Catholic churches in northwest Minnesota ending Sunday Mass, citing low attendance, priest shortage

Seven Catholic churches in northwest Minnesota will stop holding Sunday Mass. 

The diocese has been seeing declining attendance at the services, as well as a shortage of priests. Last fall, Bishop Andrew Cozzens began meeting with parishes to come up with a long-term plan for the diocese. 

The seven churches are St. Philip in Falun, St. Mary in Badger, St. Francis Xavier in Okless, St. Ann in Goodridge,, St. Francis of Assisi in Fisher, St. Mary in Euclid and St. Joseph in Oslo, the Grand Forks Herald reported. 

This will bring the total number of parishes down from 65 to 58. Cozzens said that half of the diocese's 32 priests will be eligible to retire over the next decade. 

The diocese will begin looking at the parishes on the southern side of the state this fall, with the goal of running the diocese on 25 priests.