A Catholic Crisis in the Rust Belt

Published: May 15, 2019, 12:08 p.m.

Charles McElwee\xa0joins\xa0Seth Barron\xa0to discuss the decline of the Catholic Church in the Rust Belt and the impact of immigration on a working-class community in Pennsylvania.

The Catholic Church faces a crisis in an area that remains disproportionately Catholic. In 2018, a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailed how clergy covered up the abuse of children by more than 300 priests over a period of 70 years. Congregations continue to shrink, deepening the region\u2019s fragmentation and leaving a hole in its community life.

McElwee has just joined\xa0City Journal\xa0as assistant editor. His writing has appeared in\xa0The Atlantic,\xa0The American Conservative,\xa0National Review\xa0Online,\xa0The Weekly Standard, and other publications.