Brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today I come to you with both gratitude and hope as I share the fruits of discernment that have emerged through the Journey in Faith process in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

Over the past year, so many of you have participated in this journey as you prayed and listened, shared your hopes and concerns, and offered thoughtful feedback about the future of our parishes and archdiocese. I am deeply grateful for your engagement, for the love you have for the Church, and for the shared hope that we might walk together in unity through this process.

We have been following a synodal path — walking together, listening to one another, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit — not as isolated communities, but as one Church.

Through parish meetings, regional gatherings, written feedback, and countless conversations, we have heard from thousands of the faithful across our archdiocese. Your voices, your stories, and your commitment to your parishes have shaped this process in meaningful ways and strengthened our sense that we belong to one another. We have also gathered and reviewed extensive data from every parish, including demographic, sacramental and financial information.

The Archdiocese of Dubuque is a vast and diverse Church. It serves Catholics across 30 counties in northeast Iowa, with over 180,000 Catholics worshipping in 160 parishes. Our priests and parish communities serve both rural towns and large cities — each with its own history and traditions, yet all united in the one mission of Christ.

At the same time, like many dioceses across the country, we are facing sobering realities. The number of faithful attending Mass has declined by 46% in 20 years and the number of priests available for ministry has been decreasing. The need for Evangelization, Leadership Formation, and Pastoral Planning is evident. Journey in Faith is providing us with a plan for how our communities can work together more intentionally for the sake of the Gospel, in these three focus areas. I envision us not as separate parts, but as one body — stepping forward in courageous honesty. Demographic realities, the decline in the number of priests and religious, and the need for priests to serve more than one parish aren’t signs of failure. They are signs of change. And change in the life of the Church has always called the faithful to deeper trust.

Every parish church is a place where Christ is made present in the Eucharist. A place filled with memories — baptisms, weddings, funerals, and generations of family faith. Every Catholic school has sent forth generations of graduates formed in the faith. The sacrifice of those who built these institutions — the immigrant families who gave from what little they had to lay a cornerstone, the priests who served faithfully in small rural parishes, the sisters who formed generations in the classroom — isn’t diminished when a building is used infrequently or not at all. Their sacrifice lives on in the mission we now carry forward. I know change can be difficult.

At the same time, our mission calls us to look beyond what is comfortable and familiar and ask how we can best proclaim the Gospel in the years ahead.

After careful discernment, prayer, and consultation, I have reached decisions regarding the pastorate structure for the Archdiocese of Dubuque and the priest assignments that will support its implementation.

Moving forward, the Archdiocese of Dubuque will be organized into 24 pastorates.

A pastorate is a group of parishes that will work together more closely, sharing pastoral leadership, ministries, and resources in order to strengthen the mission of the Church in their communities.

Each pastorate has been assigned a pastor and a parochial vicar or vicars. The weekend Mass locations for each pastorate have been determined as well.

Since every community is unique, you can find information specific to your parish, your pastorate, and your assigned priests on the Journey in Faith website.

Beginning this fall, each pastorate will be guided through a process to discern how they can best work together as a unified and strengthened community.

We will move beyond simply maintaining what we have and instead build vibrant pastorates where parishioners support one another in ministry, worship, pastoral care, evangelization, and leadership formation — thereby growing stronger together than they could alone.

The first disciples were sent out by Jesus to proclaim the Gospel with courage and trust. Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, many religious sisters, and our immigrant ancestors also came before us with courage and trust — establishing not just parishes, but a Church united in faith.

There are voices and concerns that risk dividing us, particularly around Sunday Mass in some communities. Even so, I am confident that, as we remain united in the Holy Spirit and grounded in the Eucharist — wherever we gather for worship — the Lord will bring this process to a good and grace-filled outcome.

And so I ask you to continue walking this journey with me — and with one another — with courage and trust. May we be worthy of the sacrifices of those who have gone before us, by carrying it forward, together, in faith and in mission.

Please pray for your priests, deacons, and parish staff.

Please pray for one another, that we may be united in Christ.

And please pray for me, that I may continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit as we move forward together.

Thank you for your faith, your patience, and your love for the Church.

May God bless you, and may God bless the Archdiocese of Dubuque as we continue our Journey in Faith — together.

Archbishop Thomas Zinkula
Archbishop of Dubuque