Parishioners seek new spiritual homes as East Bay Catholic church closures loom

OAKLAND, Calif. - For the 530,000 parishioners in the Diocese of Oakland, a looming restructuring is becoming a major test of faith. More than a dozen Catholic churches across the East Bay are now slated to close their doors permanently.

A community on the edge

Local perspective:

Crockett sits on the edge of Contra Costa County along the banks of the Carquinez Strait. It is a quiet retirement community where vintage cars frequent the main thoroughfares. Now, the town’s only Catholic church, St. Rose of Lima, is also on the edge of a permanent closure.

During a recent Thursday midday Mass, eight parishioners listened as the Rev. Leo Asuncion delivered a homily imploring them not to lose hope in the face of adversity.

"If there is no assembly, it’s hard," said Edgar Combong, a longtime parishioner. "It’s hard because that’s how you commune."

Combong and his wife, Maelourdes Combong, met as students in the Philippines. Fifty-two years later, they remain devoted to each other and their faith. A decade ago, they moved from San Pablo to Crockett specifically to be within walking distance of St. Rose.

"I don't drive. He’s the only one who drives," Maelourdes Combong said. "So if he won't be able to make the Mass, I could just walk over."

Shifting resources

Dig deeper:

That convenience will soon vanish. The Diocese of Oakland announced Wednesday that St. Rose of Lima and 12 other churches across the East Bay will close as part of a strategic reorganization.

"The goal has been to say, ‘Here are finite resources that we have,’" said Zach Flanagan, a theology and religious studies professor at Saint Mary’s College of California. "Here are places where things are growing and here are places where things are shrinking. This is where we really want to focus our attention."

The consolidation includes seven sites in Oakland, two in Alameda, and one each in Fremont, Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, and Crockett.

In an emailed statement, Bishop Michael Barber sought to frame the decision through a spiritual lens.

"While we love our local church building, the church has never been solely a building," Barber wrote. "The church has always been a people called by God and united in faith."

Financial pressures

What we know:

Despite the spiritual mission, Flanagan said the institution is not immune to economic reality.

"It is a religious community, but it still has bills to pay and it functions in the world the way that any other community does," Flanagan said.

The Diocese is navigating a storm of challenges, including a sexual abuse scandal that triggered a bankruptcy filing, declining Mass attendance, falling school enrollment, and a shortage of priests. These factors are forcing the centuries-old institution to consolidate.

"There will continue to be vibrant Catholic parishes throughout the diocese," Flanagan said. "My hope is that the other 67 will continue to be strong."

Looking east

What's next:

The closures are part of a five-year plan. While the Church is contracting in certain regions, experts note that other areas of the country are seeing expansion driven by population and demographic shifts.

For Edgar and Maelourdes Combong, the search for a spiritual home will now take them three miles east to a church in neighboring Port Costa. While the commute will be harder, Edgar said their foundation remains unshaken.

"Wherever we are, we still believe in God and everything," he said.