{"id":99678,"date":"2026-07-26T02:51:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T02:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=99678"},"modified":"2026-07-26T02:51:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T02:51:04","slug":"7-crookston-minnesota-parishes-to-lose-sunday-masses-in-reorganization-plan-citing-priest-shortage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/7-crookston-minnesota-parishes-to-lose-sunday-masses-in-reorganization-plan-citing-priest-shortage\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Crookston, Minnesota, parishes to lose Sunday Masses in reorganization plan citing priest shortage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota announced that seven parishes will cease celebrating Sunday Mass in the coming months due to factors including a shortage of priests, lack of young people in religious formation, and trouble finding parish volunteers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe decision to stop having Sunday Mass at a church is amongst the most difficult decisions that have to be made,\u201d said Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O7w54Vgm0Ak&#038;time_continue=2&#038;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&#038;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fcrookston.org%2F\">video announcement.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe parish church, as we know, is the center of life \u2014 the center of our faith life for so many people, often for generations,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u02bcs the place where we most frequently live our relationship with God. It\u02bcs the place where the Mass is celebrated, especially on Sundays.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Four parishes in the Northeast Deanery of the diocese, including St. Francis Xavier in Oklee, St. Ann in Goodridge, St. Philip in Falun, and St. Mary in Badger, will celebrate their final Sunday Masses in August and September.<\/p>\n<p>In October, parishes in the Northwest Deanery, including St. Mary in Euclid, St. Joseph in Oslo, and St. Francis of Assisi in Fisher, will hold their final Sunday Masses.<\/p>\n<p>While the parishes will soon halt Masses, Cozzens explained the diocese has \u201cnot yet decided the merging of these parishes, nor have we decided anything about the future of the buildings.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cDemographics\u201d was a deciding factor, because throughout the diocese \u201cthe population has been decreasing,\u201d Cozzens said in the video. \u201cThere are fewer and fewer family farms\u201d and \u201cschools have been combined.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen these churches were built, there were often many large farm families throughout the area. Now it\u02bcs not the case,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome of these parishes have no young people in religious formation, or at least very few. Some have trouble finding volunteers to keep the parish going, relying on only a few dedicated parishioners,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The lack of priests in the diocese is another factor.<\/p>\n<p>In einer <a href=\"https:\/\/files.ecatholic.com\/37398\/documents\/2026\/7\/Letter%20from%20Bishop%20Cozzens%20regarding%20NW%20Deanery%20Decisions%20071826.pdf?t=1784217302000\">Brief<\/a> to the faithful, Cozzens explained the diocese continues \u201cto experience a shortage of priests\u201d and \u201cthere are limits to the number and locations of Masses they can celebrate on any given weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe must ensure that they can provide sustainable pastoral care and remain true spiritual fathers to the communities entrusted to them,\u201d Cozzens wrote. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSuffering and death are real parts of our lives as humans and as Christians. And if your parish is going to cease having Sunday Mass, it feels like a death because it is,\u201d Cozzens said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pain is real, and it\u02bcs a sign of how much you love your faith and how much your parish matters to you,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<h2>Discernment process<\/h2>\n<p>The bishop explained that the diocese came to the decision after undergoing \u201can extensive process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The diocese created committees made up of \u201cat least three representatives from every parish, totaling more than 20 people\u201d who \u201cworked hard to discern and pray about how we might use our limited resources to fulfill the church\u02bcs mission,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>Members of the Diocesan Planning Commission also worked to discern the best pathway to advance the mission of the Church.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen parishes become too small, it\u02bcs impossible to support a mission-centered parish life. We cannot do outreach. We cannot support opportunities for growth and faith and evangelization,\u201d the bishop said. <\/p>\n<p>Due to these reasons, the group made the recommendation to halt Sunday Masses at the parishes, which the bishop accepted. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I believe that although we have reached some difficult decisions, the Holy Spirit has guided this process,\u201d he said <\/p>\n<p>The bishop also offered a message to Catholics in the diocese \u201cwho are not losing Sunday Mass at your parish.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou have a special responsibility to show love to your neighbors. You can honor the sacrifice these others are making for our common faith. You can let them know that they are not alone and walk beside them in their grief,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can be the hands and feet of Christ by reaching out to them, and you can help us to form a new community in your church building as you invite new members to join you,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/7-crookston-minnesota-parishes-to-lose-sunday-masses-in-reorganization-plan-citing-priest\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/7-crookston-minnesota-parishes-to-lose-sunday-masses-in-reorganization-plan-citing-priest<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota announced that seven parishes will cease celebrating Sunday Mass in the coming months due to factors including a shortage of priests, lack of young people in religious formation, and trouble finding parish volunteers. \u201cThe decision to stop having Sunday Mass at a church is amongst the most difficult decisions [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-99678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":74990,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/archbishop-hebda-calls-for-hope-healing-as-community-suffers-heaviness-after-shooting\/","url_meta":{"origin":99678,"position":0},"title":"Archbishop Hebda calls for hope, healing as community suffers \u2018heaviness\u2019 after shooting","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Januar 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Archbishop Hebda speaks to EWTN News in August 2025. | Credit: \u201cEWTN News Nightly\u201d\/Screenshot Jan 13, 2026 \/ 13:11 pm (CNA). Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis described a pervasive \u201cheaviness\u201d in the community over federal agents\u2019 deadly shooting of a U.S. citizen.In his pastoral reflection on Jan.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Archbishop Hebda calls for hope, healing as community suffers \u2018heaviness\u2019 after shooting","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Archbishop-Hebda-calls-for-hope-healing-as-community-suffers-%E2%80%98heaviness-after-shooting-1.jpg?fit=766%2C616&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Archbishop-Hebda-calls-for-hope-healing-as-community-suffers-%E2%80%98heaviness-after-shooting-1.jpg?fit=766%2C616&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Archbishop-Hebda-calls-for-hope-healing-as-community-suffers-%E2%80%98heaviness-after-shooting-1.jpg?fit=766%2C616&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Archbishop-Hebda-calls-for-hope-healing-as-community-suffers-%E2%80%98heaviness-after-shooting-1.jpg?fit=766%2C616&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6809,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/syro-malabar-church-in-india-initiates-plan-to-resolve-bitter-liturgical-feud\/","url_meta":{"origin":99678,"position":1},"title":"Syro-Malabar Church in India initiates plan to resolve bitter liturgical feud\u00c2\u00a0","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Juli 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"[ad_1] Source A synodal Mass in progress at St. Dominic Church at Aluva in the Ernakulam Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church on July14, 2024. \/ Credit: Anto Akkara Kochi, India, Jul 17, 2024 \/ 14:50 pm (CNA). The simmering liturgical feud over the implementation of the synodal Mass that came\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/1721248975_synodal-msss-st-dominics-aluva.jpg?fit=1200%2C789&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/1721248975_synodal-msss-st-dominics-aluva.jpg?fit=1200%2C789&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/1721248975_synodal-msss-st-dominics-aluva.jpg?fit=1200%2C789&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/1721248975_synodal-msss-st-dominics-aluva.jpg?fit=1200%2C789&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/1721248975_synodal-msss-st-dominics-aluva.jpg?fit=1200%2C789&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":56123,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/san-bernardino-diocese-grants-sunday-mass-dispensation-to-those-fearing-deportation\/","url_meta":{"origin":99678,"position":2},"title":"San Bernardino diocese grants Sunday Mass dispensation to those fearing deportation","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Oktober 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino, Calif. \/ Farragutful via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 10, 2025 \/ 17:55 pm (CNA). Bishop Alberto Rojas of the diocese of San Bernardino, California has granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for those\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"San Bernardino diocese grants Sunday Mass dispensation to those fearing deportation","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/San-Bernardino-diocese-grants-Sunday-Mass-dispensation-to-those-fearing-deportation.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/San-Bernardino-diocese-grants-Sunday-Mass-dispensation-to-those-fearing-deportation.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/San-Bernardino-diocese-grants-Sunday-Mass-dispensation-to-those-fearing-deportation.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/San-Bernardino-diocese-grants-Sunday-Mass-dispensation-to-those-fearing-deportation.webp?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54364,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/vatican-grants-exemption-from-traditional-latin-mass-restrictions-to-texas-parish\/","url_meta":{"origin":99678,"position":3},"title":"Vatican grants exemption from Traditional Latin Mass restrictions to Texas parish","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Juli 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"An exemption to the restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass has been granted to a parish in the Archdiocese of San Angelo, Texas. \/ Credit: James Bradley, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Washington, D.C. 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The Vatican has granted a parish in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Christian News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Christian News","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/learn\/category\/christian-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Vatican grants exemption from Traditional Latin Mass restrictions to Texas parish","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Vatican-grants-exemption-from-Traditional-Latin-Mass-restrictions-to-Texas-parish.webp?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Vatican-grants-exemption-from-Traditional-Latin-Mass-restrictions-to-Texas-parish.webp?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Vatican-grants-exemption-from-Traditional-Latin-Mass-restrictions-to-Texas-parish.webp?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Vatican-grants-exemption-from-Traditional-Latin-Mass-restrictions-to-Texas-parish.webp?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"mfb_rest_fields":["title","jetpack_publicize_connections","jetpack_featured_media_url","jetpack-related-posts","jetpack_sharing_enabled"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99678"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99839,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99678\/revisions\/99839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99678"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=99678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}