Seek the City Final Plan

After nearly two years of actively engaging 6,000 people in prayerful listening, visioning and discernment, the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Seek the City to Come initiative offers its final plan for reimaging and realigning the City Church of Baltimore to carry out its Eucharistic Mission. The existing 61 parishes will be merged into 30 worship and ministry sites in Baltimore City and in some of the immediate suburbs. Full details on the parish mergers follow.

Archbishop William E. Lori came to the decision after careful review and deliberate consideration of all the information gathered, including the considerable amount of feedback received in the weeks since the proposal of newly formed parishes was released (view initial proposal). Although difficult, the realignment of the Church in Baltimore City holds great promise for a future guided by the Holy Spirit and our own compassion for one another.

Our City Church of Baltimore Today

Map of Our city church today

Seek the City Final Plan

Seek the City final plan map

1. St. Agnes
Seated at St. Agnes.

Parishes merging:
St. Agnes
St. William of York

 

2. Our Lady of Victory
Seated at Our Lady of Victory with additional worship site at St. Joseph’s Monastery.

Parishes merging:
Our Lady of Victory
St. Joseph’s Monastery
Transfiguration Catholic Community
St. Benedict

 

3. St. Bernardine
Seated at St. Bernardine with additional worship site at St. Peter Claver.

Parishes merging:
St. Bernardine
St. Peter Claver
St. Edward
St. Gregory the Great
St. Pius V

 

4. New All Saints
Seated at New All Saints.

Parishes merging:
New All Saints
St. Cecilia
Immaculate Conception (Baltimore City)

 

5. St. Ambrose
Seated at St. Ambrose.

 

6. Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
Seated at Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

Parishes merging:
Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
Shrine of the Sacred Heart
St. Pius X
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Mary of the Assumption

 

7. Saints Philip & James
Seated at Saints Philip & James.

 

8. St. Veronica
Seated at St. Veronica.

 

9. St. Athanasius
Seated at St. Athanasius with English and Spanish ministry.

Parishes merging:
St. Athanasius
St. Rose of Lima

 

10. Catholic Community of South Baltimore
Seated at Holy Cross with additional worship site at Our Lady of Good Counsel.

Parish Campuses:
Holy Cross
St. Mary Star of the Sea
Our Lady of Good Counsel

 

11. Basilica of the Assumption
Seated at Basilica of the Assumption.

Parishes merging:
Basilica of the Assumption
Corpus Christi

 

12. St. Alphonsus Liguori
Seated at St. Alphonsus Liguori.

 

13. St. Ignatius
Seated at St. Ignatius.

14. St. Leo the Great
Seated at St. Leo the Great.

Parishes merging:
St. Leo the Great
St. Vincent de Paul
St. Patrick (territory)

 

15. St. Francis Xavier
Seated at St. Francis Xavier.

Parishes merging:
St. Francis Xavier
St. Ann
St. Wenceslaus
St. Ignatius (territory)

 

16. St. Casimir
Seated at St. Casimir.

Parish Campuses:
St. Casimir
St. Elizabeth of Hungary

 

17. Sacred Heart of Jesus
Seated at Sacred Heart of Jesus with English and Spanish ministry. Additional worship site at Holy Rosary with English, Polish, and Spanish ministry.

Parishes merging:
Sacred Heart of Jesus
Holy Rosary

 

18. Our Lady of Fatima
Seated at Our Lady of Fatima with English and Spanish ministry.

Parishes merging:
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Pompei

 

19. Our Lady of Hope
Seated at Our Lady of Hope with additional worship site at St. Rita.

Parishes merging:
Our Lady of Hope
St. Rita
St. Luke
Sacred Heart of Mary

 

20. Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Seated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel with Hispanic ministry.

Parishes merging:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
St. Clare

 

21. St. Michael the Archangel
Seated at St. Michael the Archangel with English and Spanish ministry. Additional worship site at St. Clement Hofbauer.

