The leaders of Baltimore's Roman Catholic archdiocese are correct when they say the long-anticipated downsizing of city parishes is not an abandonment of the communities where the churches were based but is rather the wisest use of shrinking resources.
In fact, the argument might be made that the churches themselves were gradually abandoned as a result of the suburban flight that helped produce a 75 percent drop in attendance at the city's Catholic parishes during the past five decades. Similarly, the exodus to the suburbs led Protestant and Jewish congregations with historic roots in the city to find new addresses in the surrounding counties.
With the announcement last Sunday by Cardinal William H. Keeler and Auxiliary Bishop John H. Ricard that Our Lady of Lourdes in Ashburton will be closed and 13 other churches merged or otherwise scaled back, the archdiocese has crafted a reasonable strategy for maintaining its urban mission. True, some worshipers will no longer be able to walk to neighborhood churches; others will attend new parishes where they initially will be strangers. Most important, though, the church will continue to have a significant city presence that meets parishioners' needs. It is unreasonable to expect the archdiocese to continue the huge expense of operating 400-seat churches quarter-filled on the best Sundays. As Bishop Ricard noted, "The status quo is not possible" anymore.
Low attendance is just one reason for the downsizing. In Baltimore, as throughout the United States, there are too few priests to tend to the faithful. Parish lay committees already handle many of the administrative chores that once were the bailiwick of the clergy. Under the reorganization, a number of churches will be "twinned" and share a priest. Other churches will be grouped together and share priests from a religious order. Given the increased demands on priests today, archdiocesan leaders should take pains to ensure these new arrangements do not place even greater strain on pastors and their assistants.
Cardinal Keeler also suggested that the Baltimore archdiocese is not finished reconfiguring its parishes -- including Catholic parishes "beyond the circle of the urban church." Such are the realities of an archdiocese struggling with financial pressures and demographic shifts. By most accounts, the cardinal and his subordinates handled this latest restructuring in a sensitive and inclusive manner. They need to use the same approach in any future planning for the Baltimore area's Roman Catholic churches.