As the vision for an integrated Roman Catholic presence in downtown Grand Rapids begins to become reality with the development of a city block into church offices and outreach centers, two longtime congregations of worshippers are coming together under the roof of the diocesan cathedral. The result could be a more dynamic urban presence for the church and a vibrant worship community for urban dwellers.
According to excerpts from the story:
Shortly after the Catholic Information Center opened in 1948, Shirley Hickey would stop there to pray each morning before walking to her insurance job.
"It was a little bitty hole in the wall," she recalled with a laugh of the converted clothing store on Monroe Avenue NW.
The 79-year-old Grand Rapids woman followed the CIC when it moved to 246 Ionia Ave. NW in 1964.
This week, she will follow it again to the Cathedral of St. Andrew, 267 Sheldon Ave. SE.
Hickey and other worshippers are moving to the cathedral's soaring spaces as the CIC closes its Ionia location and the cozy Chapel of St. Paul.
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