By Abigail Spies
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
People in coats and their best attire lined the street outside Saint Mary, Star of the Sea church in Baltimore. Many had tissues in hand, dabbing at their eyes to catch the tears that fall. Some even took pictures of the sign on the outer wall that reads “thank you for 166 years.” It’s closing for good.
This is part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s decision to close 31 churches and merge them with the 23 that will remain open and act as “seats” for the merger. St. Mary, Star of the Sea will be merging with Holy Cross and Our Lady of Good Counsel.
St. Mary, Star of the Sea was a church located near Federal Hill in Baltimore City. It was originally built in the mid-1800s, with the first mass held December 16, 1868. The school under the same name was started in 1877, with a new building erected in 1914. The tall steeple of the church housed a candle and mirrors, and later electric light, to provide sailors with a way to know where they were and where land was. This is how the church was given its name, Star of the Sea.
The merger
This church wasn’t only the star of the sea, but the star of many people’s lives as well.
Deedee Tonsor was one of these people. She is a lector at Holy Cross church, though she attended two of the churches that are now merging, Holy Cross and St. Mary, Star of the Sea.
“Just sad, you know, that it had to come to this. Luckily though, we got to keep two of our, you know, churches open.”
James Wronski was another parishioner who’s feeling the loss. He’s been a parishioner in the Catholic Community of South Baltimore for two years.
“I think it’s a bittersweet moment, but an area of opportunity for us to grow in the future,” he said. “I know it’s really tough to part ways with these buildings that people have really connected with over the years.”
Deacon Steven Sarnecki is a lifelong Catholic, but new to St. Mary’s. He is a Permanent Deacon in the Archdiocese and was reassigned to the Catholic Community of South Baltimore (CCSB).
Sarnecki said the merging is “a difficult process.” He said the cost of maintenance in the historic buildings is constantly increasing, and with less money and less people it’s hard to manage.
“For us at CCSB, it’s traumatic but not tragic,” he said. “We have already been working over the past decade plus to bring three Parish families together as one: St. Mary’s, Our Lady of Good Counsel and Holy Cross.”
Wronski saw a silver lining in the closures. “I do see the future of the Catholic Church as us growing to find ways that we can support ourselves in different ways, and not necessarily be burdened by so much upkeep of the historically maintenance-heavy churches.”
The church
Wronski, Tonsor, and Sarnecki all agreed that the church is all about the community, and it’s the people who make the Parishes feel like home.
“Church, with a small “c”, describes the building where we gather and worship together while Church, with the capital “C”, describes us, the people who are the church,” Sarnecki said.
Tonsor said the church feels like “a second family.” She said the church is a close community and it means a lot to her.
Wronski shared the same sentiment. “It’s the people that are in the church, less so the building itself,” he said. “So, I’m happy that we still have our community here in South Baltimore peninsula, and I’m excited to see everyone at Mass at another church.”
Future plans
“The church remains a consecrated space and for now may still have occasional funerals, weddings, or other services for the faithful,” Sarnecki said. “Our regular Parish worship schedule will make use of Holy Cross and Good Counsel going forward.”
Tonsor and Wronski both plan to keep attending Sunday masses, though they will be at Holy Cross church from now on.