In the administration of dioceses in the United States and the world, various hierarchies are in place to influence how the Church functions. In the state of Michigan, the Detroit Archdiocese plays a significant role in that it influences the other dioceses in Michigan. One of the most important is the influence that the Detroit archbishop has in the choice of bishops in Michigan and the Midwest. As an example, the infamous and disgraced John Cardinal Dearden was the head of the Detroit Archdiocese from 1958 to 1980. He played a leading role in the bishops that would be chosen by Rome to lead various dioceses in the Midwest. His influence, unfortunately, played a major role in the myriad of disgraced bishops such as Cardinal Bernadin, Bishop Cooney (former Bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord), Bishop Untener (former Bishop of Saginaw), and Bishop Hurley (former temporary Bishop of Gaylord). In addition to Dearden himself, these bishops caused unbelievable harm to the Church with anti-Catholic policies. Their abysmal leadership helped to cause a massive decline in Church attendance and belief in basic Church teaching.
The current Archbishop of Detroit is Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger. He has had a controversial tenure thus far as he has significantly restricted the Latin Mass and is planning a major contraction of the Detroit Archdiocese. In July, he unceremoniously fired a group of seminary professors who had a track record of orthodoxy with regard to Catholic belief. These actions do not bode well for the other dioceses in the State of Michigan. This has a direct impact on the Diocese of Gaylord; the Diocese of Gaylord sends men to the seminary in Detroit for training. Therefore, the quality of the seminary in Detroit will play a significant role in the quality of the seminarians currently studying there. Currently, there are two seminarians studying at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. We should pray for them, and all seminarians, that they cling to the truths of the Catholic faith.