Let’s Imagine a new Church for Parishes in the City

Busquemos la Ciudad | Llamado a la Oración

The Vision for the Parishes of the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Parishes that are centered on Christ and fully alive with the gospel.
Parishes that are fully alive with the gospel and growing
Parishes that are filled with engaged parishioners
Parishes where everyone, regardless of their background, current state in life or relationship with God feels a strong sense of belonging
Parishes in which Masses and liturgies are so vibrant that the “Sunday experience” is transformative
Parishes that look beyond their church buildings and parking lots to bring healing
Parishes that are concerned about their neighbors and rooted in their neighborhoods

Pope Francis has called us to dream big for the modern Church:

“I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.” Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel

We hope to follow Pope Francis’ vision through Seek the City, which we have formed after years of dialogue, listening and trying new approaches.

How Did We Get Here?

We have spent years practicing dialogue, listening and trying new approaches to better understand the situation. We have used many activities to learn and grow as an archdiocese in preparation for this program:

A Journey for Racial Justice
Synod meetings and discussions
Partnership for Sacred Spaces
Parish Renewal
The process for opening a new school, Mother Mary Lange Catholic School
Facility upkeep and assessments

Why the Need for Seek the City to Come

The Archdiocese of Baltimore isn’t what it used to be. The city and its makeup are completely different from generations past:

Baltimore City population has declined 38% since 1950.
“The demographic shift has seen the city’s Catholic population plummet from a peak of 150,000 half a century ago to 33,000 today [1995].” -Washington Post
COVID-19 has made this even more challenging, as our pews have fallen from 20% full in 2019 to only 9% full in 2022.
34 parishes in Baltimore report more funerals than converts and baptisms combined.
The average Baltimore parish has over four times the space per parishioner than the rest of the archdiocese.
Our facilities and buildings are increasingly old and in need of repair while funds are decreasing.

The challenges are plain.

Seek the City will strive to meet these challenges by working toward our three Mission Imperatives: