The Archdiocese of Montreal has created a non-profit entity to help to match the real estate assets and financial needs of Catholic parishes with the needs of the local community.

The Roman Catholic Real Estate Corp. of Montreal has been created under the Quebec “Roman Catholic Bishops Act” which establishes the bishop as a legal entity. The archdiocese describes the corporation as “dedicated to the strategic management of Church properties with a focus on meaningful social impact and sustainable stewardship.”

“This initiative marks the first time a Roman Catholic archdiocese has successfully established a nonprofit subsidiary to leverage real estate development as a tool for community benefit and heritage valorization,” it said in a news release.

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Archbishop Christian Lépine stressed that in Montreal, and throughout the world, “churches have been at the heart of communities.”

“This initiative of reimagining how our spaces can serve the common good reflects our commitment to fulfill our mission by deepening our engagement with society,” said Lépine.

Stefano Marrone has been appointed chief executive officer and general manager of the new non-profit. He comes to the position with nearly 20 years experience in real estate development and has worked for the archdiocese in this capacity since 2021. 

In a time of dwindling church attendance and empty collection baskets, the need for a tool to help parishes negotiate the tricky terrain of property management has long been apparent to Lépine. 

“I think he's responding to what he's hearing and trying to develop the tools that are necessary to help his parishes move forward,” Marrone told The Catholic Register.

Marrone says it is not just about closing parishes.

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“Some of them are just looking for creative ways to, for example, change their zoning for the basement so they can bring in a different kind of tenant to gain some revenue.”

Many fabriques (Quebec-specific, legal entity of a parish in its property and finances) own two or three parishes. Some of the properties might have a high heritage value while others do not. 

“We help them work out a plan to manage these differences,” said Marrone.

Marrone said the response of community organizations and municipal and provincial governments to the archdiocesan initiative has been very positive. 

“I found there is a lot of openness. That is something that's been changing over the years. I think there was just a missing link of a pathway of communication. I think both sides always wanted this, but there was never an opportunity, or they never knew who to speak with,” he said.

The most important message Lépine and Marrone want to communicate is the desire to use Church properties to contribute to the good of the whole community.

“Regardless of whether a parish is staying open or closing, we want to make sure that somehow these initiatives give back to the community.”

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To that end, Marrone finds himself answering questions about “affordable housing.”

“We hear about the lack of affordable housing all the time. Obviously, where it is possible, we'd love to contribute, but what's important is to partner with the right people. We're not developers, but we can choose the right people to partner with and make sure that wherever we can give back to the community in the types of projects that we try to push forward,” he said.