Parishes merging:
St. Michael the Archangel
St. Clement Hofbauer
Church of the Annunciation

 

22. St. Matthew
Seated at St. Matthew with additional worship site at St. Francis of Assisi.

Parishes merging:
St. Matthew
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Dominic
Shrine of the Little Flower
St. Anthony of Padua
Most Precious Blood
Blessed Sacrament

 

23. Immaculate Heart of Mary
Seated at Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Parishes merging:
Immaculate Heart of Mary
St. Thomas More

Meeting the Needs of the Population

Catholic Churches in Baltimore City were built to serve a surging population that’s now lost hundreds of thousands of people. In the 1950s alone, more than a dozen churches rose to accommodate a population boom that led to the city’s highwater mark of nearly 1 million residents.

Now, the population in the city stands at fewer than 570,000 people. As public leaders have grappled with an outsized infrastructure with too many structures, such as schools and fire houses, so must the Archdiocese.

Graphic presentation showing population of Baltimore City through the last 2+ centuries. 1 cross = 1 church construction

Frequently Asked Questions

General

Why is my parish merging and moving locations?

The Seek the City to Come listening and visioning sessions generated a wealth of information on all the parishes in Baltimore City and the immediate suburbs. This information, in turn, fueled further reflections on how the Church of Baltimore might better bring Christ’s message of love and healing to the city in the future. Pastoral leaders then prayerfully considered various ways we could ensure impactful and vibrant parish ministries focused on the faithful and community needs, and your parish was envisioned to play a critical role in this merger.

How fast will mergers happen?

No changes will be immediate. The implementation timeline will take the needs of each parish community into consideration. As we would expect, this will involve making appropriate decisions on pastoral leadership, staffing and resource allocations for ministry and facilities. Thus, timelines may differ by parish and region. All churches will remain available for sacramental needs, such as weddings, baptisms and funerals, in the interim.

The number of parish mergers seems too drastic. Is this too big of a change?

If we consider the challenges the Catholic Church of Baltimore City faces today with deferred maintenance and low Mass attendance, as well as multiple unmet opportunities to better serve the needs of the boarder community, we could not consider ourselves to be good stewards if we did not take bold steps to ensure a brighter future. Our actions are intended not just for tomorrow but for years to come. This requires us to carefully take stock of and realign our human and material resources for revitalized parishes and ministries to actively bring Christ’s healing presence to those in need.

The church connected to my school will be merging with another parish. Does this mean my school will be closing?

No. The Seek the City to Come initiative will realign Catholic Churches and will NOT involve schools. Schools will NOT be affected by the Seek initiative.

My parishes is merging with another one to create a newly formed parish, but I am not comfortable at the designated seated parish. What are my options?

Where parishes are merged or realigned into one particular location designated as the “seated parish,” parishioners are welcome to move to that location or any other parish that they may choose.

Is the Church disinvesting in the city?

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. To achieve the Church we envision, one where parishioners are welcomed, engaged and constantly growing in faith; and one strengthened by our varied ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds, we must realign and consolidate our efforts and resources. Our failure to do so would be shortsighted and render us to be poor stewards of the time, talent and material gifts with which God has blessed us. Even with changes in our building footprint, the Church will remain present in Baltimore as we have since 1789, radiating Christ from sanctuaries to street corners.

Are Black and Hispanic churches getting short changed?

We are blessed to enjoy rich diversity as an archdiocese and nowhere is it more evident than among our parishes in Baltimore City and the surrounding areas. Throughout the listening, visioning, discernment and modeling stages, the needs of Black and Hispanic parishes – as well as those of other ethnic congregations – have remained prominent. Our reimagined, realigned and revitalized parishes and ministries must be beacons of radical hospitality, welcoming all and actively bringing Christ’s healing presence to those in need.

Is the Archdiocese just freeing up assets for the Chapter 11 reorganization?

One does not relate to the other. The Seek the City process began long before the passage of the law lifting the statute of limitations and the subsequent filing for Chapter 11 reorganization. Parishes are separate entities from the Archdiocese; therefore, all assets or debts that belong to a parish, stay with that parish, including following that parish when merged into a newly formed parish. All newly formed parishes will also remain entities separate from the Archdiocese.

How could the Church do more by getting smaller?

Over the past decade, we have, in fact, become smaller. Mass attendance has decreased and the COVID pandemic exacerbated the challenge. What we are doing now is wisely realigning our human and material resources so that ministries are better focused and fortified in ways they can make greater impact.

What will happen to the sacred images and articles at my parish when it closes?

