The Archdiocese of New York is looking to merge 50 parishes due to falling attendance and a financial strain on the Roman Catholic institution.
Most closings of individual parishes will occur in the Bronx and Manhattan, according to Capital New York.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced the decision, based on a need to save money, in a column in Catholic New York. The archdiocese currently has 368 parishes in the city. That number will be shrunk by 14 percent after the consolidation. New York City has too many parishes at the moment, Dolan wrote. In some cases, parishes can be found just a block from each other. [Capital NY] — Claire Moses