The Albany Catholic Diocese is exploring realigning or closing dozens of its parish churches and other buildings, including some schools, Bishop Edward Scharfenberger said in a letter published Monday on the diocese's official publication, The Evangelist.  

Scharfenberger said mergers, sales or closures of some churches, rectories and schools should be anticipated as part of the process.

The bishop cited financial struggles, declining levels of attendance, participation and volunteerism and issues with building maintenance as key reasons behind the announcement.  

"With a longstanding history of vibrant parish life up until the 2000s, we now face a financial and maintenance crisis as well — we have too many buildings! — which is leading us to realign or relinquish perhaps one-third of 126 parish churches and other buildings, even some of our remaining parish schools," Scharfenberger said in the letter.

The bishop said each parish in the diocese will take part in the decision-making process over the coming months and more details on any changes will be announced on June 8.  

"We need to focus now on re-evangelization, re-education and becoming the mission Church we long for and know we can be," Scharfenberger said.

The Albany Diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2023. Hundreds of cases have also been filed against the diocese alleging sexual abuse under the Child Victims Act, which extended the statute of limitations, allowing people to file civil suits against their alleged abusers.

In March, Judge Robert Littlefield Jr. of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of New York ruled eight cases against the Albany Diocese can advance to trial, reopening Child Victims Act cases that were sidelined by the diocese's bankruptcy filing.