The Diocese of St. Cloud has embarked upon the “most drastic reduction of Catholic parishes ever seen in Minnesota,” The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
“Right now, all of our 131 parishes have Mass every weekend,” said Brenda Kresky, director of diocesan pastoral planning. “We’re reducing that by [about] a third and saying, even if you remain open, you won’t have Mass on the weekend.”
“We are resurrection people,” she added. “You have to go through Good Friday to get to the resurrection. You don’t get to skip Good Friday.”
The Diocese of St. Cloud has 131 parishes, 49 diocesan priests active in the diocese, 87 total diocesan priests, and 73 religious priests in the diocese, according to the 2025 edition of The Official Catholic Directory.