ST. CLOUD -- About one third of the 132 parishes in the St. Cloud Diocese will either have a new priest or will be clustered with another parish starting Friday. July First is when the diocese new priest assignments take effect.

Jane Marrin is the Director of Diocesan Planning. She says parishes are clustered when a priest retires and there aren't enough new priests to fill the gap.  She says it used to be one priest, one parish. But, that's no longer the case.

Some parishes will be clustered with churches which were stand-alone in the past because a priest is retiring or has been re-assigned.

A total of three priests are retiring this year and one church is closing.

St. Catherine's in Farming held its last mass in May.

More From AM 1240 WJON