Thirteen Catholic churches in a single region in California are slated to close down due to a lack of parishioners, priests and money following a string of sexual abuse lawsuits, officials said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bishop Michael Barber said 12 sites and a pastoral center would all be shuttered in the Oakland area, about 400 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
With fewer parishioners and priests, Bishop Barber said not all of the parishes had the funds available to fully support and staff the buildings and their mission.
‘Others are surviving on rental of parish parking lots or empty school facilities. The status quo is not sustainable nor is it serving God’s people,’ Bishop Barber said.
He added that the move came as part of the diocese’s Mission Alignment Process (MAP).
The process, according to Bishop Barber, seeks to engage both the clergy and parishioners in a ‘process of self-reflection and renewal’.
His statement also comes just a few years after the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 due to hundreds of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse.
Continue reading at the Daily Mail