In recent years, many dioceses have faced challenges such as declining attendance, a shortage of priests, shifting demographics and financial constraints. The Diocese of St. Cloud is no exception and is currently undergoing a process of restructuring. While these changes can be painful, they also open the door to renewal. Despite the hardships, there is real hope for the future of the Catholic Church, rooted in its unchanging mission, spiritual depth and ability to adapt.
One of the frequently asked questions is this: Isn’t this just about the priest shortage?
The priest shortage refers to the declining number of ordained Catholic priests, especially in regions like the U.S. and Europe. This has led to significant pastoral challenges. Several factors contribute: an aging clergy, fewer young vocations, smaller families, cultural changes and the Church’s damaged reputation from abuse scandals.
At the same time, this challenge invites us to focus on what really matters. The Diocese of St. Cloud grounds its planning process in five guiding principles: missionary discipleship, sacramental life, engaging the laity, listening as a way of being Church and prudent stewardship. These are not abstract ideas — they are how we live out our mission to be Christ’s heart of mercy, voice of hope and hands of justice.
Despite declining numbers, the Church’s core mission remains strong: spreading the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments and serving the poor.
As St. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” That promise reminds us that faith is not confined to buildings — it lives in the hearts of believers. Many communities are shifting from passive attendance to active discipleship, resulting in new forms of lay leadership and spiritual vitality.
A clear sign of hope is the rising role of laypeople. With fewer priests, the laity are stepping forward to lead ministries, organize parish life and evangelize. This development echoes the vision of the Second Vatican Council, calling for greater lay involvement. From youth ministry to social outreach, lay Catholics are now the pillars of many parish communities.
Globally, the Church is not shrinking — it’s shifting. Vibrant growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America is a source of encouragement, with many vocations and active faith communities. These regions are already helping renew more stagnant areas through cultural exchange and missionary zeal.
Technology also offers new paths for evangelization. From livestreamed Masses to social media, digital platforms have expanded the Church’s reach — especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. These tools help maintain connection and offer fresh avenues for faith formation and pastoral care.
What’s the real problem? It’s not just about numbers — it’s about alignment with mission. There are too many buildings with too few people, too little lay leadership and a need for more creative, mission-oriented thinking. Our culture has changed. The Church must evangelize differently, support its mission differently and empower skilled laity to lead in ways that complement, not replace, clergy leadership.
Grief over parish changes is real, but Christian hope isn’t based on nostalgia — it’s rooted in the Resurrection. Just as death led to new life for Christ, institutional loss can give rise to renewal. The Church, like in its earliest days, is being called to rediscover its missionary heart.
While the challenges are real, so too is hope. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, a growing global Church, and a committed laity, the Catholic Church will not only endure but flourish in the years ahead.
Action Steps for July
Diocesan Level
- Create resources and begin formatting the second guidebook
- Plan review committee meets and creates mutually agreed upon plan for reviewing ACC plans
All Things New Planning Committee
- Continue community engagement
- Discern goals from the guiding principles for the ACC plan
- Begin strategy development based on feedback from community engagement and design parameters
Parishioners
- Pray for the process
- Actively engage in town hall meetings, surveys or discussions when invited
- Ask questions for personal clarification on guiding principles or design parameters
- Be intentional about staying abreast of information that is given at diocesan and ACC levels
Missed the June planning update and stories? Visit stcdio.org/all-things-new to catch up!
Brenda Kresky is the director of planning for the Diocese of St. Cloud.
Thank you very much, Malcolm Nazareth, for demonstrating the integrity and the courage to put forth this critically needed challenge to the Diocese of St. Cloud.
You have clearly articulated the stark crisis that is overtaking the USA and, by implications, the rest of the world. I hope that the diocese very carefully considers every word that you have wrttten which most Catholics, Christians, people prefer to gloss over or, worse, pretend they are not noticing.
How the “All Things New” enterprize responds to your proposal will be the litmus test re. whether or not the Diocese of St. Cloud is prepared to respond assertively, at great risk no doubt, to the systemic Social Justice mandate of the GOSPEL of one Jesus (also) of Nazareth when he challenged the powers of his day. St. Cloud has the option to either go through the motions or to be a BEACON for the USA and the world.
Desmond Sequeira
Multi-Faith Chaplain (Rtd), Govt. of Ontario
St. Catharines ON Canada.
Dear Brenda,
Today was the kickoff for the July thro December 2025 phase of St. Cloud Diocese’s “All Things New” project which began in 2015 under Bishop Kettler. I participated in the presentation made on Sunday, 7/13, at 9 pm by Pastor Derek Wiechman at Newman Center. I expressed a few of my concern about the “Design Parameters for the Pastoral Plan” which consists of a one-page document that highlights six points. These parameters are eventually going to enable our ACC to forge a new Strategic Plan which our Diocese will implement in 2026. Clearly, under Bishop Neary we have moved significantly forward. The Synod on Synodality ended earlier this year. Good Pope Francis went to his reward, and Pope Leo XIV now leads the Church. It’s a proud time for the US. But it is also the first year of President Trump’s second term at the White House. Project 2025 is in full swing. Following are my concerns about the “Parameters” document: Number one: The motto of “All Things New” (ATN) is “Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future.” What is missing here? The present. “Engaging the present.” When ATN began ten years ago, things soon became challenging during Trump’s first term as President (2016-20). ATN was then only beginning to discern the process of Catholic Church reform in St. Cloud Diocese. This year Trump’s second term began in January and within six to seven months, our 250-year old democracy is being demolished from week to week, even from one day to the next. The US republic is being threatened so severely by the unfolding agenda and speedy implementation of Trump’s/Vought’s Project 2025, we may well be witnessing a coup or even the hostile takeover of all the major institutions of the US government. We citizens may well be watching the entry of fascism under a totalitarian dictatorship engineered by White Christian Nationalism. THIS is at the heart of our current reality in St. Cloud Diocese. Minnesota’s two outstanding lay Catholics Melissa and Mark Hortman were murdered by a White Christian Nationalist who is a devout evangelical. One finds this and other related facts to be of tremendous importance for a proper grasp of our current reality in St. Cloud Diocese. I believe the public, ongoing presence and participation of Bishop Neary and other clerics and nuns in the resistance movement happening nationwide and right here in Minneapolis/St. Paul, and even in St. Cloud, MN, seems vitally urgent. We must have frequent Town Halls led by Neary inviting ALL other citizens and leaders to voice their needs and concerns. Neary could easily get an adhoc interfaith/intercultural committee (including all religions and non-faiths) to take note of and promptly address the concerns that are voiced. The people’s concerns (political, social, economic, cultural, for example) need to be treated as sacred. Safety and security of new immigrants of color from the potential abuses of ICE may well be foremost among such needs. Such types of action would demonstrate our Catholic Church’s leadership and relevance to the present moment. It will inspire the future of our diocese, state, and nation like nothing else will. It’s time for the Church not to turn inward but to make our Stc Dio’s 29 ACCs cutting-edge Christian communities fully engaged in practical interfaith/intercultural dialogue and mission. I find this perspective of “engaging the present” to be sorely missing in the “Parameters” document which I read tonight at Newman. My second concern is that you, Brenda, as director of planning ensure that we turn our backs on clericalism and patriarchy. Get lay leaders, particularly women who can easily be identified in the dozens, to coordinate all the sessions of the coming six months. We should be leary of having “same old, same old” repetition of outmoded patterns of hierarchy, sexism, and domination in St. Cloud Diocese anymore.