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RANDOLPH - If a journey begins with a single step, some Catholic churches may find themselves out of breath and nearing the finish line.
The Archdiocese of Omaha’s reorganization called Journey of Faith began more than a year ago to address the declining number of priests, falling participation in the faith, and shifting trends in both rural and urban areas. As a result, about 1,300 Catholic parishioners in the area who regular attend Mass, may find themselves in a different church at a different time with a different priest this weekend with some of the final, major Journey of Faith changes are being implemented.
Seven area parishes have now been grouped together to form what is now known as the Holy Spirit Catholic Parishes, the name chosen to reflect the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Those churches part of the parish family include St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Randolph; St. Michael, Coleridge; Holy Trinity, Hartington; St. Peter, Newcastle; St. Mary of the Seven Dolors, Osmond; St. Joseph, Ponca; and St. Paul, Plainview.
The Rev. Kevin Vogel, Randolph, and the Rev. Owen Korte, Hartington, will be overseeing the parish group, rotating among the churches.
“We can be stronger with the support of each other rather than just being on our own. That’s more of the Biblical kind of model anyway when Jesus sent out the apostles in twos,” Vogel said. “We’re both your priests.”
Mass times will be 6 p.m. Saturdays at Holy Trinity, Hartington, and St. Paul, Plainview; 8 a.m. Sundays at St. Joseph, Ponca, and St. Frances, Randolph; and 10:30 a.m. Sundays at Holy Trinity, and St. Mary’s, Osmond.
There will no longer be weekend Masses at St. Peter, Newcastle, or St. Michael, Coleridge.
However, all churches will continue to have some weekday Masses, and funeral and wedding services.
“No parishes are closing. A lot of people interpret not having a Sunday Mass as the church being closed but that’s not correct. The parishes remain individual parishes,” Vogel said. “It’s just that the locations for Sunday Mass have to be limited based on the number of priests that we have to do them. We can’t be in every location all at once.”
The main office for the Holy Spirit Catholic Parishes will be at Hartington. Some church offices may reduce hours and services over time.
While minor adjustments may be made in daily Mass schedules in the future, no other major changes are planned, he said.
Vogel said his familial church in Howells is also ceasing Sunday Mass so he can relate to those struggling with changes. He’s visited with many parishioners one-on-one, encouraging them to change perspective.
“It’s parallel with people going through grieving. People’s relationship with God is connected to the place where they go,” Vogel said. “The reality is that the faith didn’t change. The truths that God gave to us, none of that changes. It’s not as though God has left us, he is still here.”
The Journey of Faith is specific to the Archdiocese of Omaha but the issues are spread across the United States, Vogel said, with other Christian church denominations facing similar challenges of lack of clergy and a decrease in church participation.
The Journey of Faith goal is for each parish family to become a “missional community” of outwardly sharing faith with others. It will also be important for parents to look inwardly and evaluate if they are open to God’s vocational calling on their children, Vogel said.
“When you’re facing decline . . . the tendency is to turn in and want to just keep things the way they are and protect it against all the changes that are going on,” he said. “That actually plays into the decline rather than we go out and how can we serve those people around us? It doesn’t mean you have to do it in a weird way like, ‘Hello stranger, let me tell you about Jesus.’ It’s much more natural in your daily life. Who do you interact with? And just be yourself, but allow faith to influence how you live and how you act and in those moments where religion comes up, don’t be afraid to share.”
