Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2007 / Austin Academy plans to open for 2008-09 school year
Austin Academy plans to open for 2008-09 school year
Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published November 23, 2007
Detroit — Austin Catholic Academy still plans to break ground early next year and open for class next fall despite losing support from at least two Archdiocese of Detroit parishes.
St. Isidore in Macomb Township, St. John Vianney in Shelby Township, St. Lawrence in Utica and St. Therese of Lisieux in Shelby Township remain as the school's founding parishes. The school will be conducted by the Midwest Order of St. Augustine (the Augustinian Fathers), for both young men and women in grades nine through 12. Enrollment is targeted at 800.
A week after it was announced St. Peter Parish, Mount Clemens, led by Fr. Michael Cooney, had withdrawn support for the school, Meg Lope, Austin Catholic Academy communications chair, said the school would continue to proceed as planned. "While (St. Peter's withdrawal) is regrettable, we certainly continue to be excited and enthused about moving forward with the rest of the organization," she said. "There are a lot of terrific things going on."
Fr. Cooney declined to comment.
In addition, although the Renaissance Vicariate has been a previous supporter, a letter from Fr. Kenneth Kaucheck, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, Grosse Pointe Woods, and vicar of the vicariate, said the parish "does not want to be listed in any public way as a supporter of the Austin movement."
The school will be built in Macomb Township on 63 acres on the north side of 23 Mile Road, between North Avenue and Card Road. The Archdiocese of Detroit donated the land, known to locals as the Oliver Sod Farm. The approximate cost for the school, including land, construction, initial operation, furnishings and more, is $30 million.
Earlier this month, the school received approval from the Archdiocese of Detroit to create a corporate structure that allows for the sale of bonds, which will help finance the building of the school. About one-third of the funds needed for the school have already been raised, and the sale of bonds will likely raise about another third. Additional donations are being sought to cover the rest of the start-up costs of the school.
Visit www.austincatholicacademy.org.
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