More Catholic parishes in Detroit to close

[econ expat]

Catholic school buildings belong to the Parish that built them. The parish is responsible entirely to run the school and if enrollment & tuitions fall too far & permission is given to close the school, then the parish decides what to do with it's building. It can be sold, leased to another enterprise such as a charter school, torn down,etc. So when St Agatha school was leased to a charter the parish got the rents, not the AOD.
If a parish closes entirely and the AOD is able to sell the buildings, then the AOD gets the money - always pennies on the dollar to what was lent by the other parishes over the years.

Things are not always as they appear.....
St. Agatha's parish council was challenged by AOD to balance their budget. Impossible, due to the debt obligations from final years of the High School.
At no time did St. Agatha parish lease the school to a charter. The school was leased AFTER the parish was closed.
In fact, the parish council solicited bids to rent out the school to help pay the utilities and debts. Approval by AOD was required and all proposals/ bids were rejected. Including a bid by the charter group now there. AOD rented to them anyway, but after AOD closed the parish.
Shortage of priests, agreed. Too many Catholic churches in Redford [[6 at the time)- also true.
That parish had far less members than peak baby boom years, but still had 3 masses each weekend to the end. And the last pastor was burdened with the pressure to balance the budget, pay all the debts, etc. Almost a set-up. He quit, is no longer a parish priest. And did not quit to marry, just to quit working for AOD and to switch careers.
Inevitable that some churches must close. AOD has tried to close the parishes with the most valuable real estate first. And left some of the less desirable locations as open parishes, to fend for themselves as long as possible.
BTW- AOD web site lists several parish buildings- schools, rectories, convents for lease. Contact is usually through the parish. But approval by AOD is required.