Clarification of Name of Church - November 3, 2009

EARL BOYEA
EPISCOPUS LANSINGENSIS
Divina Miseratione et Apostolicæ Sedis Gratia

DECREE

In a decree issued on May 8, 2009, the undersigned Bishop provided that Saint John the Evangelist Church edifice be known as St John Student Center, East Lansing, part of the mission of St Thomas Aquinas Parish, East Lansing as indicated here:

That Saint John the Evangelist Church edifice be established as an Oratory, according to the provisions of canons 1223 -1225. It shall more commonly be known as Saint John Student Center.

At a meeting of the St Thomas Aquinas (St John Student Center) Parish Pastoral Council on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, a discussion occurred as to the name of St John Student Center. It was proposed that the name of "St John Student Center" be clarified to correspond more accurately with its nature and to honor the benefactors, many. of which were parishioners of St Thomas Aquinas Parish. The name proposed is "St John Church and Student Center", a name already appearing on a plaque of benefactors at the Student Center site.  Moreover, the student members of the Parish Pastoral Council explained that "many students do not think of a 'Center' as a place where. Mass and the sacraments are celebrated, but that "Center" rather connotes a place where students drop in and hang out" Moreover, it  would show "a connectedness between the name under which St John Student Center was founded and the name by which it would be known after the merger." The Parish Pastoral Council unanimously approved the motion of the name clarification recommending that the Pastor propose it to the Bishop of Lansing for due consideration for the good of the Catholic community in East Lansing and the mission of St John Student Center.

On October 21, 2009, the Reverend Mark Inglot, the pastor of St Thomas Aquinas Parish (St John Student Center) presented a request that due consideration be given to the request recommended by his Parish Pastoral Council with which he agreed wholeheartedly. He reported that the "top of the plaque reads 'St John the Evangelist Church and Student Center"'.

On November 10, 2009, the matter was also brought to the Presbyteral Council for their advice on the matter. During the conversation, the Presbyteral Council also, in a unanimous consensus, encouraged Bishop to accept the name clarification from "St John Student Center" to "St John the Evangelist Church and Student Center" so that the nature and mission would be more apparent.

Therefore, having carefully considered the reasons brought forward in the discussion above, and so that the title more accurately and clearly reflect its nature and mission, I, the undersigned Bishop of Lansing, hereby decree the clarification of the name of the edifice of St John Student Center to be known formally as St John the Evangelist Church and Student Center, effective on the notification of the parishioners of St Thomas Aquinas Parish / St John Student Center of this decree. It will also be known more commonly as "St John Church and Student Center" or simply "St John's". It will be officially promulgated on the website of the Diocese of Lansing - www.dioceseoflansing.org on Friday, November 13, 2009.

I further order that this decree be attached to the decree of May 8, 2009.

Anything to the contrary notwithstanding.

Given at the Curia of the Diocese of Lansing on this the 11th day of November, in the year of our Lord, 2009, the memorial of Saint Martin of Tours.

+Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing

Steven J. Raica
Chancellor