The case for keeping Our Lady of Victory open | READER COMMENTARY
As the Archdiocese of Baltimore contemplates its Seek the City to Come proposals for the mergers of Baltimore and Baltimore County parishes, we call on the archdiocese to reconsider the proposed merger of Our Lady of Victory (OLV) and several west side parishes into St. Agnes Church. We believe OLV should remain open (“Archdiocese should take a deeper look at its woes,” May 4).
OLV is a vibrant community hub where over 500 parishioners gather each weekend. It is home to a rapidly growing Burmese refugee community, providing a safe haven and spiritual home after they’ve fled civil war and dictatorships. Many of them walk to Mass from nearby apartments and could be cut off from the sacramental life if OLV is shuttered.
Our sprawling 13-acre campus, two minutes from exits for interstates 695 and 95, offers ample space for current activities and expansion. We are the ideal location for community gatherings and a strategic venue for archdiocesan events, with well-maintained facilities and expansive parking.
OLV embodies the essence the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Eucharistic vision for the City Church of Baltimore. It cultivates a vibrant, Christ-centered community that administers a much-needed food pantry to nearly 50 families every weekend along Wilken Avenue. The church stands as a beacon of inclusivity and personal transformation, and is a treasured resource for the local neighborhoods. Everyone — regardless of ethnicity, culture, background or spiritual journey — feels welcomed and valued. OLV boasts two seminarians and a deacon candidate from its community, a clear indicator of the parish’s vibrant spiritual life and its role in nurturing the church’s future leaders.
Our Lady of Victory’s closure would be a loss to its parishioners as well as a setback to the broader mission of the Catholic Church in this region.
— Our Lady of Victory Pastoral Council, Catonsville
Members of the council are: Linda Judson, president; and Kathleen F. Bibo, Andrea J. Craig, Beverly Hagan Luers and Matt Palmer.
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