Planning Process
The Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Dubuque stands at an important crossroads — a moment of both reflection and renewal. As we launch the Journey in Faith initiative, we are entering a season of discernment rooted in synodal listening, earnest prayer, and deep trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
This work is a culmination of over a year of seeking feedback, discussion, and prayer. In addition to my own conversations throughout the diocese, I worked with an Envisioning Team, a group of 16 clergy, deacons and lay people from across the Archdiocese. Together, we reflected on where we have been as an archdiocese, where we are today, and where we want to go.
“I truly believe the Holy Spirit is calling us forward — to TRUST each other, to TRANSFORM our Church, and to do it TOGETHER. If we walk this path with courage, with faith, and with love — listening to one another and to God — we can renew our Church and build something lasting for generations to come.”
In order to achieve the vision and mission of our archdiocese, we must address the challenges facing our archdiocese today, which include regional and archdiocesan population shifts, a decline in the importance and practice of religion in our society, and too few priests to staff 160 parishes and 30 counties. The net result of these challenges is that we are limited in the time, energy, and resources we are able to allocate to current ministry needs associated with sustaining and growing our Church.
The data is alarming.
In the last two decades:
Mass attendance is down 46%
Infant Baptisms are down 22%
Catholic Marriages are down 57%
Funerals now exceed baptisms and is the only sacramental category that is growing.
Journey in Faith will examine the current organizational structure of parishes and schools to evaluate how they can best meet the needs of the faithful and address the challenges facing the Church today. It will be a discernment of how we will move from simply maintaining the parishes we have, towards a more mission-focused network of parishes.
Already, more than 22,000 parishioners have shared their wisdom, hopes and concerns through a comprehensive survey. But this is just the beginning. You will be asked for your input. Your lived experience of faith, your dreams for the Church, your honest feedback — all of this is essential as we shape a pastoral plan that reflects our shared mission and responds courageously to the demands of our time. Check back often for those opportunities.