‘Its walls have come to life again:’ Revival of century-old structure will provide a space for seminary community to grow, thrive
DETROIT — The “oohs” and “aahs” of guests at a Sept. 20 blessing of Sacred Heart Major Seminary’s new auditorium could be heard as they entered it for the first time. Benefactors, contractors, seminarians, faculty, and friends of the seminary admired the details of the renovated space. Some noticed the crucifix on the wall above the exit door behind them. Others took note of the striking new red curtain gracing the stage and the graceful windows that filled the room with light.
Before they got their first glimpse of the auditorium, those gathered worshipped together as Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger celebrated Mass in the seminary’s chapel. Following Mass, guests were guided to the auditorium for a program led by Fr. Stephen Burr, Sacred Heart’s rector who led the project titled “Revive, Restore, Rejoice.”
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“We are here to rejoice. Rejoice that God is good. Rejoice that He has brought us all together to a space like this. Rejoice that God has blessed us with your presence, with your gifts, with all the labor that has gone into this place,” Fr. Burr said. “The best part about ‘Revive, Restore, Rejoice’ is that the first two are done, but the last one doesn’t have to end. We’ll continue to rejoice in the good works God has done here.”
After Archbishop Weisenburger offered a prayer of blessing and sprinkled holy water to anoint the space, Dominic Pizzo, general contractor with the TriGriffin Group, presented an overview of the project. Pizzo detailed the challenges of modernizing a 100-year-old structure while also staying true to the building’s charm. Teams of contractors worked to devise creative solutions utilizing some of the original features of the space.
“It’s as if the bones of this structure kept telling us, ‘I know I’m old, but I’ve got you,’” Pizzo said.
The auditorium has been completely transformed from top to bottom. Workers restored and updated the stained-glass windows, sound system, plaster, paint, audio-visual system, lights, seating, curtains, chandeliers, lighting and carpet. An ADA wheelchair lift was added to the stage, and tuckpointing, gutter work, flashing and roof repairs on the exterior were completed to protect the painstaking work on the inside.
“With vision, dedication and cooperation, this auditorium and its walls have come to life again,” Pizzo said in closing.
Fr. Burr noted that presenters on the new stage will see the crucifix hanging over the door at the back of the auditorium as they speak to audiences.
“As you’re seated in the auditorium, you’re seeing someone who is gazing upon Jesus, so that everything that happens here happens for Him,” Fr. Burr said.
Cast members from last spring’s Sacred Heart musical, H.M.S. Pinafore, treated guests to a musical selection from the show. Led by Paul Keenan, a seminarian of the Diocese of Lansing and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, and accompanied by Stephanie Nofar-Kelly, Sacred Heart’s director of liturgical music, the presentation demonstrated the new state-of-the-art sound system and offered a glimpse of things to come in the new space.
At a strolling dinner in the Bishop Gallagher Parlor after the auditorium blessing, Archbishop Weisenburger shared his vision for the restored venue.
“I’d like to see a blend of educational opportunities and artistic opportunities. To be future priests, seminarians need to be able to appreciate the arts,” Archbishop Weisenburger told Mosaic. “‘Auditorium’ comes from the Latin word ‘audire’ which means ‘to hear,’ and so we go there to listen and to encounter things that will be fascinating and educational, but also things that will be artistic and remind us of our humanity.”
Bill and Carol Brewis and Mark and Sarah Zydeck, parishioners and benefactors from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth, attended the event.
“Here we are, sitting in this space that was originally built in 1919; it was beautiful then, and I’m sure people felt just as excited back then as we do now,” Sarah Zydeck said. “It’s exciting to be part of this and to know this will be here for people to enjoy for another hundred years.”
The Brewises hope the words spoken in the auditorium — be it at a conference, a talk by a local priest or nationally known speaker, or a theatrical performance — will help those in attendance feel God’s presence and appreciate their Catholic faith.
Meg and Ray Lope have supported many projects at Sacred Heart over the years. Ray Lope is one of the founders of the Desert Golf Classic, an annual fall tournament established in 1982 that benefits Sacred Heart seminarians making a 30-day pilgrimage to sites in Europe or the Holy Land.
“The revamping of this auditorium will benefit not only the seminary, but the community that will be coming here to take advantage of what Sacred Heart will offer,” Ray Lope said.
“What better cause than the seminary? This is our future. It’s the future of the Church,” Meg Lope said.
Mike Blanek of Stucky Vitale Architects, who served as the project architect for the auditorium renovation, said the end result is a space that will enhance Sacred Heart’s future.
“It really took the collaboration of everyone involved to find solutions to some of the challenges of this building, all while preserving the details of the space that make it special,” Blanek said. “I always cherish the opportunity to help a parish or, in this case, the seminary.”
Blanek, a member of Our Lady of Refuge Parish in Orchard Lake, is honored that his firm’s work will benefit one of the parish’s own seminarians, Deacon Daniel Whalen, among others.
In an ever-increasing digital world and a move to online work, Fr. Burr believes the auditorium will help the community gather and grow together, not only providing a place for formation of seminarians, but also to host speakers, academic conferences, and other events.
“This is a significant moment for the seminary, and a project that needed to be done for a long time,” Fr. Burr said. “I’m excited to see what the faculty will dream up as we venture into new offerings for our local community. This is a place where we can be a Body of Christ together outside of Mass.”
Fr. Burr wished to thank the contractors who worked on the project for their hard work and dedication: Dominic Pizzo/TriGriffin Group, Stucky Vitale Architects, MA Engineering, Crook Electric, SBH Contracting, Falcon Carpet, North Coast Studios, Dynamic Glazing, Outside the Box Ministries, Tom Furnari Painting, Gm Equity Development, CIT Granite, Hutch Paving, Axiom Glass, Looking Glass Studio, and Stuart Mechanical.
