In the second segment of Carroll Broadcasting’s four-part series on the restructuring of local parishes by the Sioux City Diocese, we hear from a Willey resident who says three local churches—St. Mary in Willey, St. Augustine in Halbur and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Mount Carmel—will face the loss of their weekly masses in the very near future. Sue Riesselman was born and raised in Willey and has ties to the very foundation of the Church of St. Mary. She says her great grandfather, Casper Werner, and another Willey resident, Michael Wurzer, each donated five acres to the church, which was founded in 1881 with a church building built in 1882. Construction on the current brick church was initiated in 1910. Over the course of her 67 years, Riesselman says there have been demographic changes, but the membership has been vibrant.
The original Ministry 2025 plan, developed in 2016 but since altered greatly, was to have St. Mary included in a cluster of churches aligned with St. John Paul II in Carroll. In August of last year, Riesselman says they were notified that St. Mary, St. Augustine and Our Lady of Mount Carmel would see a change in status. However, they were offered a means to forestall an alteration that would limit use to private prayer, weddings, funerals, etc.
Riesselman feels that the communication lines between the parishes and the diocese have been flawed, and after several mergers, it is still not yet clear to them when they will celebrate their last mass and how that notification will be delivered.
Several parishes to be impacted by the changes planned by the diocese have banded together, filing lawsuits.
And, planning a physical demonstration to peacefully voice their concerns next week.
That rally is planned for next Tuesday, March 2 with parishioners at the Sioux City Diocese offices from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Total attendance from throughout the 24-county region is anticipated to be from 600 to 900 people or more. A Carroll County contingent will be leaving from the Bomgaars parking lot that morning at approximately 9:30 a.m. Riesselman will be one of those attending because she, and many others, are heartbroken about how these changes may impact their personal faith and the members of these parishes.
Riesselman believes rural Catholicism will be devasted and people will be scattered. Some will find another parish to join, some will never attend church again, some will go to other denominations. She says in the last issue of the Lumen, Bishop R. Walker Nickless stated there were too many churches, too few mass attendees and too much burden on priests. Riesselman states parishioners would never want to burden their priests. In our next segment of this series, Carroll Broadcasting will bring you response from the current Director of Pastoral Planning for the Sioux City Diocese, Mark Prosser.
