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New parish established in Davisburg

Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published July 20, 2007

Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Deacon Archie Noon, who has assisted in the years-long process that resulted in Divine Mercy Parish, receives a gift from the parish's children in honor of his 35th jubilee as a deacon."

Davisburg — Having received a blessing to become a parish — and its new name — from Cardinal Adam Maida, Divine Mercy Parish last weekend celebrated its first weekend Masses with its first pastor.

"Our parish is called Divine Mercy," said Msgr. John Budde, who became pastor this month. "You and I are invited to be in communion with God in such a way that we begin to show God's compassion, God's mercy, to others."

The parish — which formerly was the Davisburg Mass Station — was formed out of a collection of people from nearby parishes, such as St. Daniel in Clarkston, St. Rita in Holly, Holy Spirit in Highland Township, and Our Lady of the Lakes in Waterford Township. Over the past four years, the community has grown to include hundreds of people while holding weekend Masses on the property of Davisburg Elementary School.

Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Msgr. John Budde gives a homily about Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan during his first weekend at the new Divine Mercy Parish in Davisburg. Divine Mercy Parish Founded: July, 2007 Pastor: Msgr. John Budde Location: Masses currently are celebrated in Davisburg Elementary School, 12003 Davisburg Road, Davisburg Mass times: 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. Sunday Mailing address: 4055 Parker Road, Springfield Township, 48350 Plans: The community is finalizing a master plan to build a church and other facilities on a 144-acre parcel in Springfield Township. On the Web: www.divinemercyparish.net How it started 1999: Cardinal Adam Maida approved planning for a new parish in Davisburg. 2001: The Archdiocese of Detroit purchased a site in Springfield Township for the new church. 2003: Plans were made for the Davisburg Mass Station, and the first Masses were held. Archdiocesan priests were assigned to oversee liturgies at the Mass Station. 2007: Divine Mercy Parish was established in July and Msgr. John Budde was named the parish's founding pastor.

Divine Mercy is the first parish born of new growth since a handful of parishes were founded in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Recognizing the viability for a new parish in the Davisburg area — where rapid growth is being predicted over the next decade — Cardinal Maida and the archdiocese's board of consulters for the Together in Faith process appointed the Mass station a pastor, and turned it into a parish.

Msgr. Budde, who took a brief vacation before joining his new parish, said that when he heard about his assignment, he eagerly awaited the opportunity to form parish committees and set up faith formation programs.

But, when he arrived, he found out that the people of the parish — with the assistance of Deacon Archie Noon and volunteering priests — had laid that groundwork already.

"It's a tremendous tribute to this community that all of that is already working," Msgr. Budde said, adding light-heartedly that he'll have to try to stay out of the way of their already-impressive progress.

The community had set up a steering committee with a similar structure to the common parish council. They also had organized groups to oversee worship, stewardship, Christian service and youth ministry. They even have 175 people signed up for community catechesis — open to people of all ages.

"It's a wonderful blessing," said Cecilia Searl, who helps set up the parish's make-shift church in the elementary school cafeteria. "We now are going to have the wisdom of (Msgr. Budde). You can see that he loves people and that he loves Jesus very much."

Kathy Rakowski, a member of the parish's steering committee and Divine Mercy's music minister, said it's been impressive how the Lord has called the community from different parishes and given them the talents and the drive to form a new community.

"It feels like we're on the Holy Spirit Highway, and we're enjoying the ride," Rakowski said. "Now, it's getting so exciting — you never know what's going to happen next."

The community does, however, have an idea of what they'd like to have happen next. With 144 acres of land secured by the archdiocese in Springfield Township, the parish has drawn up plans to build its church.

Tom Mockeridge, vice president of the steering committee, said the parish hopes to have its master plan for the building completed in August, and has already met a couple of times with the archdiocese's college of consulters.

Mockeridge said he's glad the parish now has the spiritual guidance of Msgr. Budde, and he's confident the community is dedicated to setting up its first home.

"The community is welcoming with open arms," Mockeridge said. "People come and help. People are willing to do what it takes — you can just feel it."

Msgr. Budde, who served 18 years at Holy Family Parish in Novi, said there's no doubt about the community's spirit.

"This is a very, very enthusiastic group of people, and they have really been dedicated to forming their own parish," he said in an interview.

And while the parish grows in terms of numbers, activities and organizations, Msgr. Budde also spoke of the spiritual foundation of the parish.

"We're a Eucharistic community," he said. "So the Eucharist is the center of all we do."

He added that the parish will be dedicated to spreading its faith in Jesus Christ to those whom they encounter. And they've been specially charged with spreading the message of God's Divine Mercy.

Cardinal Maida chose the parish's name based on a conversation he had with Pope John Paul II before the late pontiff's death. Msgr. Budde said the Divine Mercy message is broader than just the common devotion of the Divine Mercy Chaplet; it involves spreading the word of God's compassion, and welcoming nonpracticing Catholics back to the faith.

It's a theme that will be raised as the parish continues to form its identity, he said.

"That's one of the things we're going to be reflecting on and talking about," Msgr. Budde said. "At the heart of God, there's mercy."