Given that the office of pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Baltimore City is currently vacant since there is no suitable priest available to appoint to this office at this time, I do hereby make provision for the proper care of the faithful of this parish until further notice.
St. Benedict Church is to remain open for public worship in accordance with church law. Specifically, I order that the Blessed Sacrament be removed from St. Benedict Church and that the parish church be dispensed from the obligation to retain it (canon 934, §1). I further designate Auxiliary Bruce Lewandowski, Episcopal Vicar for the Urban Vicariate, to make the determination whether any other sacramental liturgies may take place at this location in the future. No liturgy may take place at this location without his prior approval.
I also designate Father Mike Murphy, pastor of St. Joseph Passionist Monastery in Baltimore City as the primary priest to be available to provide pastoral care to the parishioners of St. Benedict parish with the assistance of Father William Keown, pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish, as needed. Both these parishes are within approximately two miles of the St. Benedict parish campus, as are three other active parish communities. The faithful are under no obligation to approach either priest and are free to choose to seek the assistance of any other local cleric if they so desire.
I order that the sacramental records of St. Benedict parish be transferred to Our Lady of Victory parish for safekeeping and to provide the faithful with sacramental record in accordance with church law.
These provisions will continue until further notice.
Given at Baltimore City, Maryland on November 16, 2023.
Most Reverend William E. Lori, S.T.D.
Archbishop of Baltimore