Lansing Update: A New Archbishop and a New Report Recapping MCC Advocacy
Posted February 14, 2025
New Archbishop Appointed for Detroit Also Means New Chairman of MCC Board
Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) this week welcomed Most Rev. Edward J. Weisenburger as incoming chairman of the organization’s Board of Directors following the announcement that Pope Francis had named him to succeed Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron as archbishop of Detroit.
Upon his installation as archbishop, Archbishop-elect Weisenburger will become the fifth chairman of the MCC board, succeeding Archbishop Vigneron, who has served since 2009.
Archbishop Vigneron submitted his retirement to Pope Francis in October 2023 at the age of 75 as required by church law. He was appointed the fifth archbishop of Detroit in 2009 by the late Pope Benedict XVI.
The archbishop of Detroit serves as chair of the MCC Board of Directors, which is comprised of the seven Catholic diocesan bishops in Michigan, plus five lay persons, one priest, and one religious sister.
Archbishop-elect Weisenburger comes to Michigan from Arizona, where he had been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Tucson since 2017. Before that he was appointed as bishop of Salina, Kansas in 2012.
“We congratulate Archbishop-elect Weisenburger on his appointment to lead the Detroit Archdiocese, and we look forward to welcoming and supporting him in his role as chair of the MCC Board of Directors,” said Paul A. Long, president and CEO of MCC, in a press release issued this week.
On behalf of the MCC Board and staff, Long also extended “profound gratitude to Archbishop Vigneron for his 16 years of faithful and thoughtful leadership as chair of the MCC Board of Directors.
“Archbishop Vigneron is a kind and pastoral man who leads with his faith at the center of all he does. We are thankful for his wisdom on matters related to MCC’s public policy advocacy, and for providing necessary support for efforts to serve church employees throughout the state of Michigan,” Long said in the statement.
The new Detroit archbishop will officially be installed during a 2 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament on March 18. For more information on Archbishop-elect, visit the Archdiocese of Detroit website and read coverage of the appointment this week in Detroit Catholic.
Pope Expresses Support for u.s. Bishops’ Teaching About Migrants
The U.S. bishops this week received a letter from Pope Francis, who wrote in support of the bishops’ teaching to promote the dignity of immigrants and those who migrate. The Holy Father called upon all the faithful to not “give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters.”
“I recognize your valuable efforts, dear brother bishops of the United States, as you work closely with migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ and promoting fundamental human rights,” Pope Francis said in the letter dated Feb. 11.
The letter from the Holy Father comes amid concerns on the national and local levels about the federal government keeping its commitments to fund the costs of resettling refugees, a work of mercy taken up by Catholic agencies in partnership with the federal government. Funding to help these agencies resettle refugees are among the federal grants that have been frozen by the new administration as part of a widespread review of federal spending.
In response to the Pope’s letter, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) asked for prayers that “families suffering from the sudden withdrawal of aid may find the strength to endure.
“With you, we pray that the U.S. government keep its prior commitments to help those in desperate need,” Archbishop Timothy Broglio said, also asking the People of God for their “mercy and generosity in supporting the Catholic Relief Services national collection this Lent” as well as the work of local Catholic Charities agencies.
The USCCB issued a statement of solidarity with migrants and refugees in November 2024 ahead of the anticipated increase in immigration enforcement actions. Numerous other state-level bishops’ conferences have issued similar statements, including the Catholic bishops in Michigan, which can be found here.
Session-End Advocacy Report Details MCC Efforts to Remain Faithful to Mission
This week MCC finalized its end-of-session advocacy report that chronicles the organization’s public policy and communications work during the 2023–2024 legislative session.
Titled Called to be Faithful, the report notes that the Church’s interest in the political sphere runs deeper than the passing successes and failures of any given legislative session and is intended to show how MCC remained dedicated to its mission to advocate for human dignity and the common good.
The report shares through both text and visuals significant achievements in public policy advocacy—such as helping secure the largest-ever increase to a state tax credit that has been proven to defeat poverty and help families—as well as MCC’s advocacy for human life and religious liberty in the face of often difficult circumstances.
The PDF version of the report is available online by clicking or tapping here.