Best place for catholic family to live in the us

[palmendarez]

I am planning to live in the US soon we are a family with two girls ,(12 and 5) since we are a catholic family in which we serve in the local church (Honduras) we would like to know which is the best place to live to continue with our service and best place for our girls.

 

[Peeps]

Welcome!

Do NOT settle in the state of Illinois!

I can’t possibly summarize it in this forum, but I have lived here for most of my life (61 years) and my family has been here for several generations. I love the state–the farmland, the weather, the beautiful flatlands, forests, the association of the state with Pres. Abraham Lincoln (our 16th president who presided over the country during the awful civil war in the 1860s), and even the very big city of Chicago (at least, the safe parts of the city).

But the state is in very bad trouble. Our state government has been corrupt for decades; four of our governors have gone to prison for corruption, and this has all happened during my lifetime. Thanks to a very foolish change in the Illinois State Constitution back in the 1970s, we can never reduce the amount paid into state employee pensions, so we now are so far in debt to the pensioners that our state cannot borrow any more money from other countries because our credit rating is only slightly above “junk.”

At the moment we have two people running for governor who are both billionaires and will spend $150 million dollars on their election campaigns, and neither of them will do the state any good, and both of them are pro-choice (pro-abortion). One of the candidates is our current governor, and he actually promised a Catholic Cardinal that he would not support abortion, but when the time came, he signed into law a bill that spends part of our taxes on providing abortions in this state.

Anyway, that’s just a very short version of the troubles this state is in, and all of us are fairly certain that our already high taxes will go even higher.

So don’t move here. People are moving OUT of Illinois!

My suggestion is that you consider settling in Iowa, specifically in the Dubuque area, or in the Quad Cities. These cities are very Catholic and there are many beautiful parishes and a lot of pro-life politicians get elected. The state government seems to be decent, and there are lots of jobs. The state is working hard on various “green” environmental policies. The weather can be a little rough in the winter, but for the most part, Iowa’s climate is temperate, meaning the summers aren’t too hot most of the time, and the winters aren’t too cold most of the time.

Plus, Iowa has the BEST State Fair in the U.S.A.!

You’ll find lots of friendly people. When we recently visited Decorah, Iowa, we talked to the clerk in one of the fast-food stores (gas, soft drinks, candy bars, milk, bread, etc., and open all night). She and her husband moved to Iowa from Pennsylvania and they love Iowa! She told me that she can leave the cash register un-attended while she goes to the bathroom, and she will return to find people standing in line with their groceries waiting to pay! In our city in Illinois, a store without a clerk would be invaded by hoodlums who would steal everything they could grab, and then shoot the clerk if she returned before they were finished robbing the store!

So check out the State of Iowa! And best wishes for your move to the U.S.A.

 

[Joe_5859]

Welcome!

When you say that you “serve the Church”, what do you mean? Do you work for a parish? A diocese? You might have to move wherever you can find a job.

I’m not as cynical towards Illinois as Peeps. Even in states where the economy is in shambles, you can still find good Catholic communities.

One approach might be to look at some of the good Catholic colleges that are out there—such as those in the Newman Guide. Wherever you find a vibrant Catholic university, you are likely to find some vibrant Catholic communities. Often, you see other Catholic apostolates pop up around them, too (which also provides other employment and/or service opportunities). Further, when your children are grown, it will be far less expensive to send them to a good Catholic college if they can commute from home (and some universities even have special grants for the locals).

 

[Kris34]

Where are you being employed?

 

[TheLittleLady]

Bloom where you are planted. That is not Scripture, but, it is good advice!

There is no perfect Catholic state, county, city or community. In fact, we are told to be in the world, not of the world.

I think it is important to live near your extended family (unless there is some sort of horrible abuse going on). When we have the support of family in times of crisis, illness, it also lets us share our joy!

What is your profession? That would be my first look when immigrating. Will you be able to find work? Have you checked out the many groups of Catholic professionals? They exist for executives, for those in the medicine field, for the law field, for actors, for writers, for teachers. Perhaps opening a dialogue with the org in the US will help you.

Cost of living is next, while I know that Honduras economy has been changing rapidly in the past few years, the cost of living in the US is going to shock you. (one of my best friends is Honduran).

Prayers, you come from a beautiful land and I pray for Honduras every day. Feel free to PM me.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

You need to go where you can get a good, stable job and the cost of living is not too bad. Be aware that housing and cost of living in certain areas of USA, such as much of California and the New York City/ New Jersey area, is ridiculously expensive. It tends to be cheaper out in the middle of the country.

I would also recommend to go where you already have established friends and family who can show you the ropes.