This past week I was the guest of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, invited there to give a daylong leadership day on the Emerging Models findings. It was a great day - good people and gracious hospitality. Their challenges are not unique but do harken to the future path of many dioceses.
The population of Iowa is declining, due to the decline of family farming and the consequences of the economic downturn. The number of available pastors has also declined, half as many as 10 years ago, so that 2/3rds of the parishes are linked or clustered. In both cases there is but one pastor... clustering is a more formal arrangment than linking.
As the Vicar General noted in his remarks, these gatherings were once all clergy. Now the majority in the room are lay ecclesial ministers, including principals. Schools are being consolidated along with parishes. There continue to be too many parishes for the population even though Archbishop Hannus has closed 44 parishes in the past 16 years. They are part of the new narrative that is being written and must be told.
What can we learn from them? Part of the challenge is parishioners overly identified with a parish or a high school or a town and unable or unwilling to move into a collaborative arrangment with a group once considered 'the enemy.' Iowa is about small town America. Many of our Catholics, and not a few of our immigrants live in these areas. How are we being challenged? How do we find a future filled with hope?
