TOWSON, Md. — The greenery of the 'Giving Garden' is sprouting high. Its produce is sent to two food pantries.
About two dozen St. Pius X volunteers, like Elizabeth Wagner, tend to it three times a week, and have since 2018.
This week, they learned their church beside the garden will close.
"Stunned. It was like a punch," Wagner recalled. "We offered, I thought, such a good proposal, points, why this parish should remain open, what we could do."
Last month, Wagner and dozens of others attended public listening sessions, making their cases directly to church leaders.
"We thought we gave a good rebuttal, and we went to all the listening sessions. Parishioners wrote some of the most, I thought, impressive letters, and everybody from their own perspective," Wagner added.
The closure of St. Pius X, and a long list of others in Baltimore, come as part of the final Archdiocese 'Seek the City to Come' plan, which reduces the number of churches from 61 to 23 with 30 worship sites.
The Archdiocese points to declining mass attendance and the cost of maintaining properties for the closures.
Leaders say proceeds of property sales will follow the parish, and will not be involved with the Archdiocese Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
"This process was aimed at allowing our parishes to focus on mission and ministry, as opposed to leaking roofs, crumbling walls, and failing electrical and plumbing systems," Archbishop William Lori said in a video statement Wednesday.
Back in Towson, it's uncertain what will happen to all the fruits and vegetables which go to the needy.
"In the best of all worlds, some neighboring church or green space would say, 'Hey, move all your stuff over there,' to their property, and continue this effort. And it would be wonderful if we could. But is it reasonable? I don't know. Blueberry bushes, how well do they transplant?" Wagner wondered.
The Archdiocese has characterized the closures as difficult, but necessary. Still, the loss of St. Pius X will create a void on York Road for the neighborhood, and the folks who go there every Sunday.
"We thought we had a chance at this," Wagner said, "And when we saw it the paper, it was really shocking."
The Archdiocese said no changes will be immediate, and they will take the needs of each parish into account.
