The Archdiocese of Dubuque is halting weekend Masses at more than 80 parishes across northeastern Iowa this summer as part of a reorganization plan.
The reorganization, 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 “pastorates,” or groups of parishes that work closely together and share resources and ministries. Merged parishes will not yet be closed and may still be used for liturgical celebrations such as funerals, weddings, and weekday Masses.
The archdiocese, in which there are about 182,000 Catholics, has only one priest for every two parishes. The reorganization plan is designed to prevent burnout among the 85 priests actively serving in the archdiocese, a number that is expected to continue to decline.
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