Upcoming Events

Open Modal

First In A Four Part Series On How Changes To Sioux City Diocese Reorganization Plan Will Impact Rural Churches

Carroll Broadcasting is bringing you a four-part series, diving into upcoming changes proposed as part of the Ministry 2025 Pastoral Plan of the Sioux City Diocese. First, we will go back to the introduction of the multi-year plan. In February 2016, the diocese announced major restructuring, reducing the number of parishes in the 24-county region from 108 to 67. Forty-one parishes would close or merge with others, leaving 31 clusters. All by 2025. At that time, the Director of Pastoral Planning was Father Brent Lingle. He explained why.

The lack of people, Lingle said at that time, was not solely on the clergy side. He cited statistics, from 2008 to 2015, representing a 27 percent decline in mass attendance. Holy Family Parish in Lidderdale and Holy Angels Parish in Roselle were the first to become “oratory,” what is now called merged worship sites.

There were an additional eight rural parishes in this area in the original plan that were to be impacted. St. Mary Parish in Willey, St. Joseph Parish in Dedham and Annunciation Parish in Coon Rapids were to comprise cluster A, along with Holy Spirt and St. John Paul II churches of Carroll and be served by three priests. Cluster B was to include St. John Parish of Arcadia, St. Bernard Parish in Breda, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Mount Carmel, St. Augustine Parish in Halbur, Sacred Heart Parish in Templeton and St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Glidden. These were to be served by two priests. Lingle stressed that this initial rollout was a draft.

And in the past five years, there have been many, many changes. We will hear from a local parishioner about what is happening now and the dramatic impact it will have on rural Catholics in the next installment. The following segments will bring response from the new Director of Pastoral Planning, Mark Prosser, and live interviews and footage from a planned event for next Tuesday, March 2.

Recommended Posts

Loading...