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    • Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative
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    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in

    Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Why Trump will fail

    Why Trump will fail

    Pueblo Yumano

    Pueblo Yumano

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

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    Centros de ayuda parroquiales enfrentan mayores costos por recortes federales a bancos de alimentos

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    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

    Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

    UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

    UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

    Ballot drive to end utility political contributions clears state canvassers

    Ballot drive to end utility political contributions clears state canvassers

    Detroit’s EasyPay Payment Plan Enrolls More than 30,000 residents protected from service interruption

    Detroit’s EasyPay Payment Plan Enrolls More than 30,000 residents protected from service interruption

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Movies Under the Stars Season Concludes Friday in Detroit at Historic Fort Wayne

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    LIBRE–Michigan Hosted A Back-to-School Giveaway to Empower Latino Families

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  • Featured
    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

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    CHASS Center Honored with Spirit of Detroit Award in Honor of 55 Years of Community Health, Dignity, and Hope

    CHASS Center Honored with Spirit of Detroit Award in Honor of 55 Years of Community Health, Dignity, and Hope

    Gutierrez and cousin Jacob Lozano

    Donut Villa Expands to Second Location Near Ford Rouge Plant

    Candidates Face the People: Southwest Detroit Hosts Powerful Mayoral Forum on Community Priorities

    Candidates Face the People: Southwest Detroit Hosts Powerful Mayoral Forum on Community Priorities

    Fr. David Buersmeyer y Mrs. Judith Brooks de Strangers No Longer / hablan a los participantes de la procesión frente a la oficina de campo de ICE en Detroit / address procession participants in front of the field office of ICE in Detroit. Foto de/Photo by Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic

    Detroit Catholics Walk in Solidarity with Immigrants, Demand Humane Treatment

    Linzie and Jesse Venegas of Ideal Group Recognized as Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2025

    Linzie and Jesse Venegas of Ideal Group Recognized as Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2025

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    Festivalgoers enjoying the photobooth.

    SWFest: Celebrating Five Years of Creativity and Community

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Pages Bookshop to Host Book Launch and Community Roundtable

    Pages Bookshop to Host Book Launch and Community Roundtable

    Pueblo Yumano

    Pueblo Yumano

    Learning about Art from a Master

    Learning about Art from a Master

    Huastecos Téenek

    Huastecos Téenek

    2025 Kresge Fellows from left-right: Elise Marie Martin, Taurus Burns, Louis Aguilar, Maya Davis, Kimberly LaVonne, Slumdog Visionaire, Marwa Helal, Donald Calloway, Brittany Rogers, Beenish Ahmed, Ivan Montoya, April Anue Shipp, Allana Clarke, Malak Cherri, Anetria Cole. Photo credit: JennyRisher

    Latino Creatives Shine as 2025 Kresge Fellows, Honoring Heritage and Artistic Power

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Newark’s Cardinal Joe Tobin: A Hometown Leader

Ozzie Rivera by Ozzie Rivera
October 12, 2023
in People
Reading Time: 4 mins read
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Cardinal Joe Tobin, Archbishop for Newark New Jersey, grew up in Southwest Detroit and would become the parish priest for Most Holy Redeemer. In recent years, some within the Catholic Church have touted him as possibly the first American Pope. In early August, I ran into Cardinal Tobin during the 40th anniversary mass for the passing of Msgr. Kern, the legendary pastor of Most Holy Trinity in Corktown. When I first found out from Vic Venegas, one of the primary organizers of the event, that Cardinal Tobin would be the primary celebrant of the memorial mass, I was elated!

I had the good fortune of getting to know him during the 80’s, first through his participation in Casa de Unidad, which for a couple of decades was considered the premier arts and cultural organization in Southwest Detroit. A proud son of Southwest Detroit, he quickly became well known for his defense of community residents, his promotion of immigrant rights and as an advocate for community empowerment. He was also noted for his street smarts and love of football and other physical sports.

I was attracted to his sense of community pride and activism. Years later, I wanted to make sure that my first daughter, Rachel, was baptized by him. I was honored that he accepted our request to baptize her.

As I contemplated meeting him at the Kern Memorial Mass, I remember having read an article a few years back detailing the possibility that Joe Tobin could possibly become the first pope from the United States! Wow our Joe Tobin, I asked myself. Fast forward: motivated by my recent reunion with him I went online and found a few articles on this subject. One I found, an opinion piece written by Reverend Alexander M. Santora, a key figure in the New Jersey religious community, provided background on why some key forces believed this was a possibility. Thus for the rest of this article I will refer to and quote from it. It was published by Bergen Record, www.northjersey.com, a New Jersey publication and entitled “Can Joe Tobin from Detroit, now a NJ cardinal, become the first American pope?” It paints a picture of Cardinal Tobin’s ability to build unity within different factions of the Catholic hierarchy, his personal brilliance, political astuteness yet humble and down to earth approach while being somewhat of a Renaissance man given his many interests.

The article goes on to detail that after leaving Detroit, Joe Tobin made a name for himself at the national and international level. At the young age of 45, he became the Superior General of his religious order the Redemptorists. In that position he traveled the world several times visiting 70 countries. It was noted, “he helped to build relationships among all the provinces”. As a result of his successes, he would go and work in the Vatican. During a notable chapter in that period he advocated for a number of women’s religious orders in the U.S. who at that time were being investigated by the Vatican for being too liberal. His mediation efforts were successful in defending them. Yet as a result, he was “assigned” to Indianapolis as its Archbishop.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin blessing Doris Perez, lay-cultural activist after the Msgr Kern Memorial Mass at Holy Trinity Church, August 19, 2023

True to his character and leadership style, he took the Archdiocese by storm and was loved by pastors, priests and people. Later on in assuming the position of Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, he would again establish deep ties with that community. As the article states, “he’s a people person’s prelate.” honoring a rich tradition of progressive behaviors and practices of a number of religious communities within the United States. Referred to as a case in point he is credited with welcoming the LGBTQ community into his Newark cathedral.

His influence on the Vatican is significant, currently serving on eight Vatican Curia departments or dicasteries including the powerful one that vets bishops. A quote from the article states that in this capacity he is one “who can put forth (Pope) Francis’ agenda. He is definitely in Francis’ corner and can articulate that vision of church unlike few other cardinals.”

As the article continues it lays out a number of reasons why the selection of an American cardinal may not occur but goes on to state that if it should happen, Joe Tobin stood a strong chance given his personal attributes, political and organizational skills and experience, that he knows the global church intimately and his ability to build bridges between different factions within the church.

Our own Joe Tobin! What if that were to happen?

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Ozzie Rivera

Ozzie Rivera

Ozzie Rivera, a retired social worker, is a cultural activist and musician who currently teaches on Afro Latino History and Culture at Wayne State University and social work at the University of Michigan.

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