By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

The Archdiocese of Montreal has announced the creation of what it is calling a new “innovative not-for-profit entity dedicated to the strategic management of church properties.” This new arm will be in addition to their real estate division, but with a mind to “reimagining how our spaces can serve the common good,” says Monseigneur Christian Lépine, Archbishop of Montreal.

It’s being called the Corporation Immobilière Catholique Romaine de Montréal (CICRM). Its mission is to act as the intermediary between churches – specifically the fabriques that manage them – and municipalities, governments, and “development partners.”

Stefano Marrone, who has been responsible for Archdiocese real estate for the past few years, has been appointed CEO and General Manager of the CICRM. This new position will broaden his work, and open the mandate to the wider Catholic community – other dioceses, congregations, or missions.

Fabriques are the legal entities that own or manage parishes, Marrone explains. The CICRM was put together to provide the fabriques with “a complete, centralized service” to help them work through decisions as to what they can do with their properties in terms of opening them up to the needs of the community. Marrone’s job would be to help the fabriques decide when it comes to renting out church space, reconsidering usage or zoning of church buildings, redevelopment, and other matters.

The corporation would not be telling the fabriques what they can and cannot do with their space or properties, Marrone says. It would simply help them work through whatever decisions they do make.

Church property can refer to a presbytery, an adjacent parking lot, a church basement, etc.

Marrone acknowledges that the word “redevelopment” tends to make people uneasy, particularly with the housing shortage and the homelessness crisis dominating the news. However, the mission of the CICRM is to “leverage real estate development as a tool for community benefit and heritage valorization,” according to a news release put out by the Archdiocese. That could mean identifying potential for affordable housing projects, Marrone explains, “but always in a way that’s going to give back to the community somehow. So we’re not looking ever to gentrify a community,” he adds, “but housing projects would not be off the table.” But it will always come down to the needs of the community. And that would mean open discussions with each municipality and fabrique.

Outside of housing, it is not unusual for community groups like theatre companies or daycares to operate out of a church space. That’s another area where the CICRM would help them come up with ways to use church space, and facilitate a transaction. “Where there are spaces that are underutilized, we can match them with the right organization.” Fabriques were considered autonomous bodies. The CICRM, as a centralized entity, would bridge the gap between the fabriques and community organizations.

The hope is that the CICRM will “ensure that every project serves a tangible local social need.” n