An end and a beginning

Parishioners of St. Michael Church in the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore bid farewell to their church last Sunday. After more than 150 years, the church is closing due to the high cost of repairs and shifting demographics. It was a day for photos, hugs and lingering moments in front of special places.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Redemptorists announced in February plans to close St. Michael’s and merge the parish community with that of Sacred Heart of Jesus, also a Redemptorist parish, a few blocks to the east in the Highlandtown neighborhood. Sacred Heart of Jesus will become a focal point for Hispanic ministry in the archdiocese, and allow the Redemptorists to continue their long-standing commitment to serving immigrant communities.

Video Courtesy of Catholic Review.

Several special events are planned for August 6-7 to celebrate the birth of the new multi-cultural parish. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed at Sacred Heart from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, and the faithful are encouraged to spend some time in prayer for the success of the new community.

On Sunday, a Eucharistic procession from St. Michael to Sacred Heart will begin at 9:30 a.m. Father Bob Wojtek, the new pastor, will carry the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance through the streets to Sacred Heart where Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop Denis Madden will celebrate an 11 a.m. bilingual Mass. A celebration will immediately follow the Mass.