Archbishop Vigneron Retires: Weisenburger named new Detroit Archbishop

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The longtime head of the Catholic Church in Southeast Michigan, Archbishop Allen Vigneron, is retiring, and his replacement has been named.

Big picture view:

After 16 years in his position, the 76-year-old archbishop announced through emotions that he will be retiring. Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Detroit introduced Archbishop-elect Edward Weisenburger as the successor to Vigneron.

"I would hope people would know that I plan to give it my absolute all, and that's the most we can do. The best we can do," Weisenburger said.

The backstory:

A priest for 37 years, Weisenburger spent the past four years as bishop in Tucson, Arizona, where he spent much of his time caring for immigrants who crossed the southern border.

Weisenburger says he helped manage 1,200 to 1,400 asylum seekers almost daily and believes the immigration issue can be resolved with God’s grace and compassion.

"The incredible suffering. Sometimes having witnessed murders. People desperately struggling just to keep their children alive," he said. "The system is broken. It’s profoundly broken, but the current fix is not simply to build a taller wall, or a firmer wall. They’re struggling, and we have to be able to see Christ in those people."

The Archdiocese of Detroit is home to more than 900,000 Catholics in six counties. That’s more than double the size of the diocese he served in Arizona.

Weisenburger will be formally installed on March 18.