Dear Friends in Christ,
Today, I am blessed to share with you important news that we are taking our first steps to reimagine Catholic life in Baltimore City and some nearby suburbs. I invite you to join me in this shared effort — an undertaking we’re calling Seek the City to Come (HEB 13:14)— that will enable the Church to become more fully alive and better serve the diverse needs of our faith community and beyond in and around Baltimore.
Seek the City to Come is about fortifying the Church in our mission of proclaiming the Gospel and celebrating the Sacraments. We are calling on the people of God to creatively renew the foundation and footprint in the city to bring new life, new enthusiasm, new pastoral activity and, yes, a new use for some structures.
Guided by our Urban Vicar, Bishop Bruce Lewandowski, we are prayerfully embarking on a listening campaign. Over the coming months, we will be exploring the ways we are meeting the pastoral needs of congregations and communities in Baltimore City and some parishes along the Baltimore County line. We are entering this phase of the process without a pre-determined outcome. Future phases of discernment will eventually lead us to decision-making in the next few years. Our singular goal is simple: to position the Church to best meet the needs of the people of God for the century to come.
Our intention is to channel energy and resources to foster parishes that are vibrant and welcoming centers of evangelization, where mercy, trust, and the love of Jesus abound. We approach our task with prayer, great hope and compassion.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore is considered by many to be the home of Catholicism in the United States. Ours was the first diocese in this fledgling nation and at one point encompassed all the territories. The work before us as missionary disciples is as vital today as it was when the Diocese of Baltimore was established as the Premier See in 1789.
While much has changed since then, we remain disciples of Jesus who are each called to share the Good News that is available to all of us through the Holy Spirit. We, too, remain steadfast in our commitment to provide for the increasing ever-present social and spiritual needs of those around us. Though this call can feel daunting, and we may easily feel overwhelmed by the need, Seek the City to Come is about doubling down and refocusing on our commitment to the City.
Some might dismiss this effort as the church’s retreat from an increasingly secular world, but I invite you to believe with me in the power of exploring how best we can shine God’s healing love and saving message on our City. We cannot be so entrenched in our history that we do not recognize the needs of the present or future, or the reality of our decades-long challenge to do more with less. We value our place in history and we are mindful stewards of our traditions, knowing, however, the mission we are on is not born of brick and mortar. The physical presence of the Church in Baltimore will not look the same in 10 years as it does today; indeed, I question why it should.
Your participation is central to this work and vital to its success. Lend your voices to the discussion. Join our open prayerful discussions and seek out opportunities to provide thoughtful feedback on your hopes and dreams for the new city that will come from our collective prayer, visioning and discernment.
Visit www.seekthecity.org to learn more about why Seek the City to Come is so vital to our service in Baltimore and find ways you can participate.
Please know of my prayers for you, and I ask you to join me in praying daily for the success of this important initiative. Be open to God’s will for us and embrace the collaboration this process will require.
With confidence in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let us begin this journey— together.
With warmest regards, I am,
Faithfully in Christ,
Most Reverend William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore
Para leer la declaración del Arzobispo en español, visite:
https://www.archbalt.org/spanish-seek-the-city-to-come-initiative-2/