Seek the City to Come - Archdiocese of Baltimore

Listening, discovering, and building a prayerful path forward as we reimagine Catholic life and ministry in Baltimore City and beyond.

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Seek the City to Come (HEB 13:14)

Archbishop Lori on Seek the City

Read this message from Archbishop Lori regarding Seek the City to Come

What Is Our Purpose?

After answering the important questions, we developed a set of goals for Seek the City to Come:

To REIMAGINE

together the Catholic Church’s ministry and presence in and around Baltimore City.

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To REASSERT

strengthen and adapt pastoral ministry, evangelization and outreach in Baltimore for the 21st Century, by following “A Light Brightly Visible.”

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To REALIGN

pastoral and temporal resources effectively with current and future pastoral, spiritual and evangelization needs.

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To RE-ENGAGE

and attend to the pastoral and evangelization needs of historical and diverse communities and generations.

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To REVITALIZE

and be thoughtful stewards of the resources of the faithful to support welcoming, worshiping communities that are characterized by the virtues of faith, hope and love.

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Learn More About Our Goals

Our Eucharistic Vision for the City Church of Baltimore

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Centered in Christ, with liturgies and sacraments fully alive with the Gospel

Filled with engaged parishioners and constantly growing in Faith

Forming, nurturing, and sending Missionary Disciples

A Church where everyone feels welcomed and a strong sense of belonging that includes their ethnicity, culture, background, individuality, those who are struggling with their faith, or relationship with God

Where the “Sunday experience” is transformative

Where parishioners are rooted in and concerned about the City, neighborhoods, and surrounding area, and reach out with Christ’s love to address community needs and bring hope and healing

Where there are abundant human and material resources for ministry

Where the campus facilities are suited for the Church of today

Seek the City’s Guiding Questions

Seek the City to Come will allow us to prayerfully discern and envision our future, as we thoughtfully and prayerfully answer important questions:

Are we willing to open our hearts, minds, and imagination to the prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit to welcome a new vision for the future?
Are our parishes ready to respond to the challenges of the mission in our times?
What decisions need to be made so that we can marshal our resources in new ways to better serve the needs of our communities?
Are there ways we can collaborate as a Catholic community to better proclaim the Gospel in the city of Baltimore and the surrounding area?
How can the Church reach out more dynamically to those who have left and those who are searching?

LISTENING, DISCERNING AND RESPONDING

Why Are We Doing This Now?

We recognize that the Church of today is not the same as it was 75 years ago. We have been working to understand what our parishes, ministries and institutions require to thrive in the present day. We have a great treasure of Catholic institutions from previous generations, but as the Catholic population and society have shifted over the past several decades, they are no longer as effective or sustainable as they once were.

PARISHES PARTICIPATING IN SEEK THE CITY

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Archbishop Lori on Seek the City

Catholic Review Coverage