by Susan Matthews
Philadelphia Catholics should buckle up when they slide into pews this Sunday. “Whispers In the Loggia” blogger Rocco Palma shared a breaking news scoop in an X post.
Archbishop Perez will invite the faithful to join a “conversation” called “The Fourth Way.” Huh? What were the first three ways? It doesn’t matter. Spoiler Alert: The “conversation” will eventually end with Perez reducing all 214 parishes of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to 50-ish.
Spoiler Alert: The “conversation” ends with Perez reducing all 214 parishes of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to 50-ish.
Third Time Isn’t a Charm for Parish Closures
This will be the third round of mass parish closures in just over 30 years. In 1993, I was an editor with The Catholic Standard and Times., and had front-row seats in the first round. Executed by Cardinal Bevilacqua, the closings and mergers impacted urban minority communities in North Philadelphia and Chester. Parishioners met Bevilacqua’s decision with widespread criticism and organized demonstrations. According to statements, the decision was based on operational deficits and shifting Catholic demographics. At the same time, Bevilacqua was spending lavishly on renovations of his residences and personal public relations consultants.
In 2014, Archbishop Chaput closed and merged 16 parishes across the Archdiocese. Media statements indicate decisions were based on the following:
- shifting Catholic population
- high density of small parishes in a small area
- declining sacramental activity
- lack of priests
- facilities reviews
In contrast to Bevilacqua, his decisions were met with less outrage. This was due in part to Chaput’s austere lifestyle. The Archbishop sold the residence where the Bishops had lived in luxury before him.
During this upcoming round of closures, suburban parishes are equally at risk, and the reason is more specific. There simply aren’t enough priests.
Priest Vocations Circle the Drain
In 1969, there were 1,069 diocesan priests. Lou Baldwin reported a 58% decrease by 2019 in Philly Catholic. “As with the correlation of the clergy sex abuse scandal and Mass attendance in parishes of the archdiocese, so too the crisis has had an effect on the number of priests, with larger ordination declines during the years when it was most publicized,” he wrote.
In 1969, there were 1,069 diocesan priests. Lou Baldwin reported a 58% decrease by 2019 in Philly Catholic.
“Another factor in the decline of priestly vocations may be the decline in the number of students at Catholic schools exposed to religious instruction on a daily basis. Since 1969 in the archdiocese, parish school enrollment has declined 77%, and high school enrollment is down 70%.” (See full article.)
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary welcomed 36 new seminarians this past fall. Statistically, only one-third will become ordained priests. Only 15 of the 36 are studying for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. That’s five new priests a year. Is quality making up for quantity? Nope.
Today, there are only 274 assigned diocesan priests who minister to 1,551,494 Catholics, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia website.
Philly Catholic Misery Has Company
The clergy shortage isn’t just a local problem. More than a third of Diocesan priests in the US were in retirement as of 2022.
Last May, Bishop Michael Fisher of New York’s Buffalo Diocese announced the merging of an estimated 34% of its parishes. He cited “the horrendous toll that the sexual abuse scandal by clergy and others has inflicted on parish life and the personal faith of so many, most especially on those who have been forever harmed in body, mind, and spirit.” (See article.)
Baltimore closed nearly half of its 61 parishes within the city limits. New Orleans closed 10% of its parishes and merged others. Milwaukee and Columbus have been impacted, and the list goes on.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has contracted the Catholic Leadership Institute to coordinate the “conversation.” The Malvern-based consultancy recently helped the St. Louis Diocese “rightsize” from 178 to 134 parishes.
There’s No Hail Mary for Targeted Parishes
The parish closures will likely span a few years. The distrust created by the clergy child sex abuse cover-up will take decades to undo. That is, if the Church ever begins authentic repair.
As Palma notes in his post, the list of parishes to be closed remains “fluid.” We can safely assume the Archbishop’s considerations will be financial. How valuable is the property location? What is the parish’s profit and loss?
“The Fourth Way” is merely a formality. Canon Law 515 compels Bishops to consult with their diocesan priests’ councils. Parishioners are permitted to share views before the Bishop makes the decision. Decisions can be appealed. Good luck with the Vatican.
The hierarchy remains unwilling to lift the Church from its downward trajectory. Archbishop Chaput embraced the idea of a smaller, more conservative Church. Perez will seal the deal crafted by decades of deceit.
It’s impossible to imagine Jesus hosting a small, extremist club.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Catholic Leadership “The Fourth Way” Links and Archdiocese of Philadelphia Resources:
Catholic Leadership Institute: Archdiocese of Philadelphia Strategic Planning
Catholic Leadership Institute: Parish Disciple Maker Index
Catholic Leadership Institute: Webinars for the Philadelphia Archdiocese
Archdiocesan Parishes Maps and Reports
Archdiocesan Parish Planning Initiatives
Archdiocesan Media Alert: Seminarians Kick Off 2024-25
Catholics4Change 
Susan, I
They have created their own demise. They had so many opportunities to step up and do the right thing for those of us who had been sexually abused by their priests. I believe that organized religion will slowly see their own demise in the years to come, and we will become more of a spiritual world.
Iâm very happy with my women priest led Zoom mass â WHERE IT IS SAFE!
Most archdiocesan priests operate in a climate of fear. They themselves are abused by the Chancery. Priests are also not consulted by AOP unless it’s a mere formality required by Canon law. Priests have reported abusers; AOP covered it up.
Regardless of perception, parishes need to close. Parishes simply do not have the numbers necessary to maintain the physical plants. The reasons are indeed multi faceted. To claim it is bc of a lack of trust due to sex abuse is an vast oversimplification.
I pray for the good priests who do God’s work in a perpetually broken institution powered by ego and greed. How depressing and defeating. The frustration and internal conflict must be unbearable. Some might say these priests should walk away, but I understand that these men actually embrace their vows.
Yes, parish closures are multi-faceted. Shifting demographics and financial constraints necessitate difficult decisions in every diocese. However, working under Cardinal Bevilacqua, I saw an utter lack of regard for keeping a supportive Catholic presence in areas where parishes and schools were closed. His financial priorities and excesses were the opposite of Christ-like.
But now, the shift of Catholics into new geographic areas has been replaced by the shift of Catholics out of their religion. While societal factors and apathy have played their part in the past, the precipitous drop in ordinations, Church attendance, and Catholic school enrollment coincides with the exposure of clergy sex abuse and financial coverups.
The distrust that Church leadership cultivates is resulting in a lack of priests, financial issues, and lower mass attendance. Those are the reasons for the upcoming closures. They can take full credit.
What is the hierarchy’s plan to change this trajectory? There isn’t one. They don’t want to change. Instead of disinfecting the Church, they have chosen to be a repellent – to push away.
Asking the people they continue to harm to help bring more fools into the fold is insulting and ridiculous. — Susan Matthews