A calling to be a 'hub' for northwest Detroit community moves Christ the King

If all goes as planned, when Christ the King Catholic School opens Monday morning for the first day of a new school year, roughly 120 children will walk through the door representing kindergarten through eighth grade classes.

However, enrollment numbers alone do not fully explain how a school that has been educating students since Sept. 12, 1938, impacts the community it serves.

In fact, to best understand how the entire Christ the King parish serves the neighboring McNichols Evergreen and Miller Grove communities in a holistic way often requires spending some time outdoors. That was the case during the late morning and afternoon of Aug. 18, when more than 400 people gathered at the Christ the King Campus, 20800 Grand River at Burt Road, for a free outdoor/indoor Community Resource Fair.

And the inclusion of the word “Fair” in the event’s title was most appropriate, as the music, food and children’s games and activities provided a county or state fair feel — but on a more intimate level. All of the activities complemented the vital resources and services that also were available, including health screenings, employment opportunities, information about legal and financial services, and much more.

“We want to be a hub for this northwest Detroit community,” Father John McKenzie, who became pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church in July 2022, said. “We have to over-serve underserved communities, and this event is part of that effort and we want to do more.”

McKenzie, 41, said he had a yearning to become the spiritual leader at Christ the King even before receiving his assignment, after coming into contact with students while visiting with his predecessor, Father Vic Clore, who led the school and church for 42 years before retiring in 2022.

“Father Vic reached out to me two years ago and said, ‘Hey, I think you would be great to serve here,' ” recalls McKenzie, who was baptized into the Catholic faith when he was 11 and grew up in Redford before moving to St. Louis as a teenager to live with his grandparents. “At first, I didn’t know, because I was in my other assignment. But my heart is in Catholic schools; my heart is definitely in Black and brown communities; and, I’m from Detroit. And the 'ah-ha' moment came when I had lunch with Father Vic a year later and I went into the school (at 16800 Trinity) and he introduced me to all of the classes. It was the archbishop who called me here and sent me here. But after I walked outside the school that day with Father Vic, I definitely knew this is where God was calling for me to be.”

McKenzie is leading the development of a “New Path Forward” strategic plan to help increase enrollment, fundraising and community engagement at Christ the King Catholic School. And he said in order for the school to move “forward,” the neighboring communities must not be left behind.

“We’re all brothers and sisters and we all have the dignity of humanity, so we want to make sure that everyone in this community is free and happy and at peace,” said McKenzie, whose mission to inspire unity also includes co-hosting the “Father & Father” podcast with Jason A. Smith, a proud dad. “If we have communities that are all equal and free with justice, that works for everyone. And I believe we can make that happen. So, today, we just wanted to give back and show that there are some services that are right here. We want people to feel that someone is thinking about what’s going on in their life and here is a resource that can help.”

One of the people who will play a vital role in the development and implementation of the strategic plan is even newer to the parish than McKenzie — Brittany Culkowski, the new principal at Christ the King Catholic School. Culkowski, 35, comes to Detroit from Chicago, where she spent the past 10 years as a teacher, community outreach coordinator and assistant principal.

Just as a visit with Father Clore left McKenzie with a desire to serve Christ the King, Culkowski said a phone conversation with McKenzie made her believe that she would fit well with the school and community.

“The energy he (McKenzie) presented was so positive. And when I got off the phone I said: ‘I really hope I get this position,’" said Culkowski, who looked right at home while handing out resource information and chatting with community members outside during the Aug. 18 event. “I wanted to be a part of this community and make a difference. And Detroit has already given me so much love as a Chicago transplant; everyone has been welcoming.”

Many of the organization names on the other information booths and tents surrounding Culkowski were familiar brands like Kroger, DTE Energy and the Wayne Health Mobile Unit. But several of the people representing the more than 50 vendors also had personal connections to the neighborhood, including Tawana Babbs, a banker with Fifth Third Bank.

“We are here to make sure our community is aware of the different resources we have to serve them,” said Babbs, a proud 1995 graduate of “the Redford High School,” which was located at 21431 Grand River, shouting distance from where Babbs was standing, and now a Meijer. “I went to school in this neighborhood and I’m the president of the Redford Alumni Association as well, so it’s always good to volunteer and be in the community.”

Like Babbs, Nicole Archibald also is a graduate of Redford High School (Class of 1993) and during her high school days she completed homework assignments at the nearby Redford Branch Library.

On Aug. 18, Archibald did not reveal whether she knew anything about the new strategic plan for Christ the King Catholic School. But in between watching excited children receive free bikes as prizes from a raffle — conducted every 45 minutes — and taking in the overall festive vibe around her, Archibald explained that from her perspective, Christ the King has already proven its value to the community for a long time in ways that numbers cannot measure.

“My kids have gone to Catholic schools for over 20 years and I have two fifth graders (twins, Telo and Taylor) that are still here at Christ the King and I’m very happy with it,” said Archibald, who has worked part time at Christ the King in the parish office as a secretary for a year, after being a school volunteer. “It’s a different kind of community. With this school, we’re able to build lifelong relationships with the parents and students. My kids have made friends, but I have also made dear friends here that I will have forever. We stick together, we even have a group text message for all of the parents where we can discuss things like spelling words. It would be hard to find that somewhere else.

“And what we’re doing today is very helpful for the entire community. Since I’m working in the office at the school now, next year I’m going to reach out to the Redford Library and get them here. That library is tucked away, but they’re still doing good things, and everyone that is doing good things in our community and neighborhood needs to come together.”

Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and lifelong lover of Detroit culture in all of its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at: stalley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott's stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Christ the King Catholic School plans puts Detroit community first