September 29, 2024

The Archdiocese of Baltimore (AoB) published a Decree on its website at approximately 5:00pm, Sunday evening (9/29/24) indicating that Sacred Heart of Mary would merge with Our Lady of Hope effective December 1, 2024. Rights of the parishioner are stated thus: “Any member of Sacred Heart of Mary parish who claims to have been aggrieved by the Decree has the right to seek its revocation or emendation (canon 1734).” www.archbalt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Sacred-Heart-of-Mary-Our-Lady-of-Hope-9.25.2024.pdf

Thirty-two churches receive decrees.

In an article entitled, “Parish Closures are Killing the Catholic Church,” published online August 18, 2024, in Canon Law 101 canon lawyer Patricia Dugan writes, “I believe from my experience and from other canon lawyers with experience in these cases, that when a merger or suppression is started, forty percent of the parishioners it affects, will not go along to get along in the Catholic Church.  They will not go to the newly named or appointed parish.  They just will not.  We lose them and we lose them for good.” [emphasis added]