Under unique partnership, nonprofit will spearhead $30M rehabilitation of aging basilica, create $20M endowment for parish
DETROIT — At a small table in the side chapel of the Basilica of Ste. Anne, where legendary pastor Fr. Gabriel Richard rests in peace, two men signed a historic partnership July 16 to secure the future of Detroit’s oldest Catholic parish for generations to come.
Msgr. Charles Kosanke, rector of the Basilica of Ste. Anne, and Mark Pulte, chairman of the board of directors of The Catholic Initiative, smiled and shook hands at the conclusion of an intimate signing ceremony that marks the culmination of a partnership years in the making.
Announced in March, the partnership will see The Catholic Initiative — a new nonprofit created by the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation — embark upon a $30 million major rehabilitation of the 139-year-old church building and campus, as well as create a $20 million endowment to provide for future capital needs, operations, repairs and the financial support of an on-site priest at the Basilica of Ste. Anne.
Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger, who was on hand for the signing ceremony, thanked members of the Pulte family and lauded the project, which was begun under his predecessor, retired Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron.
“One of the most exciting things about this, for me, is that we’re not simply renovating a museum — we’re restoring a magnificent place of worship that goes back to the very heart of our archdiocesan church,” Archbishop Weisenburger said.
“To walk through the current basilica is to be deeply moved at the faith of our ancestors, the same faith that moves us today,” Archbishop Weisenburger added. “The windows are glorious, and the structure raises the mind, the heart, the soul, to the heavens. Everything about this project just seems to scream of God’s blessings for us.”
Like many historic and aging churches, the Basilica of Ste. Anne needs extensive repairs and renovations — in the tens of millions of dollars — that have created an unsustainable financial burden for the parish community.
As part of the Vatican-approved partnership, the first of its kind in the United States, The Catholic Initiative, which was created for the express purpose of restoring and re-energizing Catholic communities across the United States, will own and care for the church building and campus, with the parish retaining “exclusive and permanent rights” to lease and use the property as a church and basilica.
Kevin Doyle, president of The Catholic Initiative and chief operating officer of the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, said The Catholic Initiative was born out of a desire to strengthen and protect communities like Ste. Anne.
“It’s important to us that we are investing in places that are vibrant in faith, and this is clearly one of those places,” Doyle told Detroit Catholic. “It’s been growing, and it’s in a part of Detroit that can really be a Catholic lighthouse for the whole community.”
Mark Pulte, the son of the late homebuilder and Catholic philanthropist William J. Pulte, added the goal is to help the parish thrive by freeing it of financial burdens and allowing the community to focus on ministry.
In addition to the restoration work, The Catholic Initiative plans to raise an endowment to support the parish — which would grow over time — meaning Ste. Anne’s community “will be secured forever,” Pulte said. “They’ll never have financial worry again.”
“Imagine what this could do for the whole community," Pulte said.
The spiritual cornerstone of Detroit’s Catholic faith, the parish of St. Anne was founded on July 26, 1701, two days after French settlers established Detroit itself. Today, the parish serves a predominantly Hispanic community, with multiple bilingual Masses, vibrant ministries and a strong family culture that extends to the surrounding neighborhood.
The parish’s history is intertwined with the city’s own, Doyle said.
“It’s an iconic parish that’s a symbol for the whole archdiocese. It’s a symbol for Michigan. It’s a symbol around the country, and a place like this — which they worked very hard to raise money for and build — deserves to last another 300 years,” Doyle said.
Doyle said Ste. Anne’s history and significance make it a “perfect starting point” for The Catholic Initiative’s efforts, which also currently include Chicago’s Josephinum Academy of the Sacred Heart, and an effort to establish an endowment to support bulldogCatholic, the campus ministry program at the University of Minnesota Duluth run by Fr. Mike Schmitz.
Archbishop Weisenburger and Msgr. Kosanke recognized members of the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, as well as members of Ste. Anne’s staff, for their vision and dedication to the project.
Msgr. Kosanke said the recent momentum of the parish — which he said has grown about 40% in the past decade — and the development in the surrounding area, including the renovation of the historic Michigan Central Depot by Ford Motor Company, are positive signs for an important neighborhood in the city.
The restoration of the basilica and the new endowment will allow Ste. Anne not only to thrive, but to focus on providing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and to lead others to God, he said.
“As buildings are being restored, this is a magnificent place to restore,” Msgr. Kosanke said. “It’s a place of faith, where we bring people to encounter the eternal. In terms of the impact, there’s nothing better than for this basilica and this property to become a beacon of hope, especially during this Jubilee Year of Hope.”
The $30 million restoration — which will take place over three to five years — will include a complete rehabilitation of the church and property, including stained-glass windows, plaster repair, lighting and stonework, as well as a new outdoor pavilion, walkways and landscaping in the basilica’s plaza.
The vision also calls for a new “community hub” that will help expand and enhance current parish programs, as well as identify areas for growth and service to the wider community.
Doyle said the project honors the legacy of William J. Pulte, who — often silently — gave millions of dollars to support the Church and various charitable causes. The Pulte Family Charitable Foundation was founded to honor Pulte’s legacy and continue those good works, Doyle said.
“Over the last six years, our family foundation has given away $170 million in the spirit of the corporal works of mercy — feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, things that make the world a better place,” Doyle said. "Over many decades before that, Bill Pulte gave hundreds of millions, mostly silently, to fix up parishes, churches and to invest in Catholic education."
Doyle said the goal isn't just to repair churches like Ste. Anne, but to do so "in a way that has an impact for generations to come."
"We want to free up the pastor and the parish staff to focus on their ministry, the things that really cultivate a vibrant community," Doyle said. "And with that, we think we can set this place up to flourish for many, many generations."
