Baltimore Archdiocese Planning to Shutter 65% of its Parishes, by Scott Maucione

By Scott Maucione, WYPR News, April 15, 2024

The Baltimore Archdiocese is planning to close about two-thirds of its churches in the city and county as the organization continues to be embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings regarding restitution for victims of child sexual assault.

The plan would shutter 40 of the archdiocese’s 61 parishes, consolidating the congregations and closing some of the most historic churches in the area, leaving 21 parishes and 26 worship sites.

The archdiocese website states the church “has been prayerfully journeying to envision and discern how we revitalize the Church in Baltimore City. Our collective listening, dialogue, prayerful discernment, visioning, and modeling has brought us to this point.”

One of the more prominent churches that would close under the plan is St. Vincent de Paul, located in downtown, which was dedicated in 1841.

The archdiocese cited high maintenance costs and low mass attendance for the proposed closures.

Baltimore Archbishop William Lori will hold two listening sessions at the end of April to take in parishioners’ concerns about the plan.

Continue reading at WYPR

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