CHANNEL. TONIGHT, PEOPLE PACKED INTO ARCHBISHOP CURLEY HIGH SCHOOL TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS OVER A PROPOSAL FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE TO MERGE SEVERAL PARISHES. 11 NEWS REPORTER TORRY YORGEY WAS AT THAT HEARING. AND TORRY, IT WAS AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT FOR THIS TONIGHT, RIGHT? VERY OVERWHELMING. ANDRE AND I DO WANT TO POINT OUT OUR CAMERAS WERE NOT ALLOWED INTO THE SCHOOL, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GO. AND TO GIVE YOU PERSPECTIVE, ABOUT 350 PEOPLE CAN FIT IN THE CAFETERIA FOR ABOUT 750 IN THE AUDITORIUM. BOTH WERE FULL. HARDLY HAD ANY STANDING ROOM. AT ONE POINT, SEVERAL PEOPLE COMING OUT TONIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERN OVER THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR CHURCH BUILDINGS CLOSING. A PLAN THAT WOULD FORCE LONGTIME PARISHIONERS TO MOVE TO OTHER CHURCH BUILDINGS. IT’S WHY MORE THAN 1000 PEOPLE DECIDED TO SHOW UP TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE’S PUBLIC HEARING. I WANTED TO HAVE MY FUNERAL THERE RIGHT? A FEW MONTHS AGO, I LOST MY WIFE AND WE HAD HER SERVICE THERE, EMPHASIZING THE MEANING OF HIS CHURCH BUILDING. MAURICE JACKSON SAYS HE CAME OUT TO LEARN EXACTLY WHY THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE IS PROPOSING THE CLOSURE OF SEVERAL CHURCH BUILDINGS AND MERGING OF NUMEROUS PARISHES. IT’S PART OF THEIR SEEK THE CITY TO COME PROPOSAL. THE ARCHDIOCESE SAYS THE REASON FOR IT ALL FEWER PEOPLE ARE IN THE PEWS AND COSTLY MAINTENANCE UPKEEP. THIS IS REALLY ABOUT REVITALIZING THE CHURCH AND THE CITY AND REACHING OUT IN EVANGELIZATION TO ENGAGE MORE PEOPLE. FOR THE CHURCH, BUT WE CAN’T DO THAT UNLESS WE GET SMALL OR CONCENTRATING OUR EFFORTS. NOW, UNDER THIS PLAN, THE 61 PARISHES, THE ARCHDIOCESE OVERSEES IN THE CITY AND PARTS OF THE COUNTY WOULD DROP TO ROUGHLY 26 PARISHES OR CHURCH BUILDINGS, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL WORSHIP SITES. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH THEIR PARISH. IT’S LIKE A FAMILY AND ALL I CAN SAY IS WHEN IT COMES TO PIOUS, IT’S LIKE A TOUCHSTONE FOR US, A TOUCHSTONE THAT COULD SOON CLOSE ITS DOORS. IF THE PLAN IS PUSHED THROUGH SOMETIME, AS WE CALL IT, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. BUT WE KNOW THAT’S THE REAL, REAL MAIN PROBLEM FOR A LOT OF CHURCHES BEING CLOSED. YOU’RE REFERRING TO THE BANKRUPTCY. MORE THAN THAT, IT’S WHY WE ARE BEING BANKRUPT. OKAY. UH, SO, UM, IT’S A THING WHERE WE FEEL THAT WE’RE PAYING THE PRICE FOR WHAT SOMEONE ELSE DID. WE STARTED THIS TWO YEARS AGO. LONG BEFORE WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE IN THE SITUATION. WE ARE WITH CHAPTER 11 REORGANIZATION AND AND THE TWO ARE NOT CONNECTED. NOT AT ALL. AND THE ARCHDIOCESE DID ADD THAT IF THIS PLAN, THIS PROPOSAL DOES GO THROUGH, AND IF BY CHANCE CERTAIN CHURCH BUILDINGS CLOSE AND THEY GO FOR SALE, ALL THE FUNDS MADE FROM THOSE SALES WILL STAY WITH THE PARISH THAT ORIGINALLY WAS IN THEM. THEY DO HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING COMING UP THIS TUESDAY THAT WILL BE AT CATHEDRAL OF MARY OUR QUEEN. LIVE FROM NORTHEAST BALTIMORE.
