(Le Mars) — Members of the Le Mars Area Catholic Cluster have received a letter from their priests announcing the unification of St. James’ and St. Joseph’s parishes in Le Mars into one new parish as part of the Diocese of Sioux City Long Range Strategic Plan. The two parishes will have a new name, however, each parish will retain its name to specify location for various activities, and each will continue to provide worship services.
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After September 1st, Father Kevin Richter will serve as the pastor for both locations. He says the unification of the two Le Mars parishes is attributed to demographics.
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Father Richter says the financials is about the only area that the two parishes are not already sharing together.
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Richter says some of the rural Catholic Churches around Le Mars may need to close when some of the priests retire or are reassigned.
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Richter says the Diocese has been working on a strategic long range plan for some time. As for Father Eisle, he will remain in Le Mars, but will take on a role that relieves him from many administrative responsibilities.
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The St. Joseph priest says once the unification takes effect in September, then he and Father Eisle may rotate from parish to parish so each priest can get to know the parishioners from the other church. Richter says the two governing boards and various committees will be meeting in the near future to determine the direction of the new parish.
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