Posted on 10/07/2022 6:12:12 PM PDT by marshmallow
NEW YORK – Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore hasn’t ruled out the possibility that some Baltimore parishes could close at the end of a new initiative to reimagine Catholic life in the city, but he has committed to a two-year synodal-based listening process before any decisions are made.
Lori announced the new initiative “Seek the City to Come” on Sept. 29.
Speaking to Crux about the timing of the announcement, Lori acknowledged that changing demographics and a declining Catholic population in the city were both factors in the decision, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic that “had a disproportionate effect on a number of city parishes.”
Sixty two of the archdiocese’s 147 parishes – 47 in Baltimore City and 15 outside city parishes – are involved in the initiative. According to archdiocesan data, pre-pandemic 20 percent of city pews were filled for Mass and now only about 9 percent are filled. There are also less than 5,000 registered Catholics in the city, down from about 30,000 in the 1990’s, the archdiocese’s data shows.
“The demographics have changed. With that the number of Catholics in the city have 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.”
(Excerpt) Read more at cruxnow.com ...
Not sure what a two-year synodal-based listening process could be, but seems like two years of evangelizing would make more sense.
Same thing is happening in this city. The Catholic families have, for the most part, already moved out. Catholic schools and churches were forced to follow, leaving behind some pretty buildings which are mostly empty.
They synagogues had to do the same thing. The largest synagogue in the United States used to be in the middle of our city but now is on the eastern edge of town. Even that is not far out enough.
The cities are dying and you need to move the parish.
You can’t have a congregation where there are no longer any Catholics.
Losing members tends to happen when you lock them out of mass and threaten them over mask mandates.
Baltimore Archdiocese Starts Listening Process After Pandemic Empties Pews
It would be interesting to examine the demographics -- who grew, who shrank, and why? Our little Presbyterian congregation came out of the Plague Theater time enough larger that we would have had to have found a new venue anyway. (Old rental location changed policy due to "teh Covids!" making it impractical.)
Lori is a putz. At mass on Sunday they gave out invitation cards for parishioners to hand out. The numbers are diminishing.
As of 2020, Baltimore had a population of 602,000. Five thousand registered Catholics equates to 0.8 percent; and Lori needs a two-year listening period to figure out what's wrong?
Even in the 1990's, the registered Catholics were less than 5 percent.
Can anybody not see another rotten of VC II?
The only fruits from VII are Fruits!
I want the pope to personally come and apologize for the covid shut fown and what the hell, argentina’s sttack on the falkland islands!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.