Minnesota diocese to end Sunday Masses at 3 rural parishes amid population decline, priest shortage
The changes will take effect in October, though the diocese has not decided whether parishes will merge or how the church buildings will be used.
The Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota, will end Sunday Masses at three rural parishes this fall, a decision that follows a months-long consultation process in response to declining populations and an ongoing priest shortage.
Crookston Bishop Andrew Cozzens announced in a July 18 statement that Sunday Mass will no longer be celebrated at St. Mary in Euclid, St. Joseph in Oslo, and St. Francis of Assisi in Fisher.
Bishop Cozzens said the diocese’s ongoing priest shortage limits the number and location of Masses that can be celebrated each weekend.
The changes also come amid a continuing decline in the region’s population, a trend the bishop said demographers expect to persist over the next two decades.
Bishop Cozzens said the diocese must prioritize forming communities centered on evangelization, discipleship, and outreach rather than simply preserving buildings.
“By joining together with our resources, we can strengthen parish life and create vibrant communities that will serve future generations,” the bishop said.
He also acknowledged the deep ties parishioners have to the affected churches.
“If this feels like a loss, it is because it truly is a loss,” he said. “It is appropriate to grieve.”
According to the statement, consultation of future Mass schedules began in fall 2025 after the area was left with one fewer priests, increasing what he described as pressure on the remaining clergy serving several regional parishes. Teams from the affected parishes reviewed demographic and parish data through the winter and spring before making recommendations to the Diocesan Planning Commission. Bishop Cozzens accepted the commission’s proposal at the end of June.
Current Mass schedules will continue through the summer, with final Masses at all three churches planned for October, the statement said.
Bishop Cozzens said no decisions have been made about parish mergers, canonical status, or the future use of the church buildings.
