Changes possible for St. Clare in Essex

Father Hector Mateus-Ariza said two words best describe the situation for St. Clare in Essex – “challenging” and “limbo.”

After some parishioners were caught off guard by a March 16 post by a Facebook user asking if people had seen a real estate listing that the Eastern Baltimore County church was for sale, the pastor had to take to the pulpit four days later during Mass to quell some uproar.

The parish, which sits on more than 10 acres at 714 Myrth Ave., is not under contract to be sold. However, the parish did solicit bids from developers for a possible sale of about seven acres that include the former school building and convent with plans to use some of those proceeds toward construction of a new multiuse facility that would establish a new church on the rectory side of the campus.

“People at St. Clare are very passionate,” Father Mateus-Ariza said of the parish that was founded in 1956. “I can see why when they saw the post on Facebook that they were upset and even angry. They love this parish.”

Father Mateus-Ariza, who became pastor of St. Clare Sept. 1, 2020, will be moving July 1 to take over as pastor of the pastorate of St. Michael the Archangel in Overlea, St. Clement Mary Hofbauer in Rosedale and Church of the Annunciation in Rosedale. 

He said he is already working with Father John Streifel, who will take over as St. Clare’s administrator July 1, to fulfill his “dream” to replace a decaying old school building with a new worship space. 

Parishioners attend Mass in a basement church located in the school building. The school itself closed in 2010.

The current worship space has undergone multiple renovations over the last several decades, including a well-received $300,000 beautification project in 2016. However, the space is still not ideal since members of the aging community use walkers and wheelchairs. There is one wheelchair lift to help those who use wheelchairs get into the church.

For now, Father Mateus-Ariza said his dreams for the parish are in “limbo.” The archdiocese will collect the offers and then proceed with plans from there. Father Mateus-Ariza said estimates for a new 10,000-square foot multiuse space would be about $4.5 million and that estimates for the value of the property are about $2.1 million. So a new church would require more funds and likely fundraising.

Jim Wandishin, a parishioner at St. Clare for 44 years and head of the finance committee, sees the developments as a positive for the parish.

“Every year we’ve had large repair bills on the buildings,” Wandishin said. “The buildings are more than 50 years old. The plumbing is shot, the electricity is bad and things leak. When we were a growing parish, things were fine. But things are different now and this is the best way to go.

“We’re excited about the prospects, and look forward to seeing what happens,” he said. 

Plans to make St. Clare part of a pastorate with nearby Our Lady of Mount Carmel also complicate the situation.

“We just have to wait and see what the numbers are,” he said. “It’s a challenging situation. The people are so faithful here. They want to worship at St. Clare. We just have to look at the numbers before we can plan anything.”

Despite the negative reactions on social media, Father Mateus-Ariza said he received a positive response when he announced his proposal at Mass. 

“Everyone was very positive and kind to me,” he said. “People were scared and upset after seeing the Facebook post, and I can’t blame them. But when I explained everything and what’s possible, they understood.”

Father Mateus-Ariza, who has been with the Archdiocese of Baltimore since he arrived as a seminarian in 2005, said heating and maintaining the aging main building on campus has been a steady challenge. The parish, which includes a growing Spanish-speaking population, recently transformed part of the rectory into a chapel where it can hold daily Mass to help mitigate some of the heating costs of the main building.

When Father Streifel arrives from his current assignment as associate pastor at St. John the Evangelist in Frederick and St. Joseph in Buckeystown, he will have a better picture of the future of St. Clare’s campus as well as a new statue of St. Clare. The statue will be unveiled in July and placed at the entrance to the rectory building.

Father Mateus-Ariza said it could eventually find a new home at the new multiuse facility.   

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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