Seek the City to Come

Archbishop William E. Lori issued a decree Feb. 22 for the merger of St. Leo the Great Parish in Little Italy and nearby St. Vincent de Paul Parish. The merger is effective July 1.

With the closing and merging of many churches in the Archdiocese of Baltimore before the beginning of this year as part of the Seek the City to Come pastoral planning initiative, more than just parishioners were moved to a new location.

The parish, once dubbed the “Polka Capital of Maryland,” used to host as many as 40 polka parties a year and was one of a handful of parishes in the region to offer polka dance classes.

Several parishes involved in the Seek the City pastoral planning initiative offered Masses of thanksgiving and remembrance in Baltimore City and some parts of Baltimore County over the last few weeks.

Pastors throughout the city and several nearby communities in Baltimore County have been working on the difficult task of creating new parish communities as part of the Seek the City to Come pastoral plan announced May 22 that reduces the number of parishes in those areas from 61 to 23 and reduces the number of worship sites from 59 to 30.

The Catholic Review provides capsule profiles of some the affected parishes, along with a look at the schedule of thanksgiving Masses for those parishes that have announced plans for Masses.