CNA Staff, Nov 5, 2025 / 12:50 pm

The Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, is in the midst of a restructuring plan called the “Journey in Faith” initiative that will result in parish mergers and other major changes due to declining church attendance, financial pressures, and priest shortages.

At a homily he gave at the beginning of September, Archbishop Thomas Zinkula cited “dramatic shifts in population, culture, and finances within our archdiocese. We are using only 37% of our church capacities each weekend. Since 2006, Mass attendance is down 46% throughout the archdiocese.”

According to archdiocesan data, Catholic marriages have declined 57% and infant baptisms are down 22% since 2006. The only thing that has increased is Catholic funerals, up 3% in the same time period.

Regarding the p

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