St. Cornelius critical to serving needs of Catholics

Editor,

Despite some recent reporting St. Cornelius Catholic Church in Dryden is not closing, at least not any time soon or possibly ever.

Parishioners of the nearly 75-year-old church attended a listening session regarding the Archdiocese of Detroit's planned reorganization.   And while all three of the options for reorganization of Catholic Churches in Lapeer County called for the cessation of Masses at St. Cornelius, they were also told that no final decision has been made and that other options are possible.

The archdiocese tells us no final decision will be made until July 2027. We've also been told that there have been substantial changes to reorganizational plans in other Catholic communities around the country as a result of parishioner input.

Many of us at St. Cornelius believe that our parish is critical to serving the needs of Catholics in Southern Lapeer and Northern Oakland Counties. Our facilities are debt free and centrally located.

One of the presented options links Allenton's St. John the Evangelist, Imlay City's Sacred Heart and St. Cornelius, but eliminates weekend Masses at St. Cornelius.

We would propose holding at least one Mass in each of the three churches. Another viable option would be to link St. Cornelius with Lapeer's Immaculate Conception and hold at least one Mass at St. Cornelius each weekend.

Historically church attendance has ebbed and flowed across the decades. We have seen some hopeful signs that attendance at Mass is beginning a resurgence.

Dryden has always been a resilient community. We believe that St. Cornelius, like Dryden, has a viable and bright future. We intend to lobby for that.

Whether you are a parishioner or not, your voice matters to keep weekend Masses at St. Cornelius going. Please send your support for St. Cornelius to the Archdiocese of Detroit, Attn: Fr. Mario Amore and Archbishop Edward Weisenburger at restructuring@aod.org.

Best,
—Marty Vernier
President
Men’s Club
St. Cornelius Catholic Church

Editor’s note: As stated in the article, the Dryden location, and one in North Branch, are among those listed as being considered for closure. As the writer notes, and the article stated, listening sessions were held and alternatives are being considered. According to the Archdiocese of Detroit, the two locations, along with Sacred Heart in Yale and a number of other St. Clair County catholic churches, have been identified as potential closings. No definitive action is planned until 2027, according to the Detroit Archdiocese.