Thanksgiving week marks the end of an era for many Catholic churches in Baltimore, as the Archdiocese of Baltimore undergoes a significant downsizing. The Archdiocese, the oldest in the United States, is reducing its number of parishes from 61 to 30 worship and ministry sites. The changes will begin with Masses on Sunday, December 1.
Archbishop William Lori described the decision as difficult but necessary for the future. He explained that many of Baltimore’s churches were built during a time when the Catholic Church had a thriving congregation of 1 million parishioners in the 1950s. That number has since dropped by nearly half, with current attendance around 570,000.
In 2023, the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy due to hundreds of claims of priest sexual abuse spanning decades. However, the archbishop maintains that the parish consolidations and closures are unrelated to the scandal. A statement from the archdiocese explained, “We have known for a long time that we could not continue to ignore the decline in Mass attendance and the increasing resources needed to maintain our buildings and properties.”
The announcement has sparked anger among some parishioners. Ralph Moore of St. Ann’s Catholic Church voiced his frustration to WBAL-TV, asserting that his parish is financially stable, and both the church and the rectory are in good condition.
Our Lady of Pompeii, founded by Italian immigrants in the 1920s, is one of the churches affected, closing after 100 years. A parishioner shared with WBAL-TV her heartbreak over the closure, noting that five generations of her family had attended Mass there.
This trend of church closures and consolidations is not unique to Baltimore. Other large dioceses, including those in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo, have also undergone similar reorganizations in recent years.
The original article “Catholic Church Closings in Baltimore Leave Some Parishioners Angry and Upset” first appeared on Straight Arrow News.
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