A Catholic Crisis in the Rust Belt

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

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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.

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