The goal is to finalize the plan by the spring of 2016.

Two Catholic churches in Dodge County — West Concord and Claremont — will no longer hold worship services, according to the proposal. Instead, the church in Dodge Center, St. John Baptist de la Salle, will serve as the hub parish.

Father Greg Parrott, who has served as priest in Dodge Center, Claremont and West Concord since 2012, didn't return a call seeking comment Sunday.

Two other Dodge County churches, in Hayfield and Blooming Prairie, will form a new cluster with the Dodge Center church. A cluster is a group of individual parishes that each retains its respective corporations, assets, liabilities, worship sites and property, yet may share their staff, ministries and resources.

According to a statement from the diocese, the changes will affect nearly half of its 114 parishes in some way, including moving 21 of the smaller parishes to "oratory status" as they merge with larger churches.

Those 21 churches will no longer hold Sunday mass, but could host Catholic weddings, funerals and other specified events. If the local congregants are unable to maintain the facility, it will be closed completely.

In Fillmore County, the Lanesboro and Canton parishes are on the list for oratory status. The parishes in Preston, Harmony and Mabel will be part of new clusters.

Other parishes in the region moved to oratory status in the proposal include Brownsdale, Altura, Elba, Minneiska, Minnesota City, Wilson and Dakota.

In addition to closing and merging parishes, other changes include how parishes are clustered or the residence of the pastor, said Msgr. Richard Colletti, Vicar General and Director of Planning for the Diocese.

The Diocese of Winona has provided more information regarding Vision 2016, including a video message from Bishop Quinn, on its website www.dow.org/vision2016.