Religion

When the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced plans to close dozens of Catholic churches, Our Lady of Victory in Arbutus was on the list. But parishioners, including many Burmese refugees, fought successfully to save a church that many say has become like a second home.

The East Baltimore-based church expects to select a firm in the next few weeks and anticipates the work could take up to six months. Pastor Robert Colban's empathetic tone Sunday marked a departure from the more defensive sermons delivered by another pastor in response to a Baltimore Banner series of articles.

Many former members of Greater Grace World Outreach flocked to the East Baltimore church Friday evening to protest leaders’ handling of allegations of child sex abuse — the subject of a Baltimore Banner investigation.

The finalized plan by the Archdiocese of Baltimore affects many of Baltimore’s predominantly Black churches.

A Maryland couple was among the more than 1,300 people who died during extreme heat at the Hajj pilgrimage in the Middle East.

“We are being attacked,” said Greater Grace church's head pastor, Thomas Schaller.

Accusations of child sex abuse extend to Greater Grace World Outreach's churches in Ghana. One family confronts church leaders, but discovers the primacy of the church's "brand."

A campfire confession exposes decades of child sex abuse claims at Baltimore megachurch — and inspires a group to seek justice for alleged victims.

A group raised to revere their pastors reaches out to former classmates and friends. They discover dozens of abuse allegations, including several linked to one family.

Baltimore's Holy Rosary Catholic Church was long a beacon for Polish families. Its parish will soon merge with a Latino one.

Removing bodies, finding new homes for stained glass and deconsecration are among the steps of a Catholic church sale — which can take a decade

In 2019, the year Kingdom Fellowship AME was founded, the church had about 3,000 members and an average weekly attendance of about 1,800 people, according to the church’s figures. Today, membership has swelled to nearly 8,000, and its weekly services draw about 2,500 attendees altogether.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michelle M. Harner set the claims deadline, which came 245 days after the Archdiocese of Baltimore filed a petition for Chapter 11 reorganization.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for bankruptcy right before a new law, the Child Victims Act of 2023, was set to take effect in Maryland.

St. James the Less Roman Catholic Church once anchored an East Baltimore neighborhood that was home to many German Catholics, but it has languished since the parish was dissolved in the 1980s. A lightning strike sparked a fire in the towering steeple in 2020, and now it's up for sale with a $1 million asking price.

The blueprint released Wednesday closely tracks the draft plan that the archdiocese put out in April, reducing the number of parishes — or Catholic communities — from 61 to 23. The number of actual churches would shrink from 59 to 30. But Archbishop William Lori did spare eight churches initially, while delivering some late bad news to others.

A final plan announced by Archbishop William E. Lori would reduce the number of parishes in Baltimore City and parts of Baltimore County from 61 to 23, while shrinking the number of worship sites from 59 to 30, four more than originally recommended.

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori on Wednesday announced a final church consolidation plan that would reduce the number of worship sites from 59 to 30. Many churches would get folded into merged parishes.

“Today, the court will provide time and space for listening,” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michelle M. Harner said on Monday at the beginning of a hearing in the case.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore is set to finalize its plan to close churches next month. That includes some where Hispanic congregations worship.