This is an important time for Baltimore and our Church. There is widespread recognition of the long-term and dramatic changes that have occurred in the City and beyond. COVID has also had an extreme impact on how and where we worship and minister. Many church buildings suffer from years of deferred maintenance. Attendance is low in many parishes. For many pastors, administrative responsibilities keep them from being with the people they wish to serve. It’s getting harder and harder to do more with less.

Seek the City to Come includes all parishes located in Baltimore City and some surrounding areas. To see full list: www.seekthecity.org

In Hebrews 13:14, St. Paul reminds the Hebrews that they are to seek the heavenly Jerusalem. Thus, this is a call to all of us to build heaven here on earth, in our hearts, in our homes and in our City. We know we are facing challenges in Baltimore and it is important to focus on creating and supporting life and vitality, where neighbors look out for each other and where the needs of our people are met and where justice flourishes.

The process relies heavily on reflective prayer, listening and discernment.

• Scheduled listening sessions will occur at every parish, where a closer look at parish activity will be taken. Special attention will be focused on the unique gifts and abilities, ministries, parishioner needs, buildings, finances, and community impact. The process also includes open prayerful discussions which will be held in various regional locations across the city.
• Special groups will be formed that represent distinctive and diverse voices from the community. Some of them include; the elderly, our Black and Hispanic communities, our youth and young adults, the disabled, city partners and civic leaders, partners outside the city, and donors and sponsors.
• Electronic and paper surveys will also offer broader participation and provide feedback and input.

This multi-year initiative comprised prayer, listening, discernment, and recommendation creation will finish up during the summer of 2024.

This sounds like a lot of parishioner involvement; how do people get involved?
As we journey together, participation and involvement are vital to the success of this mission. Please consider the following ways to get involved:

• Sign up at www. seekthecity.org and receive updates and more information. Get connected at www.seekthecity.org
• Join one of many Open Prayer Discussions to be held regionally in the City in-person, by ZOOM and by phone.
• Participate in an electronic and printed survey.
• Provide comment at www.seekthecity.org.

In addition to the listening sessions and surveys, special groups representing the rich diversity of our parishes and communities we serve will be formed. We invite everyone to be open to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit and to pray for the success of this initiative. Please see prayer and reflection materials: www.seekthecity.org

Because this process is just beginning and there is much work to do in Seek the City to Come, there are no answers about your specific parish except that, it is involved in the listening and learning phase and included in the journey we are all taking.

Yes, our parishes in the City of Baltimore anchor many diverse communities, and some communities that are in heartrending need. The spirit of this initiative is founded in the fact that as Catholics, it is our responsibility to reach out in love not only to our fellow Catholics in need, but more importantly to the wider community.

Seek the City is primarily focused on the parishes and the efforts are not concentrated on schools. It is still our hope that parents of students will also be encouraged to participate in this journey and offer their voice to the mission of Seek the City to Come.

We anticipate that there will be degrees of concern, some will feel very anxious, afraid, and nervous about this initiative and some may get angry and upset. We love the communities where we worship and may fear we will lose them, or that they will change in ways we might not like. All these thoughts and reactions are real and will be acknowledged, but at the same time, we cannot let our fears keep us from moving forward with the Gospel and the mission of the church.

As we look around the city of Baltimore, we see many strengths, many gifts, and many beautiful things that are happening, but we also see the heartrending need. At times we may feel the challenges we face are daunting, but our responsibility as Catholic Christians is to reach out in love, certainly to our fellow Catholics in need, absolutely, but also to the wider community.

Please visit www.seekthecity.org and sign up for the updates and to receive information on how to be involved: Also, please reach out to Julie St. Croix, Director of Seek the City to Come, at Julie.StCroix@archbalt.org