Pastors of multiple parishes talk about their experiences

By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger

Six pastors leading 19 parishes in the Diocese of Davenport talk about the opportunities and challenges of ministering in multiple parishes in this second story of our series “Parish Planning: exploring positive ways to move forward.” Five of the pastors (one retired) met recently over Zoom with The Catholic Messenger’s editor, Barb Arland-Fye and diocesan Parish Planning Director Dan Ebener. The sixth pastor spoke separately with the Messenger.

A genuine love for their parishioners, celebrating the sacraments with them and collaborating with them accentuated the conversation. “We love our people and we try to do our best for all of them,” said Father Marty Goetz, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish-Newton and parochial administrator of Immacu­late Conception Parish-Colfax. Father Francis Mensah, pastor of St. Peter Parish-Cosgrove, St. Mary Parish-Oxford, and St. Mary Parish-Williamsburg, said, “I came to these parishes and found friendship, communication and expectation.”

Leading multiple par­ishes, however, inevitably requires dividing attention and time among the parishes and juggling a myriad of meetings — parish councils, finance councils, liturgy and other groups, which reduces quality time with parishioners. Those realities frustrate the pastors as well as the parishioners. The travel time — 45-mile+ round trips in some cases — gets exhausting when you factor in hospital calls, weddings and funeral Masses and visits to the homebound.

All of the pastors depend on parishioners to assist them in their ministry because they can’t be three or four places at one time. Collaboration and providing assistance comes more naturally for some parishes and parishioners than for other parish clusters, particularly if they have been collaborating for some time, the pastors have found.

Supportive parishioners

Father Robert Cloos, 66, is pastor of five parishes in northern Clinton County, which formed a cluster nearly a decade ago, long before he arrived. The parishes are Our Lady of the Holy Rosary-Lost Nation-Toronto, Assump­tion & St. Patrick-Char­lotte, Imma­cu­late Con­ception-Petersville, Ss. Mary & Joseph-Sugar Creek, and St. Patrick-Delmar.

The previous pastor likely reminded parishioners that if they wanted their parishes to be successful, they were going to have to help him, Father Cloos said. He praises the parishes’ joint evangelization team. He said the parishes collaborate on retreats and other events and get kids involved to keep them active in the Church.

As Father Cloos undergoes heart evaluations, “People have been very supportive. They ask how I am doing, how my tests are coming out. They are very caring. With the weight of running a parish, the parishioners are taking that weight off me. They are keeping me in the loop. I am very grateful. I couldn’t do it without them.”

Father Joseph Sia, 49, began his latest assignment last year, serving as pastor of St. Mary of the Visitation and St. Patrick parishes-Ottumwa and St. Mary Magdalen Parish-Bloomfield. The later parish has shared a pastor with St. Patrick Parish for years, but the two Ottumwa parishes began sharing a pastor and a parochial vicar for the first time when Father Sia arrived.

The Ottumwa parishes have been collaborating on streamlining processes, he said, after engaging in strategic planning after he arrived. One parishioner told him the parishes have talked about the possibility of merging since she was a child. “Now she’s a mother herself,” Father Sia said. The Bloomfield parish, nearly a 20-mile drive from Ottumwa, is a thriving parish with plenty of children. “They have been stepping up. They know the priest has to drive in from Ottumwa.”

Balancing act

Father Goetz, 58, while remaining as pastor of the Newton parish, received an additional assignment, effective July 1, to lead the Colfax parish as its parochial administrator. The Newton parishioners, he said, “think I’m just going over (to Colfax) on Sunday.” They don’t realize the assignment includes parish council, finance council meetings and other pastoral considerations. Of the parish families he serves, 83% are in Newton and 17% in Colfax. “I’m trying to figure out how to be present to the people in Colfax and also to continue to be present to the people in Newton,” says Father Goetz, who is undergoing treatment for stage 4 cancer.

The clustering required the Colfax parish to change its Mass time. But Father Goetz discovered something else. “We need to address (the notion that) we come out of a place of fear. I was asked if I was sent to close Colfax. I said, ‘I’m not here to close you. I’m here to grow you.’”

Father Mensah, 41, said the transition to his new assignment last year as pastor in Cosgrove, Oxford and Williamsburg was smooth. However, he had to change Mass times to coordinate schedules. “That was a bit of a problem,” he admits. He heard some whining and complaining but “most people understood.”

He has no problem asking for help from deacons who serve with him or retired diocesan priest Father David Wilkening, who previously served in Williamsburg. Father Mensah is also working with an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to assist him outside of the churches’ walls. “People are becoming more aware of the reality of the situation (fewer priests) and becoming more understanding of what we’re asking of our priests.”

 Sharing the workload

Father Rob­ert Lathrop, 66, is pastor to four parishes in three deaneries (regions) and three counties, Holy Trinity Parish-Keota, St. Mary Par­ish-Sigourney, St. Joseph & Cabrini Parish-Richland, and St. Joseph Parish-North English. He feels blessed for the help of two other priests. Father Wilkening, who resides in North English, one of the parishes he served prior to retirement, continues to celebrate Mass there as needed. Father Damian Ilokaba, chaplain at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City, serves as sacramental minister for Ss. Joseph & Cabrini Parish.

However, Father Lathrop said, administrative duties constrain him, as most of his staff is part-time. “I thought I was ordained to do pastoral ministry, but I’m learning that I have to let go, and let lay people share in that aspect of parish life.”

Father Nick Adam, 74, retired June 30 as pastor of St. Mary Parish-Fairfield, and as temporary parochial administrator of St. Alphonsus Parish-Mount Pleasant. The two parishes clustered for the first time earlier this year when the Mount Pleasant Parish pastor retired because of health issues. Father Adam, who is recovering from knee replacement surgery, said he retired because as a person ages, “You just get tired. I know we need to keep that in consideration.”

He believes the faithful — clergy and laity — “need to do more enabling of our parishioners. Give people more responsibility. Put them in charge. We need to tap them on the shoulder (the two-thirds who aren’t involved) and say, ‘I need your help with this’ … invite them back in with a task,” Father Adam said.

Father Ross Epping, 35, now leads the Fairfield and Mount Pleasant parishes. Referring to the whole body of Christ, he said, “We’re all trying to do our best and remembering that sometimes our best is trying our best and that is good enough, and it is good enough for God.” He added, “We fall into a pattern of comfort and familiarity. Things can change and they ought to. Let’s do our best and leave the rest to God.”

One Church family

Change is coming rapidly, as the number of priests available in the diocese to celebrate the Eucharist continues to shrink. Diocesan projections show that just 25 of the current 44 diocesan priests assigned to the 74 parishes in the diocese will be below the age of 70 (the age at which priests may retire) by the end of 2030. No one will be ordained to the priesthood in the diocese next year.

“The only thing we’re planning for is priests hitting 70,” Father Goetz said. “I’m 58 but I’ve got stage 4 cancer. Do we plan for one of our priests falling off a ladder (which happened this summer)?”

Communication, collaboration, sacrifice and scaling back on bureaucracy are essential, the pastors said. They suggested that perhaps reducing the number of Masses offered in areas where people have access to multiple parishes could alleviate the strain and emphasize the universality of the Church over parochialism and convenience.

“What’s more important? The time I go to Mass or the fact that I can receive the Eucharist?” Father Adam asked. Father Epping said, “It’s about empowering our parishioners and the folks in our pews to acknowledge the grace of being able to celebrate Mass together.”