Baltimore Catholic parishes fighting archdiocese's plan to merge

BALTIMORE -- St. Ann's Catholic Church is fighting to avoid being shut down under the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Seek the City plan.

St. Ann's is one of dozens of churches slated to close or merge by December 1. Churches slated to close have until 5 p.m. Friday to appeal the decision.

The Archdiocese's plan will reduce the number of parishes in the city and surrounding suburbs from 61 to 23.

"My father was buried from this church," said Sharon Johnson-Stewart, who attends St. Ann's Catholic Church. "The priest from this church buried my two brothers." 

Here's a list of the churches closing and merging.  

Diminishing attendance

The Archdiocese of Baltimore insists that scaling back of parishes is not related to the church filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 but instead is a way to adjust to declines in population, aging buildings and mass attendance.  

The Archdiocese website states that proceeds from any building sale will remain in the parish and follow the people to the newly formed parish as is church law. Mergers do not apply to catholic schools.

"These decisions, while difficult, are made with an eye toward a future full of hope," said Archbishop William Lori. "This process was aimed at allowing our parishes to focus on mission and ministry, as opposed to leaking roofs, crumbling walls and failing electrical and plumbing systems."

The case for St. Ann's

A group of longtime St. Ann's parishioners banded together to file an appeal to save the church.

Johnson-Stewart is a part of the effort, as is Ralph Moore, who is concerned about having to merge with another parish.

In a letter to the St. Ann community, the archdiocese said they will be merging with nearby St. Francis Xavier Church.

"The archdiocese has merged congregations before and it's not been easy for two different congregations to come together," Moore said. "They have different rules they operate by. They have different leadership structures."

But it's not all about losing a church. School leaders at Mother Seton Academy, a middle school right next door to St. Ann's, say their students learn what it means to be a part of a community because of the parish.

George Andrews, president of Mother Seton Academy, said students are involved with the church's health and wellness fair. Students also volunteer at the church's food pantry.

"Our students have an example here, a place to do service," Andrews said.

St. Ann's has been around since the 1870s. Its original builders are buried under the floor.

The parish hopes to continue the legacy.

"It's part of my being, this is the church where I grew up," Johnson-Stewart said.

St. Ann's is one of several predominantly African-American churches that are set to close. In its plan, the archdiocese said the needs of these and Hispanic churches have remained a priority in the process.