(KRON) -- A dozen Catholic Churches across the East Bay are closing, Diocese of Oakland Archbishop Michael C. Barber announced in a letter published Tuesday. Barber said the closures are necessary as the parishes have reported declining Mass attendance. In addition, one pastoral center is closing. Barber cited an "all-time low of priests" in the Diocese of Oakland's 80 parishes, coupled with the rising average age of priests. The archbishop added that a number of parishes and schools are struggling financially as "demographics in the East Bay are changing." See the list of parishes closing below: Mary Help of Christians, Oakland Our Lady of Guadalupe site at Blacow Road, Fremont Our Lady of Lourdes, Oakland Sacred Heart, Oakland St. Albert the Great, Alameda St. Augustine, Oakland St. Barnabas, Alameda St. Paschal Baylon, Oakland St. Patrick, Oakland St. Rose of Lima, Crockett St. Stephen, Walnut Creek Transfiguration, Castro Valley St. Andrew Kim Korean Pastoral Center, Oakland "We have successfully closed worship sites in the past," Barber said in the letter. "With considerable consultation and sustained prayer, I have determined it is necessary to close the following parish sites and pastoral center, and provide welcoming accommodation of all affected parishioners at another convenient location." Trump says he won’t apologize to Pope Leo and explains his reason for posting much-criticized meme A woman sits alone before Catholic Mass at Benedictine College Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in Atchison, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Rising boxing star from Oakland returns to Bay Area for homecoming fight The closures of these parishes have been in the works, dating back to 2021 when the Diocese launched its Mission Alignment Process (MAP), which is meant to "address a growing gap between our mission and the operational realities of our parishes." The first phase of MAP began in the second half of 2022, according to the Diocese. On Tuesday, Barber announced the next phase of closing those 13 sites. "The challenges of declining participation in parish life - sacramentally, financially and ministerially - are not unique to the Diocese of Oakland. Other Catholic dioceses and churches throughout the United States are impacted with similar challenges," a statement from the Diocese read. Despite the reported decline in Catholic Church attendance stated by Barber, nationally, it has been reported that the Catholic Church has seen a rise in converts. However, the increase, per the Catholic Standard, did not mention it happening in California. The Diocese of Oakland released a page of Frequently Asked Questions here. ...read more read less