In a letter dated Tuesday, April 28, Bishop of Oakland Michael C. Barber announced the upcoming closures of two Catholic churches in Alameda—St. Barnabas at 1427 Sixth Street and St. Albert the Great at 1022 Holly Street—along with 10 others in the East Bay.
The decision was made due to “diocesan-wide trends in declining Mass attendance, participation in the sacraments, and Catholic school enrollment that began in the early 2010s,” Bishop Barber stated in the announcement letter sent to priests and parish members. “We are also at an all-time low of priests assigned to our 80 parishes, and the average age of our priests continues to climb. Some parishes and schools are struggling with financial sustainability.”
The Bishop said the decision comes as part of the diocese’s Mission Alignment Process (MAP), which seeks to engage clergy and parishioners “in a process of self-reflection and renewal.”
The announcement stunned parishioners, neighbors, and employees in Alameda, ABC 7 News reported. Agatha Leong, a lifelong member of Saint Barnabas said a friend texted her and told her about the closing…