CV NEWS FEED // The Archdiocese of Baltimore this week announced its proposed restructuring plan for its parishes, which involves the closing of nearly 40 churches.
The announcement comes about a month after Archbishop William Lori informed the faithful that all Traditional Latin Masses in the Archdiocese will be solely celebrated by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, beginning in August.
Approximately 40 parishes in the archdiocese are proposed to close and merge with other parishes that will stay open. This change brings the 61 churches down to approximately 26 throughout the Baltimore, Maryland area.
Among the churches that may close is St. Vincent de Paul, one of the oldest Catholic churches in Baltimore. It has been operating since 1841.
The Archdiocese has stated that the proposed changes are due largely to low Mass attendance and deteriorating property conditions that the Archdiocese does not have the resources to upkeep.
The restructuring plan, which has been in development for almost two years, is “designed to offer a strong sense of belonging for all and the merging of parish campuses,” according to an April 14 Archdiocesan news release.
Two public comment sessions on the proposed plan are set for late April. The restructuring plan is a part of the Archdiocese’s “Seek the City to Come” initiative.
“We set out many months ago with a call to the faithful: Help the Church in Baltimore minister to our neighbors and respond to the needs of the city for the centuries to come as we have since 1789,” Archbishop Lori stated in the news release. “Together, we must design a plan that confronts decades of disinvestment and population loss in the city and brings the Eucharistic vision to life through mission and ministry.”
The church closings will not affect any adjacent Catholic schools.
The Archbishop added, “All are invited to review the proposal, speak up about unintended consequences and guide this fundamental decision for our future.”
For more information about which parishes will be merging or closing, click here. A decision finalizing the plan is expected by June, but the changes will not be effective immediately.
In March, Archbishop Lori sent a letter to the faithful about changes in where the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, or the Traditional Latin Mass, will be celebrated in the archdiocese.
Citing Pope Francis’ 2021 apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes, the Archbishop wrote that the parish of St. Mary’s in Baltimore has been celebrating the Mass according to the Missal of 1962 in a temporary manner, “during a period of transition.” That period, according to the letter he wrote on March 13, is now coming to a close.
“The purpose of the [period of transition] was to allow those who had become accustomed to Mass according to the Missal of 1962 to receive catechesis and formation so they would come to welcome and embrace the Novus Ordo,” wrote Archbishop Lori.
He wrote that the indult granted by the Holy See for the period of transition expires in August, continuing:
After much careful and prayerful consideration, I have discerned that for the pastoral good of all the faithful in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the celebration of the liturgical rites and pastoral care according to the Missal of 1962 within the Archdiocese of Baltimore on or after Aug 1, 2024 will be entrusted solely to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) at the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Baltimore.
Archbishop Lori wrote that the FSSP has the experience, charism, formation, and constitutions “best suited… and most capable of celebrating the sacraments and providing pastoral care in the long term, according to the norms of Holy See, for those who, for whatever reason, have not been able to make the transition to the Novus Ordo.”
The last Mass to be celebrated at St. Mary’s according to the Missal of 1962 will be July 28, and after that date all Masses there will be celebrated according to the Novus Ordo. The Archbishop expressed gratitude to St. Mary’s pastors, who have helped with the transition.
“I am likewise grateful to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter who have truly shepherded both graciously and faithfully, the parish community at the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Liguori, most recently under Father Ian Bozant, FSSP, the current pastor,” Archbishop Lori wrote.
The letter did not mention the “Seek the City to Come” initiative.
