Sacred Heart Major Seminary Land Purchase Announcement

Sacred Heart Major Seminary has agreed to purchase four lots totaling 2 1/2 acres to the west of its campus on Chicago Boulevard on the border of Detroit۪s historic Boston-Edison district. The seminary - a premiere Catholic educational institution in the United States, which trains priests and laypeople for ministry - will clear the land of abandoned buildings, and landscape, secure, and integrate it into its present 40-acre campus. Thepurchase will both enhance the historic neighborhood, and enable the vibrant seminary to expand its parking and plan future upgrades.

Sacred Heart is in the final stages of a purchase of four plots from the City of Detroit. The purchase and land development were made possible by a contribution from an anonymous donor to the seminary.

"The acquisition of the property demonstrates our long-term commitment to the City of Detroit and the neighborhood," said Monsignor Todd Lajiness, rector- president of Sacred Heart Major Seminary. "It manifests our commitment to being a good neighbor and to the revitalization of the neighborhood by enhancing its beauty and its historic charm. Importantly, the acquisition also will have a positive impact in how we pursue our mission, giving us the necessary space to increase parking, enhance our green space, and allow our programs to flourish"

The land purchase is expected to be made final within weeks, and the demolition of a vacated building on the property, landscaping and the installation of parking spaces should be completed by this summer.

Sacred Heart Major Seminary was founded in 1919 and is the country۪s premier urban seminary, attracting students from the Archdiocese of Detroit, as well as from national and international dioceses. The seminary, owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, presently has 113 men in residence preparing for the priesthood, and a lay student body of 357.

Letter from Sacred Heart Major Seminary Rector and President, Rev. Msgr. Todd J. Lajiness