Archbishop Zinkula announced the initiative, called Journey in Faith, which looks at how parishes can work together or merge to remain sustainable.
The process comes after more than 22,000 Catholics across the archdiocese shared feedback through a survey last year. Parish priests and a planning commission have since developed several models for how churches might cluster or combine resources.
The proposed changes are not final and parishioners are being asked to review the models, attend local information and listening sessions, and share their feedback online at dbqjourneyinfaith.org.
The archbishop acknowledged that parish mergers can be painful, sharing his own experience of losing his childhood parish. But he said the goal is to strengthen Catholic life in Iowa, retain young people, and support priests.
Listening sessions will be held at both regional and parish levels over the coming months. Final decisions will be made after considering parishioner input.