The Archdiocese of Dubuque is stopping weekend Masses at more than 80 parishes in northeastern Iowa this summer as part of a restructuring plan.
The restructuring, which began in September 2024 in response to declining numbers of priests and churchgoers, is now in its third and final phase. The archdiocese will be organized into 24 divisions.shepherd,” or groups of parishes that work closely together and share resources and ministries. Merged parishes will not be closed and can still be used for religious ceremonies such as funerals, weddings, and weekday masses.
The archdiocese, which has about 182,000 Catholics, has only one priest for every two parishes. The restructuring plan is designed to prevent tensions among the 85 priests actively serving in the archdiocese, a number that is expected to continue to decline.
Several dioceses across the United States have taken similar steps to reorganize parishes in recent years, including the Archdioceses of St. Louis, Detroit and Seattle.
‘Proceed with courageous honesty’
According to a statement shared with EWTN News, Archbishop Thomas Zinkula said the new plan was based on “comprehensive data” from each parish.
According to archdiocese numbers, Mass attendance has dropped by nearly half compared to 2006. Catholic marriages have declined by more than 50% over the same period, while infant baptisms have declined by 22%.
“Like many dioceses across the country, we are facing grim realities,” the archbishop said. “The number of faithful attending Mass has declined by 46% in 20 years and the number of priests available for ministry is decreasing.”
Zinkula said, “Demographic realities, the decline in the number of priests and religious, and the need for priests to serve more than one parish are not signs of failure. They are signs of change.” “And change in the life of the Church has always called the faithful to deeper faith.”
According to the clergy website, when parishes merge, the assets will be transferred to the new parish where the affected parishioners will be assigned.
“I see us not as separate parts, but as one body – moving forward with courageous integrity,” the archbishop said.
‘In a state of shock’
Zinkula described the archdiocese as “a vast and diverse Church”.
He said, “Our priests and parish communities serve both rural towns and large cities – each with its own history and traditions, yet all united in the one mission of Christ.”
One of the Catholic parishes that will no longer hold summer weekend Masses Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Established in 1958, Immaculate Conception was First Catholic Parish In the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Father Aaron Junge, pastor of Immaculate Conception, told EWTN News: “I am choosing to focus on being with my people in their grief.”
Junge said, “My people are still in a state of shock as well as grief, but I have also seen signs of hope and a willingness to consider what new realities God is inviting us to.”
“This weekend, we heard that Jesus has overcome his sorrow and doubt with his access to the wounds of St. Thomas, and so it is for those wounds that I am doing my best to tell my people about his wounds,” he said.
Junge said he hopes the merger can bring parishioners Christ to the downtown area of Cedar Rapids.
“Ultimately, my hope for the future is that the people of the Immaculate Conception will join together with others of our new clergy to form a community that will be greater than the sum of its component parts and focused on the worship of our Lord and His witness in the sacraments,” Jung concluded.
Continuing the gospel mission
Zinkula acknowledged the difficulty of the coming changes and urged parishioners to think of it as a continuation of the Gospel mission.
Zinkula said, “Our mission calls us to look beyond what is comfortable and familiar and ask how we can best preach the gospel in the years to come.”
He said, “Every parish church is a place where Christ is made present in the Eucharist. This place is full of memories – baptisms, weddings, funerals and generations of family faith.” “Every Catholic school has sent forth generations of graduates formed in the faith.”
Zinkula continued, “The sacrifice of the people who built these institutions – the immigrant families who donated everything they had to lay the cornerstone, the priests who served faithfully in small rural parishes, the sisters who raised generations in the classroom – is not diminished when a building is used infrequently or not at all.” “Their sacrifice lives on in the mission we now pursue.”
The Archbishop urged parishioners to remain united throughout the transition.
“There are voices and concerns that risk dividing us, especially around Sunday Mass in some communities,” he said. “Yet, I am confident that, as we remain united in the Holy Spirit and steadfast in the Eucharist – wherever we gather for worship – the Lord will bring this process to a good and gracious outcome.”
“And so I ask you to continue this journey with me – and with each other – with courage and faith,” Zinkula continued. “Let us carry it forward together in faith and mission, worthy of the sacrifices of those who have gone before us.”
