CV NEWS FEED // The number of Catholic parishes in Baltimore is set to shrink by half, according to an official announcement from Archbishop William Lori about the finalized archdiocesan restructuring plan.
Over the next year, 61 parishes will merge to form 30 “worship and ministry sites” in Baltimore City.
“These decisions, while difficult, are made with an eye toward a future full of hope,” Archbishop Lori stated in a May 22 news release. He added that he believes the decisions were guided by the Holy Spirit and made with prudence after working with thousands of members of the Archdiocese.
The multi-year “Seek the City” restructuring initiative aimed to respond to shrinking Mass attendance, deteriorating property conditions, and limited resources that are “often spread thin across many parishes.”
Archbishop Lori noted that while there are practical elements behind the restructuring, the main intention was to enable parishes to focus on the mission of spreading the Gospel and ministering to those in need.
“I firmly believe that these mergers will help accomplish this goal, allowing these new parish communities and their pastors to direct the needed material, human and spiritual resources toward that mission,” he wrote.
Archbishop Lori wrote that the mergers are unrelated to how the Archdiocese declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023.
“I have heard speculation, connecting future sales of properties to supporting the bankruptcy settlement. This is not true,” he wrote. “During implementation some properties will be repurposed while some will be sold. Proceeds from any building sale will remain in the parish and follow the people to the newly formed parish. This is Church law, and it is supported by civil law.”
The changes will be implemented over the next year. According to the Catholic Review, Archbishop Lori said that any scheduled weddings and baptisms will not be canceled. He also said that although the restructuring plan has been finalized, churches will not close suddenly and affect parishioners going to Mass.
“This will be phased in and communication will be of the highest importance so that everybody knows what’s happening and when, so that nobody’s caught off guard,” Archbishop Lori said, according to the Catholic Review.
Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, vicar for Baltimore City and co-director of Seek the City, explained that the placement of the parishes staying open was meant to maximize accessible outreach and evangelization.
“We wanted to strike a balance, because too few would not be a solution, either,” he said, according to the Catholic Review. “And we want to make sure that we’re strategically placed throughout the city specifically for that outreach and evangelization in neighborhoods.”
Bishop Lewandowski also addressed how implementing the plan will take time and virtue, especially for those who will be seeking a new parish.
“What we’ve learned in other dioceses is it takes maybe three to five years for some people to settle into a new parish configuration,” he said, according to the Catholic Review. “So, implementation on paper is very different from the lived experience. There’s going to be a great need for patience, flexibility, kindness, gentleness and compassion because it is a jolt to the system.”
Those interested in learning more about the Seek the City initiative and the affected parishes can find more information here.
