As faithful members mourn the closure of their Catholic churches (Saying goodbye to a Catholic Church — and a link to my family’s past, Nov. 21, 2024), others view them through the lens of the longstanding failure and mistrust of leadership.

St. Stanislaus in Fells Point was my family’s church. Founded in the 1800s as a cornerstone of Polish immigrant life, the church of my maternal and paternal grandparents was a place of daily worship, life celebrations and the funerals of beloved family members. St. Stan’s closed in 2000 due to dwindling attendance. Its closure was painful to Baltimore’s Polish community, many of whom had dispersed beyond Fells Point.

For all the fond memories, there was also a dark side to the church. The 2023 Maryland Office of the Attorney General report on sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore noted clergy sexual abuse at St. Stanislaus in the 1930s. I was horrified, knowing the complete devotion that so many people, including the abused, held for the church.

The failure of organized religion to protect and care for those who were physically, emotionally and sexually abused by clergy and laypeople is a key reason for the declining attendance at mainline churches. The long history of abuse in the Catholic Church in Baltimore and beyond has made people turn their backs on the institution.

For many, the church failed to heed the call of justice and mercy for all. Recently, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Anglican Church, was forced to resign because of his failure to take full action for the abuse of more than 100 boys and young men by a single predator. He was informed of the allegations in 2013 and, like others in leadership, he let the issue slide.

While I understand the pain of church closures that hold rich family history, I have chosen to close the church door because of the organizational betrayal. For some of us, churches include mixed memories of fondness and dismay.

May all of us find peace and reconciliation.

Nancy Fenton, Baltimore