Catholics Must Be Open to Lay Support
The Catholic Church in Iowa is facing severe priest shortages, prompting meetings across the archdiocese of Dubuque to discuss grouping churches together and closing others.
Despite previous attempts at restructuring, such as the "Clustering" plan, the number of priests and Mass participation continue to decline. The current proposal to close more churches does not address the underlying issue of serving all Catholics.
A potential solution lies in expanding the role of deacons, allowing both men and women to serve in this capacity, and providing education and opportunities for growth. This would enable the church to pay for deacon education and include women in meaningful leadership roles beyond traditional tasks.
Allow both men and women to be deacons and expand their roles and responsibilities.
This approach could help alleviate the priest shortage while maintaining church services and community engagement.
Author's summary: Catholics must consider lay support to address priest shortages.