoral and spiritual care of the Church. While we are not aware of another parish church in the United States being owned by a secular entity, there are some comparable examples with distinct differences: 

  • In Plymouth, MI, the Pulte Foundation owns the former Inn at St. John (now Saint John’s Resort). This includes ownership of the Saints Mary and Joseph Chapel, which also required Vatican approval. 
  • In Detroit, the Polish American Historic Site Association owns St. Albertus Church, which is permitted to host a limited number of Masses and other events but no longer gathers Catholics in a parish community. 
  • In other parts of the world, civil governments have come to own historical church buildings and have entered into use agreements with local dioceses.