Northwest Iowa — Earlier this week we told you about a reorganization of Catholic churches within the Diocese of Sioux City. With the release of the “Ministry 2025” plan from the Diocese, changes will affect most of the parishes in northwest Iowa. Diocesan officials say some churches will remain as “active parishes”, some will be “worship centers, and still others are called “oratories”.
We talked to Father Brent Lingle, the Director of Worship for the Sioux City Diocese, and asked him what the different statuses mean for churches in this Diocese.
We asked Father Lingle what prompted the Ministry 2025 reorganization.
He said that here in northwest Iowa we’re experiencing a shortage of young men entering into the priesthood. But, Lingle says, that’s not true everywhere.
Lingle says the preliminary plan for Minstry 2025 was issued nearly a year ago, and that plan had listed St. Mary’s at Ashton as being downgraded to oratory status. He says that changed prior to the issuing of the final plan.
Father Lingle says the reorganization of the parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City will begin this summer, and changes phased in over the next few years.
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Original Post – 1/16/17 – 1:50 pm
Northwest Iowa — Nearly a year ago we told you about a restructuring plan being put together by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City that would affect, 
to a greater or lesser degree, all of the parishes in northwest Iowa. Late last week the Diocese released the final plan for “Ministry 2025”, which is the blueprint by which the parishes in the Diocese will be reorganized.
According to the plan, the “Highway 60 Catholic Cluster” which has included St. Patrick’s Parish in Sheldon, St. Mary’s Parish in Ashton, and St. Andrew’s Parish in Sibley, will be realigned to include St. Cecelia’s Parish in Sanborn. According to the Ministry 2025 plan, St. Patrick’s in Sheldon and St. Andrew’s in Sibley will remain as active parishes, while St. Mary’s in Ashton will be downgraded to a “Worship Site”, and St. Cecelia’s in Sanborn will become an “Oratory”. The Diocese defines an “oratory” as a worship site that no longer holds Sunday or Vigil Mass, but whose building may be used for local Catholic weddings, funerals, and other special events.
In the northwestern part of the listening area, St. Mary’s at Larchwood and Holy Name at Rock Rapids will be one cluster, and both will remain as active parishes.
St. Mary’s in Rock Valley, and and Christ The King in Sioux Center will be one cluster, and both will remain as active parishes.
St. Mary’s at Alton, St. Joseph’s at Granville, St. Anthony’s in Hospers, and St. Anthony’s at Primghar will all belong to one cluster, with all retaining active parish status, with the exception of St. Anthony’s at Primghar, which will be an oratory.
Sacred Heart at Sutherland will be a part of a cluster that will also include Immaculate Conception in Cherokee, and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Holstein. Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Good Counsel will both remain as active parishes, with Sacred Heart at Sutherland being downgraded to an oratory.
Holy Name Parish at Marcus, St. Mary’s at Remsen, and St. Catherine’s at Oyens will become one cluster, with Holy Name and St. Mary’s remaining active parishes, while St. Catherine’s at Oyens will become an oratory.
For a look at the new northwest Iowa Deanery design, you can visit the Diocese of Sioux City website by clicking here.
