Cleveland, USA - As the Cleveland Catholic Diocese prepares to announce which parishes must close or merge, those at most risk may be the 51 nationality parishes that cater to specific ethnic groups such as Polish-Americans and Irish-Americans.
Some of the historically large nationality parishes in Cleveland have shrunk as members moved to the suburbs.
The faithful at St. Casimir, one of the last vestiges of an old Polish neighborhood, are on edge. The church, founded in 1892, still offers a Polish Mass but is no longer surrounded by the ethnic culture that built it. On a recent Sunday, no more than 50 joined in song and prayer at a Mass inside the church.
"I was baptized here, I was married here, and I want to be buried from here," said Tina Girod, 53.
Bishop Richard Lennon said closing some churches is necessary so that others can thrive. He intends to share decision with parish priests on Saturday.
Up to 50 parishes, mostly in urban areas, could close or be merged within the diocese because of declining numbers of parishioners and priests, reflecting consolidation also seen elsewhere in the United States.
For much of the diocese's history, ethnic churches thrived. New immigrants often built grand structures.
But many of the nationality parishes no longer reflect their Bohemian or German or Italian roots. Neighborhoods changed, enrollments dwindled and diocese officials questioned whether Mass in the mother tongue is essential when most parishioners speak English.