Attending Mass where you're not registered

[AskSeekKnock]

My family (self, husband, two children) are registered and regular parishioners at my childhood church. Recently, we purchased a lot half an hour away, and once a home is built on it, we will be moving and then regularly attending church there.

For a variety of reasons, our children already attend the parochial school at the church to which we will be moving. We have been paying non-parish member tuition for the past two years. Tuition contracts for next year come out next month and we would like to register in the ‘new’ parish before then to benefit from discounted tuition. However, while we understand our duty would then be to financially support both churches, and we are prepared to do that, we would likely physically attend Mass at the “old” parish, due to distance, until we actually move.

I’m sad to be moving parishes but know we will adjust in time. I’m wondering if completing registration at the ‘new’ church will cause something to be sent to the ‘old’ church saying we’re leaving? Can we keep attending Mass at the ‘old’ church while registered at the ‘new’?

 

[TheRealJuliane]

As far as I know, nothing is communicated between parishes. I attend 2 parishes although I haven’t registered for the 2nd yet. I know people who are registered at 2 and hop between them. There is no rule that you MUST attend ALL Masses at your registered parish.

In fact, I know a TON of people left from one parish and are now regulars at the other, but still show up at their previous parish from time to time.

 

[Carolus_Martell]

Now a days there’s no formality involved. However a simple note to the present parish will better explain your absence. And requesting envelopes is enough in most parishes to put you on the active roster.

 

[Corki]

It’s fine. However, you should check with the school to confirm how they determine who gets the discount. At the school my kids attended, you had to be a parishioner, and active in some way (determined through offerings, volunteering, joining organizations) for at least a year to get the discount.

 

[1ke]

As far as I know, nothing is communicated between parishes.

Well, this isn’t quite true these days. There are many dioceses that use software, such a ParishSoft (like mine), and use both the parish and diocese applications. The parish databases sync to the diocese. You cannot be registered in more than one parish. BUT you can certainly be in more than one database, receive mail, contribute via envelope, attend there, etc. There are several classifications, such as active, non-registered, etc. This is so the diocese does not have duplication in their records. It knows you are registered at Parish A and I can simply pull your record from Parish A and load it in my Parish B as a non-registered active member. Or if you are leaving Parsh A and going to Parish B it can transfer you.

I point this out only so that if the OP experiences something different he/she isn’t surprised. There is no canonical requirement to be “registered” anywhere. That is a recordkeeping thing. You belong to the parish in whose boundaries you live. But of course with parishes so large these days “registration” is how they keep up with you, prove you go there for thingslike tuition discounts, sacraments, etc.

There is no rule that you MUST attend ALL Masses at your registered parish.

Absolutely. You can go to any parish you choose, registered or not, parish or not.

 

[PatriceA]

It’s fine. However, you should check with the school to confirm how they determine who gets the discount. At the school my kids attended, you had to be a parishioner, and active in some way (determined through offerings, volunteering, joining organizations) for at least a year to get the discount.

In addition, our former parish school communicated with any and all parishes that had families with children enrolled in the school. They verifed parish registration for all the children that were Catholic. There was no way the parishes couldn’t be aware of when a family moved to a different parish while their children attended the school. That information was updated annually.

 

[EvelynEVF]

My parish school, and another I know of, do offer the discount to Catholic families registered at other parishes. The other parishes pay a stipend to the school-parish to go toward their tuition.

 

[Corki]

My parish school, and another I know of, do offer the discount to Catholic families registered at other parishes. The other parishes pay a stipend to the school-parish to go toward their tuition.

Our diocese has looked into doing that too. The idea is to group parishes into “zones” and as long as you send your child to a school in your zone, you would get the parish discount backed up by each parish contributing to the school. So far, they haven’t worked out all the logistics, and it will be too late for my kids, but it’s a great theory.