Carroll Broadcasting is bringing you a four-part series, diving into upcoming changes proposed as part of the Ministry 2025 Pastoral Plan of the Sioux City Diocese. First, we will go back to the introduction of the multi-year plan. In February 2016, the diocese announced major restructuring, reducing the number of parishes in the 24-county region from 108 to 67. Forty-one parishes would close or merge with others, leaving 31 clusters. All by 2025. At that time, the Director of Pastoral Planning was Father Brent Lingle. He explained why. The lack of people, Lingle said at that time, was not solely on the clergy side. He cited statistics, from 2008 to 2015, representing a 27 percent decline in mass attendance. Holy Family Parish in Lidderdale and Holy Angels Parish in Roselle were the first to become “oratory,” what is now called merged worship sites.