Monsignor Daniel Trapp spends his time in two of the most stately structures in Detroit. Between teaching at Sacred Heart Major Seminary and his work as pastor at St. Augustine/St. Monica Catholic Church, much of Trapp’s work is done within awe-inspiring spaces.

But he’s not content to stay within these magnificent walls.

This priest is on a mission to beautify the neighborhood that surrounds his church on Detroit’s east side, where he has worked for 20 years.

“We want to build on our strengths,” Trapp says. “We are a small church but through partnerships with organizations we’ve been able to do a lot.”

While some of the blocks remain fairly intact, the one adjacent to the church on Seminole was hit especially hard during the mortgage crisis. This street and others surrounding the church are now marked by a mix of abandoned homes and empty, overgrown lots.

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Read the article “The Pastor Who is Rebuilding a Detroit Neighborhood” on detroitnews.com.