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Lately, Detroit has been a big topic of discussion between me and my wife.  Primarily, it stemmed from our recent discussions concerning our desire to return there (Anyone have any decently paying job openings?  I know IT/networking stuff!) but it has recently turned towards more of a discussion surrounding the beauty that IS Detroit.  Devon’s last post illustrates how much of this has been squandered for the sake of “new” progress instead for the sake of preservation.  Looking at the situation here in the Pacific Northwest (Portland recently announcing that the median cost for a house sits at an unbelieveable $300K), Detroit stands poised to flourish greatly in the near future, relatively speaking.  See, what has happened here in Portland and in much of urban California is that areas very similar to Detroit have been changed (gentrified?), while still holding their history, charm, and style.  Now these areas have been collectively herded into what is known as the “housing boom” which stands to devolve in the next few years.  So what will happen to the developers when there is nothing else to fix up and sell at an outrageous mark-up?  They’ll head to the midwest (and for the sake of my post, Detroit), to scoop up entire blocks of abandoned houses to fix them up and resell them.  This is just my gut feeling, though.  I have no experience in restoration, property value, or anything related to either, but what I’ve seen here in Portland over the last two years has opened my eyes to what MAY transpire in Detroit.  I do think it will happen and I hope Detroit makes a return.

In the spirit of this, however, I want to bring an aspect to the hope that swells in Detroit: the Catholic duty to serve the poor.  This, of course, has been at the forefront of my thinking ever since Katrina hit New Orleans.  How can we, as Catholics, move beyond just throwing money into a basket every Sunday?  How can we affect change for our poor neighbors (our brothers and sisters)?  How can all this be done while showing respect for God’s creations as well as showing respect for our commmunities and culture?

I just read a brief, but very inspiring article about Capuchin Friar Rick Samyn.  What he has done on a relatively small scale could effect Detroit on a massive scale if we all help in it’s fruition.  Be sure to also read the related articles linked on the right column of the article.

I love Detroit.