Care will be taken to inventory and catalogue the sacred articles that make up the patrimony of the parish. Nothing will be sold or distributed without careful consideration of its value to the newly formed parish. Nothing will be distributed or sold without the proper permission of the Archbishop or his delegate.

What process will the Church undertake for closing blessed sanctuaries?

The process is spelled out in Church law, also known as Canon Law. Church closing are not taken lightly and would occur during the implementation phase. The Archdiocese will pay strict adherence to proper procedures.

Baltimore City already has too many vacant properties. What will the Church do to ensure shuttered parishes don't contribute to blight?

Our decisions to close and transition churches properties will be a massive undertaking that will proceed over time and be guided by our primary desire to ensure the success of the Seek the City initiative. Rather than pouring resources into aging parish campuses, the Archdiocese can direct needed resources to our re-envisioned models that promise to be welcoming centers of evangelization and service to the broader community.

Newly formed parishes and pastorates

Will a new pastor be named?

The naming of new pastors requires prayer, careful thought, and consideration of the needs of each parish community. This will take time, as you would expect, to ensure good alignment of pastoral leaders with the needs of each parish and the broader community they serve.

How will ministry leadership and roles in parish life be determined in the newly formed parishes and through all the mergers?

The Archdiocese of Baltimore is blessed to have dedicated and talented ministry leaders and we are excited about the possibilities of realigning our considerable human resources with parishes to ensure the success of the Seek the City initiative. As pastors and associates are assigned to congregations, ministry leaders will have opportunities to explore alignment with the newly configured parishes. This includes the role of pastoral staff, parish councils and other leadership roles. Changes will not be made immediately and will follow prayerful and careful consideration.

Will I be able to continue my ministry at the new parish?

The newly formed parishes will need your ministry and service. When the transition begins, care will be taken to assure that those who wish to serve will have a place in ministry in the newly formed parish.

What will happen to the important services our parish offers the community?

Our Seek the City initiative is committed to serving the needs of our brothers and sisters in the broader community. We do this not because everyone who may be in need is Catholic but because we are. Established ministries and services will be carefully considered under the new parish models.

Will the newly formed parishes have new names?

Understanding our history and attachment to parishes that will be merged, we expect in some cases that it would be wise to retain the name of the seated parish. Meanwhile, other circumstances may dictate the need for a new name. As with all aspects of the Seek the City to Come initiative, this will require prayerful consideration and be determined on a case-by-case basis.

My family is preparing to receive a Sacrament, such as baptism or First Holy Communion, or planning a wedding or funeral at a parish that is scheduled for closure. What happens now?

The Sacramental life of the Church is paramount to our existence as a faith community, and nothing is more treasured than these sacred moments. Our Seek the City initiative requires that we are both attentive to established commitments and schedules for sacramental celebrations, and at the same time open to adjusting expectations to assure the sacramental life of the Church proceeds with minimal disruption. Because it will take time to implement the approved changes, some plans may not be impacted while others will need to take place at the newly merged seated parish.

When will the last Mass be held at the closing parishes?

With the approval of the Seek the City to Come recommendations, the Archbishop will promulgate a date when closed parishes will no longer be able to operate. At present, this has not been determined. The closure date will be shared during the implementation phase. No changes will be immediate.

What will happen to my historical records (ie. Sacramental Certificates) when my parish merges?

All sacramental books from merged parishes will be kept at the new parish. This will occur at the time the parishes are merged. If anyone has requests for sacramental certificates now, they should approach the current parish for these.

Finances

My parish will be merged with another one. If I contribute to the collection plate between now and then, what happens to that money?

For parishes that are merged, all resources will transfer with the community of the closed parish to the merged entity.

I donated to the Annual Appeal. What happens to those funds?

Appeal gifts are never used for purposes other than those stipulated in the Appeal Spending Plan (Read details here: https://www.archbalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CR-Closing-Ad-2023_RV6.pdf). Contributions to the Annual Appeal support vital ministries and are securely managed as part of a separate, perpetual and irrevocable trust established in 1992.

Will proceeds from buildings being sold go to the Chapter 11 settlement?

The parish is a separate entity from the Archdiocese. Therefore, whatever assets the parish own, stay with that parish or follow that parish when merged into a newly formed parish. All newly formed parishes will remain separate entities from the Archdiocese.

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