Baltimore parishioners recall memories as dozen churches hold final Mass before consolidations
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore parishioners at Our Lady of Pompei say their soon-to-be consolidated church is filled with decades of family milestones and memories.
This weekend, a dozen parishes within the Archdiocese of Baltimore held its final Mass. Through the archdiocese's "Seek the City to Come" initiative, 61 parishes will consolidate into 30 worship sites.
Members of Our Lady of Pompei in Highlandtown, which will merge with Our Lady of Fatima, told WJZ they aren't just losing a church, but also a home.
"I got married here," said parishioner Yenssi Cisneros. "My kids received all of their sacraments here as well, so for me, this is my home, it's not just a church. It's very, very sad."
Our Lady of Pompei is a neighborhood church, tucked away in a series of rowhomes at the corner of Claremont and Conkling streets. Many parishioners expressed concerns that not all of the congregation will transfer to Our Lady of Fatima, which is three miles away by car. They told WJZ that many people walk to church and do not have vehicles.
Described as a tight-knit community, some say they are heartbroken over its closure.
"I would've never missed this," said Mark Freeman, a former parishioner who returned for the final Mass. "I stopped everything just to make sure I could be here today with some of my family members. To me, this is one church that should never be closed… It's been supported ever since."
The church is just weeks away from its 102nd anniversary. It was built by the Italian community in the 1920s, according to its website.
Now, parishioners say it is a very diverse community, offering Mass in Spanish and English to support the Latino community in Highlandtown.
Cristina Vicuna, an active parishioner, said that despite the archdiocese's challenges, this church has grown in recent years, not only financially, but also through faith.
"I grew up in this church. I met my husband in this church. We were a part of the Spanish choir. It's just been a rollercoaster of different emotions," Vicuna said. "It feels unjust because we've done so much, but at the same time it also feels unjust for us to complain."
In his Saturday homily, Rev. Claudio Picco Longo said the closure of this church is difficult for him, too, but he knows it will live on through its parishioners.
"The Church of Pompei does not die today. It will never die because the Church of Pompei is not these walls…, but it is what has been experienced and celebrated here in these 100 years," Rev. Picco Longo said.
The Archdiocese has insisted that scaling back 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 and church attendance.
The archdiocese says all of the church buildings will continue to be available for certain sacraments, including weddings, baptisms and funerals.
According to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Catholic churches in the city and surrounding suburbs were built to serve a growing population. In the 1950s, more than a dozen churches opened to accommodate a population boom that pushed the city to nearly 1 million residents.
Since then, Baltimore's population has shrunk to less than 570,000 people, prompting the downsizing initiative and eventually the announcement of a final plan in May 2024.
Baltimore Archbishop William Lori also attributed the decision to deteriorating buildings and the cost of maintaining aging churches.
"...this process was aimed at allowing our parishes to focus on mission and ministry, as opposed to leaking roofs, crumbling walls and failing electric and plumbing systems," Baltimore Archbishop Lori said in his announcement.
According to the Baltimore Banner, the following parishes held its final Mass this weekend:
- Church of the Annunciation at 5212 McCormick Avenue, Saturday, Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.
- St. Cecilia held a joint final Mass with Immaculate Conception at 3300 Clifton Avenue, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 10:30 a.m.
- St. Luke at 7517 North Point Road, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m.
- Corpus Christi at 110 W. Lafayette Avenue, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 10:30 a.m.
- Our Lady of Pompei at 3600 Claremont Street, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m.
- St. Clare at 714 Myrth Avenue, in Spanish on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m., in English on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m.
- St. Mary, Star of the Sea at 1400 Riverside Avenue in Federal Hill, Saturday, Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.
- St. Pius V at St. Peter Claver at 1526 N. Fremont Avenue, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 9:30 a.m.
- St. Rose of Lima at 3803 4th Street, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m.
- St. Thomas Aquinas at 1008 W. 37th Street, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m.
- St. William of York at 600 Cooks Lane, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 10:15 a.m.
- Transfiguration Catholic Community at 775 W. Hamburg Street, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m.
The Baltimore Banner reported that the following churches will celebrate final Mass later:
- St. Thomas More at 6806 McClean Boulevard will hold its final Mass on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
- Sacred Heart of Mary at 6736 Youngstown Avenue will hold its final Mass on Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
- St. Mary of the Assumption at 5502 York Road will hold its final Mass on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 11 a.m.
- St. Pius X at 6482 York Road will hold its final Mass on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 10:30 a.m.
According to The Baltimore Banner, many of the combined sites will hold their first Mass on December 1, the first day of Advent.
Find more information about the Archdiocese of Baltimore's "Seek the City to Come" plan HERE.