Roughly 1,000 people attend Archdiocese of Baltimore public hearing
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Updated: 12:05 AM EDT Apr 26, 2024
Roughly 1,000 people were in attendance for the Archdiocese of Baltimore public hearing Thursday night, all to discuss the Seek the City to Come proposal. Under the proposal, the Archdiocese would reduce the 61 parishes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to 21 parishes and five worship sites."Two years ago, when we began this process, we made it very clear that this is about the renewal and revitalization of the Catholic Church in Baltimore," said Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar for Baltimore City, Bruce Lewandowski. "Our parishioners are very dedicated (and) working hard to keep (their parishes) going. But there are fewer and fewer because people are leaving the city of Baltimore. So parishes that before had teams of people in the hundreds and thousands are now in the dozens and hundreds."Lewandowski said with less attendance and costly maintenance upkeep on the old structures, they feel downsizing and revitalizing the church in the city will help.The cafeteria and auditorium in Archbishop Curley High School were packed Thursday night, to the point there was no standing room at certain times. "(St. Pius is) supposed to merge with the cathedral down on Charles Street," said Norma O'Hara, a long-time parishioner of St. Pius. "A lot of people are very much involved with their parish. It's like a family. All I can say is when it comes to Pius, it's like a touchstone for us. That's where we belong.""I mean, it's horrible. It brought tears to people's eyes when the announcement was made. We work hard to keep our church going and to support the community and the surrounding communities," said Maurice Jackson, a parishioner at St. Veronica. "I want to have my funeral there. A few months ago, I lost my wife and we had her service there."After breaking up into groups with their parish, several people presented their concerns at the hearing on behalf of the group. Jackson said he just wants to know why the proposal came up in the first place and believes it has something to do with the bankruptcy the archdiocese now faces."We sometimes we call it the elephant in the room, but we know that's the real main problem, (why) churches are being closed," Jackson said. "More than that, it's why we are being bankrupt. It's a thing where we feel that we are paying a price for what someone else did."However, Lewandowski once again said this move does not relate to the bankruptcy."We started this two years ago, long before we knew that we would be in the situation we are with Chapter 11 reorganization. The two are not connected, not at all," Lewandowski said. The proposal is not final, the archdiocese said they are still wanting to hear more from the public. "Before we make a decision, we want to hear from folks, and hear what the consequences of these changes would be," Lewandowski said. "We'll get a clear sense of these decisions, whether we should move forward with them as they are, whether we should tweak them a little bit. Maybe some of them should be reconsidered. The idea here is constructive criticism, that we want to hear from folks' real practical consequences of what they do."The next public hearing will be 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen at 5200 N. Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21210. This meeting was previously scheduled to happen at Our Lady of Victory, Zoom link to attend online.
BALTIMORE — Roughly 1,000 people were in attendance for the Archdiocese of Baltimore public hearing Thursday night, all to discuss the Seek the City to Come proposal.
Under the proposal, the Archdiocese would reduce the 61 parishes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to 21 parishes and five worship sites.
"Two years ago, when we began this process, we made it very clear that this is about the renewal and revitalization of the Catholic Church in Baltimore," said Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar for Baltimore City, Bruce Lewandowski. "Our parishioners are very dedicated (and) working hard to keep (their parishes) going. But there are fewer and fewer because people are leaving the city of Baltimore. So parishes that before had teams of people in the hundreds and thousands are now in the dozens and hundreds."
Lewandowski said with less attendance and costly maintenance upkeep on the old structures, they feel downsizing and revitalizing the church in the city will help.
The cafeteria and auditorium in Archbishop Curley High School were packed Thursday night, to the point there was no standing room at certain times.
"(St. Pius is) supposed to merge with the cathedral down on Charles Street," said Norma O'Hara, a long-time parishioner of St. Pius. "A lot of people are very much involved with their parish. It's like a family. All I can say is when it comes to Pius, it's like a touchstone for us. That's where we belong."
"I mean, it's horrible. It brought tears to people's eyes when the announcement was made. We work hard to keep our church going and to support the community and the surrounding communities," said Maurice Jackson, a parishioner at St. Veronica. "I want to have my funeral there. A few months ago, I lost my wife and we had her service there."
After breaking up into groups with their parish, several people presented their concerns at the hearing on behalf of the group. Jackson said he just wants to know why the proposal came up in the first place and believes it has something to do with the bankruptcy the archdiocese now faces.
"We sometimes we call it the elephant in the room, but we know that's the real main problem, (why) churches are being closed," Jackson said. "More than that, it's why we are being bankrupt. It's a thing where we feel that we are paying a price for what someone else did."
However, Lewandowski once again said this move does not relate to the bankruptcy.
"We started this two years ago, long before we knew that we would be in the situation we are with Chapter 11 reorganization. The two are not connected, not at all," Lewandowski said.
The proposal is not final, the archdiocese said they are still wanting to hear more from the public.
"Before we make a decision, we want to hear from folks, and hear what the consequences of these changes would be," Lewandowski said. "We'll get a clear sense of these decisions, whether we should move forward with them as they are, whether we should tweak them a little bit. Maybe some of them should be reconsidered. The idea here is constructive criticism, that we want to hear from folks' real practical consequences of what they do."
The next public hearing will be 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen at 5200 N. Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21210. This meeting was previously scheduled to happen at Our Lady of Victory, Zoom link to attend online.
