The Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit has launched a campaign to raise $135 million in five years.
The bulk of the money will go directly to the parishes to address their needs, says archdiocese spokesman Bill Blaul:
"Those priorities may range from fixing a roof or repaving a parking lot, or doing some painting, you know maintenance and construction-type work, or it may be adding ministries, it may be adding some outreach programs, maybe adding food pantries."
The rest of the money will go to tuition assistance, the training of priests and lay leaders, and to ministries in the city of Detroit. The city has been steadily losing parishioners for many years.
The last time the archdiocese embarked on a similar fundraising effort was 18 years ago.
