Thanksgiving week brings the end of an era for many Catholic churches in Baltimore. The Archdiocese of Baltimore, the oldest in the country, is downsizing. It is going from 61 parishes to 30 worship and ministry sites, with many of the changes starting with Masses this Sunday, Dec. 1.
Archbishop William Lori called the decision difficult, but with an eye toward the future. He said many churches in Baltimore were built when the Catholic church was thriving with 1 million parishioners in the 1950’s. That number has fallen by almost half to about 570,000.
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In 2023, the archdiocese declared bankruptcy after hundreds of claims of priest sex abuse that spanned decades. The archbishop insists the consolidation and closing of parishes was not a result of the scandal. Instead, the archdiocese issued a statement saying, “We have known for a long time that we could not continue to ignore the decline in Mass attendance and increased resources required to keep up with building and property maintenance.”
Some parishioners are furious. Ralph Moore of St. Ann’s Catholic Church told WBAL-TV he’s angry with the archdiocese because he believes his parish is financially stable and the church, as well as the rectory, are in good condition.
Our Lady of Pompeii was founded by Italian immigrants in the 1920’s. 100 years later it’s closing. One parishioner told WBAL-TV she’s heartbroken after five generations of her family celebrated Mass there.
Other large diocese including Chicago, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York have also reorganized and closed churches in recent years.
