SerpApi.Org
Sunday Mass will cease to be celebrated at seven Catholic churches in northwest Minnesota as church leaders cite a shortage of priests and a decline in young religious people.
The Bishop of the Crookston Diocese noted that "the decision to cease celebrating Sunday Mass at a church is among the most difficult decisions a bishop must make," in a statement about the decision. Bishop Andrew Cozzens started meeting with parishes back in the fall in an attempt to develop a long-term plan for the diocese.
That has resulted in the number of parishes set to shrink from 65 to 58. "Our parish churches are not simply buildings. They are sacred places where generations have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist, the source and summit of our life. They are places where families have celebrated central moments in their lives like baptisms, weddings, confirmations, funerals, anniversaries and countless Sundays gathered to hear his Word and to share in his Life. At the same time, we must acknowledge that much has changed in our communities over the past decades," Bishop Cozzens said.
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The churches impacted include:
- St. Philip – Falun
- St. Mary – Badger
- St. Francis Xavier – Oklee
- St. Ann – Goodridge
- St. Francis of Assisi – Fisher
- St. Mary – Euclid
- St. Joseph – Oslo
Explaining the decision, Bishop Cozzens continued: "Throughout this whole area of our diocese the population has been decreasing. Fewer people means schools have been combined, and civic resources are being shared throughout. And the demographers tell us this trend will continue with continued decline in population in these counties in the next two decades. Some of these small parishes have no young people in religious formation, or at least very few. Some have trouble finding volunteers and rely on only a few dedicated people to keep the parish going."
He added: "We also continue to experience a shortage of priests. While our priests serve generously, there are limits to the number and locations of Masses they can celebrate on any given weekend. We must ensure that they can provide sustainable pastoral care and remain true spiritual fathers to the communities entrusted to them."
Cozzens told WDAY that half of the diocese's 32 priests are eligible to retire over the next decade. "So it is certainly possible that in the future we will have other parishes that will cease having Sunday Mass," he said.
"I think everybody is shocked," Ashley Solem, a St. Joseph parishioner, said. The Oslo church will close in October.
"The church is supposed to be the soul of the community; it's supposed to bring people together and make the community a better place to live," Solem added.
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Euclid will also close around the same time after weekly attendance dwindled to a couple dozen. "When they built the church at St. Mary's, it was a full house. It was packed," parishioner Steven Dahlin said.
"Throughout this process, I have often reflected on Jesus' words in John 15 about pruning. Pruning is difficult, but if it is done well, more fruit is produced. While these decisions are painful, they are intended to help position our parishes for a hopeful and fruitful future," Bishop Cozzens said in his statement.
