Le Mars area cluster looks at options

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
July 10, 2003

Last year the six parishes from two clusters in the Le Mars area merged into one cluster. For the last 10 months, leaders from all of the parishes have been investigating how to continue to serve the needs of the people as fewer priests are available to minister in the cluster.

"Since last year, we have known that the number of priests in the Le Mars area are declining," noted Father Mark Stoll, pastor at St. Joseph Church and president of the cluster finance council. "We will be down from five priests to four priests serving six parishes. We know that those numbers will continue to decline."

A special meeting for parish and finance council members from the six parishes - St. Joseph, Ellendale; St. James, Le Mars; St. Joseph, Le Mars; Assumption, Merrill; St. Joseph, Neptune and St. Joseph, Struble - was held last month to present the realities of the cluster situation as well as discuss of the possibilities for the future, five to seven years from now.

Included in discussion was the possibility of unifying into one parish.

"We realize there will come a day when one priest will most likely serve in Le Mars, but he cannot minister to six parishes. It is not feasible. In the process of our cluster meetings - cluster pastoral and cluster finance council - we know there is a need to consolidate six parishes into one," said Father Stoll.

At the June 18 meeting, they also discussed the need to form four committees which will look at the feasibility of consolidating the six parishes. The four committees, to be made up of representatives from all of the cluster parishes, will include 1) legal issues, 2) site/need/facility design; 3) financial capability of current parishes and 4) cost projections for a new parish including the needs of Gehlen Catholic School.

"We are trying to be pro-active," he stressed. "We have to plan for the future, otherwise we will lose and be caught off guard. There are going to be other parishes in our diocese that are facing the same thing we are, and if they don't start planning now, they will be caught off guard."

Depending on the location of a new church, Father Stoll said it is more than likely that they would lose some of the current parishioners to other area parishes such as to those in Akron, Oyens, Sioux Center and Sioux City. Even with this in mind, the unified parish would consist of about 1,700 families. The new church would have to accommodate about 1,000 to 1,500 people.

"We kept the parish councils together at the meeting so they could discuss the situation among themselves and present to us their hopes, challenges, fears and goals for the cluster," said Father Stoll. "Many of the things that came up are issues that both the cluster pastoral and finance council are aware of and have discussed. There is a concern, especially from the smaller parishes, about losing that small community sense."

He acknowledged that bigger is not necessarily better, but it is the way things are headed out of necessity. The pastor added that they can work to create a small Christian community feel in a large parish with the help of a lay staff.

Mary Ann Pick, a parish director from Assumption, said she is happy a priest will continue to minister to her parish at the present time and will personally help keep their parish alive as long as possible. She would love to see their religious education program continue in Merrill.

"I really do like our small parish. We are close-knit," she stressed. "But I will do whatever I have to do in the future to go to Mass. I will not give up my faith."

Pick, who plans to keep an open mind about the future, will become a member of the new unified parish if that is the route it goes.

Dick Kellen, a parishioner and parish trustee from St. James, said, "As far as I am concerned, things are going well. The people are informed and they know there will have to be changes."

While not all people are thrilled with the possibilities, he acknowledged the parish leaders realize it will have to be done - "it's just a matter of time to get it finished. We are trying to do what's best for the cluster."

He likes the idea that people from all of the parishes will be involved in the process so that a wide range of views will be represented.

Kay Morrissey, vice chancellor of the diocese with Father Stoll and a member of the diocesan strategic planning committee, attended the June meeting as well as previous ones for the cluster.

"I was pleased to be asked to be a part of the meetings in the Le Mars area to listen to people honestly express themselves - the positive attributes and their concerns. They have been honest with one another, open with one another and realistic about facing the future," she said. "That is certainly what we hope for - that people are willing to sit down together from various parishes."

Morrissey pointed out that over the last 100 years, the church has done a good job in helping people understand what it was to be a part of the parish. There were many parishes because travel was much more difficult. Facing the reality of less priests, she added, that people must look at the best way to minister for the common good of all in today's circumstances.

"I commend the people of Le Mars. They are asking the tough questions and working with tough issues," she said.

As of late summer, 86 priests will be serving in diocesan parish ministry. This number includes Father Bill McCarthy, recently ordained, and one who will return from graduate studies as well as five priests who are beyond the age of 70 that continue to serve. Twelve priests are serving outside the diocese.

Parish ministry will be impacted by the reality that 22 priests reach the age of 70 between 2004 and 2008. An additional 13 priests will reach the age of 70 by 2013.

"There is no way that we are going to have enough priests to cover the parishes that we have currently," stressed Father Stoll, who added that people drive several miles for jobs, shopping and entertainment. Society is much more mobile.

He pointed out that Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo has told them there is a strong probability that by the year 2010 there will only be two priests in Plymouth County. That would mean only one priest for the Le Mars area.

Stats shared at this spring's town hall meetings reflected a 32 percent decline in birth rate in Plymouth County in the past 20 years.

In addition, as the number of priests serving the cluster declines, the number of Masses offered also must decrease and within a year or two there may not be enough seating capacity in the present churches to accommodate church goers.

With all this in mind, many of the parishioners realize the need for unifying into one parish. The more informed parishioners are about the real situation, the more accepting they are of the concept.

Bishop DiNardo has been kept informed of the discussion within the cluster. He is supportive of the idea of having one parish for Catholics in the Le Mars area.

As cluster leadership continues to study all of its options, various concrete decisions have been made such as the decision to hire a pastoral minister. Starting on July 15, they will adjust the Mass time schedule and will drop two Masses between the six parishes. The parishes are also presently working on a unified schedule for the coming year. Within a year, it is likely that pastors of the cluster may adopt more of a team ministry approach.

Father Stoll said if the one parish plan moves forward, eventually the parish would hire additional lay employees and would be pleased if there were vocations to the permanent diaconate in the Le Mars area.