We are awaiting a time to hold joint meetings to discuss the next steps in our plan.  The June 4^th , July 16^th, and August 6^th issues of The Lumen [formally known as THE CATHOLIC GLOBE] have articles providing information about the additional planning, consolidations, mergers, and closings that the parishes of the Diocese of Sioux City will face in the coming months and years.  Many parish groups, including ours, will or may experience changes to our plan that was approved in 2017.  Our rebuilt Ministry 2025 Team includes parish Lay Directors, chairs of the Pastoral and Finance Councils, DREs, and others from each parish to assist with our next planning stage.

Questions that we need to address include:

1. 1. How do we create vibrant parishes, vibrant priests and deacons, and a vibrant Diocese?
   2. How do we become mission-driven rather than maintenance-driven?
   3. How do we protect our priests from burn out and so they can administer the parishes entrusted to them and provide the sacraments, evangelization, and fiscal oversight that is required of them?  That is: how do we help our priests to govern, sanctify, and evangelize our parishes to assist the Bishop in his role as chief shepherd of the Diocese and to help fulfill the mission of the Church given to us by Christ?
   4. What do we need to do to help our Diocese which has faced a great decline in the number of priests available to be pastors and parochial vicars for our 71 parishes in 33 parish groupings with ten [10] retirements coming in the next four [4] years and the possibility of only two [2] priestly ordinations in the next four [4] years?  The number of priests serving our Diocese has decline as follows:  1980 = 166; 1990 = 146; 2000 = 109; 2010 = 71; 2020 = 48.

For more information and facts, including the decline in the number of Catholics and those attending Mass, please check the June 4^th , July 16^th, and August 6^th issues of The Lumen [formally known as THE CATHOLIC GLOBE].