Archdiocese of Baltimore could close parishes after pandemic empties pews

Monday, October 3rd, 2022

The Archdiocese of Baltimore could close some parishes at the end of a new initiative to reimagine Catholic life in the city.

62 of the archdiocese’s 147 parishes – 47 in Baltimore City and 15 outside city parishes – are involved in the initiative.

According to archdiocesan data, 20 per cent of city pews were filled for Mass before the pandemic, and now only about 9 per cent are filled.

The same source shows there are less than 5,000 registered Catholics in the city, down from about 30,000 in the 1990s.

“The demographics have changed. With that the number of Catholics in the city has changed,” Lori said.

“Many people still support city parishes, but nonetheless, there have been a sufficient number of important and significant changes in the city of Baltimore that a comprehensive process seemed appropriate.”

Archbishop William Lori (pictured) of Baltimore has committed to a two-year synodal-based listening process before making any decisions on the future of the diocese.

Lori announced the new initiative “Seek the City to Come” on 29 September. He acknowledged that changing demographics and a declining Catholic population in the city were both factors in the decision.

Lori added that the COVID-19 pandemic “had a disproportionate effect on a number of city parishes.”

Geri Royale Byrd is leading and facilitating the effort for the archdiocese alongside Auxiliary Bishop Bruce Lewandowski.

Byrd told Crux that the initiative has three phases: a listening phase, perhaps as long as two years, followed by envisioning and discernment phases that will take four to six months each.

The listening phase includes parish visits to all 62 churches involved, multiple Zoom and telephone conferences, and opportunities for parishioners to provide written feedback through paper, digital and electronic surveys, and comment submissions on the archdiocese’s website, Byrd said.

Lori credited Pope Francis’s emphasis on synodality for some of the inspiration for this synodal approach to the initiative. He called the synodal process “a great gift” that the archdiocese recognised through the diocesan synod phase.

The archbishop emphasised that they would allow the process to play out before any decisions to close Baltimore parishes are made.