Archbishop commemorates feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola with Detroit-area Jesuits, encourages team aiding Detroit's homeless
DETROIT — Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger got his first glimpse July 31 of the Pope Francis Center Bridge Housing Facility on Detroit's west side.
The archbishop celebrated Mass with the Jesuit community of Detroit to mark the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
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Before Mass, Fr. Tim McCabe, SJ, executive director of the Pope Francis Center, gave Archbishop Weisenburger a tour of the Bridge Housing Facility, which opened in June 2024 and offers 40 studio apartments and wraparound services to help unhoused individuals in Detroit transition into permanent housing.
The bridge housing program is designed for guests to stay for 90 to 120 days, but cases vary on an individual basis. Guests have access to a commercial kitchen and cafeteria, gymnasium, library, computer lab, chapel, barber shop, medical and dental clinics.
The $40 million project was provided by private donors and was launched after Fr. McCabe toured the country to learn about best practices to combat chronic homelessness and ways to help people transition into permanent housing, addressing the underlying issues that contribute to difficulties obtaining housing.
(Photos by Daniel Meloy | Detroit Catholic)
