Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis creates 15 new deaneries

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has established 15 new deaneries to encourage collaboration among parishes and reduce the workload for priests and parish staff. Archbishop Bernard Hebda approved the new groupings on May 26 after the Deanery Boundaries and Grouping Committee developed recommendations to organize deaneries into rural, suburban, and urban segments.

The new deanery boundaries include groups of between nine and 19 parishes. Father Joseph Bambenek, who leads the Office for the Renewal of Structures, said the change aims to give parishioners better access to various ministries near them, even if those ministries are not located at their specific parish. For example, a deanery might host a single young adult ministry that serves multiple local parishes.

The restructuring became effective on July 1. The committee that designed the plan included Father Bambenek and eight other priests appointed by the archbishop in April 2025. The final groupings followed consultations with the Presbyteral Council and other priests.