Parishes merge to form new St. Donatus Parish

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Earlier this month, a diocesan decree announced the canonical merger of the three parishes in Alton, Granville and Hospers in the Diocese of Sioux City into the newly established St. Donatus Parish of Alton.

According to Father Dan Greving, pastor, it was more than five years ago when the diocese announced a pastoral plan and the pastors were told that all parishes would be impacted in some way.

“Eventually, it got more specific and we started meeting on a local level in October of 2023. Initially Deacon (Mark) Prosser and I met. From there we set up meetings with various parish representatives,” said Father Greving.

As has been the case in other canonical parish mergers, options were presented as the pastor worked with Deacon Prosser, diocesan director of pastoral planning who also serves as chief of staff.

“There was the option if we wanted one of the three to be the assuming parish or if we would create one new umbrella parish. We opted with creating a new parish with a new name and the three would remain secondary churches,” said the pastor, who noted that each church would continue to have one weekend Mass.

Decree takes effect Jan. 1
The secondary churches will maintain their church names: St. Mary Church in Alton, St. Granville St. JosephJoseph Church in Granville and St. Anthony Church in Hospers. The business office for the newly formed parish – St. Donatus - will be located in Alton. The canonical merger will take effect Jan. 1, 2025.

“There has already been a working relationship among the parishes. None of them are more than 10 miles apart from each other, it’s like a triangle,” said Father Greving.

Previously grouped, for many years the parishes have been known as the Pilgrim Cluster. Even prior to their grouping, the parishes worked together as part of the Spalding Catholic School corporation until it closed at the end of the last school year. In more recent years they unified into one religious education program, one RCIA program (soon to be OCIA), one cemetery board with separate finances as well as other programs and activities.  

As a merged parish in the future more will be unified, in time such as one parish council and finances. Much care has gone into having representation from all three parishes on the council and leadership positions.

Father Greving acknowledged there are differing thoughts and reactions to the merger among parishioners as there is some fear of the loss of parish autonomy and future unknowns.

“It really runs the gamut from hesitancy to resistance and acceptance,” he said. “None of thatHospers St. Anthony is surprising, everyone is coming from a different perspective. Some have been long-time, established parishioners and others have moved into the community. I’m not sure if it would be easier for them. We have a broad range of parishioners.”

John Heller, a member of the parish council at St. Mary Parish, will serve as chair of the unified parish council. A member of the parish since 2012, he understands the need for mergers of this nature.

Parish mergers and pastoral planning, he noted, “is happening across the United States.” He is aware that mergers – be it in the church or in business – can sometimes be a little unsettling, but in the long run it has to happen especially due to priest numbers.

Given that the three parishes share a priest and collaborate in various ways, Heller said makes the process easier to accept.

Kellie Willey of Alton moved to the parish more than two years ago and the three parishes worked together in so many ways that she has viewed it as one parish. Besides some of the unified ministries such as religious education, she noted parishioners have supported such things as the neighboring parishes fundraisers and events.

Alton St. Mary“I think it’s a positive,” she said of the official merger, noting that it is helpful that all of the churches will keep their names.
One of the greatest benefits of the merger, added Willey, is for Father Greving as “there is a lot of work for one person.”

Once unified into one parish, there will be less administrative work and less meetings. Having moved here from California she noted in her large parish there were two priests but pastors who ministered in more rural areas were serving multiple locations.

St. Donatus
Willey - and possibly others - had suggested St. Donatus as a name option. She was drawn to the historical significance of St. Donatus to the community.

According to Frontiers of Faith, a history of the Diocese of Sioux City by Deacon Richard Roder, it was in 1870 when a large group of Catholics – most originally from Luxembourg in Europe – settled in the vicinity of Alton, Hospers and Granville. They had been parishioners at St. Donatus Church that was located south of Dubuque.

In 1881, people of the Alton area decided to build a rural church.  Set amid homesteads, it was located about three miles southeast of the town and was dedicated to St. Donatus, the patron saint of Luxembourg and in remembrance of their parish in Eastern Iowa. Eventually St. Mary’s was built in the town of Alton and the prairie church was dismantled in 1897.

Father Greving pointed out parishioners were invited to submit potential names for the new parish. From there, a letter went out to all parishioners of the three parishes with seven names from which they were to select one.

In the letter, the parishioners were asked to pray to the Holy Spirit for direction in selecting the name, were asked to review the significance of the name and parishioners from first Communion age on up were encouraged to vote on their favorite name.

After the votes were turned in, three of the top names were submitted to Bishop Walker Nickless and the bishop selected the name.

As the merger moves forward, Father Greving said they are blessed that each church will continue to have a weekend Mass and from a practical level most parishioners “won’t see a lot of change.”