In the final Mass at All Saints Parish in Buffalo, New York, on a warm Sunday in July, priests shared words of comfort with the few remaining parishioners. “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven,” they read from the holy scriptures.
Across the United States, many parishes are facing the reality that it is time to sell their properties.
Father Bryan Zielenieski, the priest overseeing renewal and development for the Diocese of Buffalo, is among the religious leaders confronting the closure of churches.
“We essentially went to half of what we used to back in the early 2000s,” he told ABC News. “We lost about 100 parishes,” he added.
As part of the Diocese’s “road to renewal,” Zielenieski anticipates closing another 70 churches, underscoring a shift in the way Americans engage with religion. Attendance has steadily dwindled, with many churches now baptising fewer than one person a month and struggling financially. Over half of the diocesan churches are spending more than they take in.
The decline is part of a broader trend seen across the country. In the late 1940s, nearly 80 per cent of Americans reported belonging to a religious institution. Today, that figure has dropped to 45 per cent, with just 32 per cent attending services weekly. Before the pandemic, around 1,000 churches were closing annually across America.
Some former places of worship have been repurposed for businesses or residential use, such as a Methodist church in Atlanta, which was sold to a real estate developer and transformed into luxury condos. Other churches, including some of the oldest, have been converted into bars or nightclubs.
However, not all churches are fading into history. In Atlanta, Pastor Jasmine Smothers is working to save the city’s First United Methodist Church by redeveloping its land into over 300 apartments, many of which will provide affordable housing.
“It’s literally going to change the landscape of Atlanta in more ways than one,” Smothers said. The project will generate funds to support the church’s ministries and ensure its future.
In small-town Calcium, New York, Pastor Milton LaSalle is navigating the challenges of maintaining a 171-year-old church. With a congregation of just 35 regular members, most of whom are elderly, the church is struggling financially but remains determined to stay open. “The aging of the church here, of course, is seen all over America,” LaSalle said, acknowledging the difficulties faced by many rural congregations. Despite the hardships, the church continues its community outreach, providing clothing and school supplies for those in need.
In Buffalo, Father Zielenieski reflects on the deep connection people have with the church, especially during times of crisis.
“When times are good, people forget God. When times are challenging, they go to God first,” he observed. But he also warned against taking the church for granted, stressing the importance of planning for its long-term survival.
The sale of All Saints Church in Buffalo is set to close in the coming weeks. The priests have included language in the sale agreement to ensure the building will not be repurposed for purposes that conflict with its sacred mission.
