Canon law and the Dubuque model
The archdiocese’s novel clustering program raises interesting canonical questions.
The Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa, announced this month the clustering of its 160 parishes into 24 “pastorates,” each of which will share a common pastor assisted by one or more assistant priests.
The move, announced April 11, is in line with other parish clustering programs undertaken by U.S. dioceses to cover adequately existing territorial parish footp…