Can I register at any parish I like?

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Lux_et_veritas

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I’ve been wondering about whether or not I can register at any parish, even though it is not the one closest to my house.

If I live in a neighborhood with a church that is “unorthodox”, for lack of a better term, can I register in a parish that may be 10 miles away that is orthodox?

I’d like to know what the Church says and whether or not there are different rules give by our Bishops permitting us to go where we feel most inspired.
 
Diane,

There are some hard-liners around here that will say that you’re bound to your geographic parish. Not so. There seems to be nothing in the current Code of Canon Law which makes this so. Go to the parish that works for you. When I go to my parish on Sunday, I drive by literally 100 parishes to get there.

John
 
Before Vatican II you had to register in the parish whose boundaries enclosed your dwelling place. Times have changed and one can usually register in the parish or a parish that best meets your needs even if it is in a different city or state. 👍
 
This may depend on the policy of your Bishop. Some Bishops prefer that Catholics be registered in the parish in which they reside (or in an appropriate national parish). This may be because:
  1. Pastors are responsible for the care of all Catholics residing within their parishes whether they are registered within that parish or not, and it’s much easier for the Pastor to care for his flock if he knows who and where they are, and
  2. It is possible for a popular Pastor or priest to draw people away from other parishes, which may then suffer from lack of support from people who live there.
While all Catholics certainly do have the right to attend Mass an any Catholic Church they may choose, if the Bishop has instructed Pastors not to register parishioners who live outside the parish boundaries, then that Pastor may not register such parishioners without special permission from the Bishop.
 
You can “register” wherever they’ll accept your registration, but you’re a member at the parish in which you live (as a general rule).

The exception is for those who are of a particular ethnic group which has its own parish (e.g., Lithuanian, Slovak, Polish) or personal parishes for Latin mass.

www.diopitt.org/admserv/canonreview.htm
 
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Lux_et_veritas:
I’ve been wondering about whether or not I can register at any parish, even though it is not the one closest to my house.

If I live in a neighborhood with a church that is “unorthodox”, for lack of a better term, can I register in a parish that may be 10 miles away that is orthodox?

I’d like to know what the Church says and whether or not there are different rules give by our Bishops permitting us to go where we feel most inspired.
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I saw you on the Detroit TLM thread.

Are you coming here?
saintcyrils.org

I left a parish closer to get a Deep Catholic Holy Mass!
 
I would suggest (and it’s just a personal opinion) you try not to cross diocesan borders. This can result in a case of passing the buck between chanceries if you need their assistance. A friend has learned this the hard way. Friend resides in diocese A but has always attended diocese B, and so assumed should contact B with any problems/questions. Having contacted B friend was told “You live in A, so write to them - we can’t help”, even after explaining that friend was completely unknown in A, not even having attended Mass as a visitor. Just something to keep in the back of your mind…
 
netmil(name removed by moderator):
I saw you on the Detroit TLM thread.

Are you coming here?
saintcyrils.org

I left a parish closer to get a Deep Catholic Holy Mass!
Click to expand...
No, I haven’t been there, but I’m so glad you put that link up because I know where I can find a 6:00 am mass when I want one during the week. I start work early.
 
there is a great website we use whenever we travel, but it will work just as well for anyone for any zip code in the USA.

The website is:
www.masstimes.org
Try it to find your early morning mass.
 
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Lux_et_veritas:
No, I haven’t been there, but I’m so glad you put that link up because I know where I can find a 6:00 am mass when I want one during the week. I start work early.
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Sts. Cyril and Methodius is a great parish and the only one I know of in our Archdiocese with a 6:00 am Mass. However, if you are not in that neck of the (Detroit) woods, try shrinechurch.com, divinechild.org, ourladyofmountcarmel.org/, or Saint Scholastica for 6:30 am Masses.
 
I did that…all it requires is a letter from the Priest of the Parish that you reside in…the letter is very basic…it gives you permission to be a parishioner at your chosen parish.
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Lux_et_veritas:
I’ve been wondering about whether or not I can register at any parish, even though it is not the one closest to my house.

If I live in a neighborhood with a church that is “unorthodox”, for lack of a better term, can I register in a parish that may be 10 miles away that is orthodox?

I’d like to know what the Church says and whether or not there are different rules give by our Bishops permitting us to go where we feel most inspired.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, but be prepared to have bell, book and candle thrown at you. I had to go to a very intense meeting with the priest in our geographic parish in which I had to explain why we were attending the Cathedral parish 23 miles away. I was not comfortable with a) the music (Glory and Praise), b) the “choir” of guitars, drums, the swaying and hand raising, c) everyone running all over the church during the sign of peace, and d) most importantly the complete lack of reverence. Father was not happy with me/us but agreed to let us go. He wrote a very nasty letter releasing us to go to our present parish (of 20+ years) telling us that if any of us died or was in need of the last rites he would not respond, and that we could not be buried in the parish cemetary (where my wife’s relatives had been buried for decades).
 
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brotherhrolf:
Yes, but be prepared to have bell, book and candle thrown at you. I had to go to a very intense meeting with the priest in our geographic parish in which I had to explain why we were attending the Cathedral parish 23 miles away. I was not comfortable with a) the music (Glory and Praise), b) the “choir” of guitars, drums, the swaying and hand raising, c) everyone running all over the church during the sign of peace, and d) most importantly the complete lack of reverence. Father was not happy with me/us but agreed to let us go. He wrote a very nasty letter releasing us to go to our present parish (of 20+ years) telling us that if any of us died or was in need of the last rites he would not respond, and that we could not be buried in the parish cemetary (where my wife’s relatives had been buried for decades).
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WHAAT? That is awful, the way he treated you! It looks like you did indeed make the right decision to leave.
 
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Lucania:
WHAAT? That is awful, the way he treated you! It looks like you did indeed make the right decision to leave.
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Out of curiosity, why would anyone not be allowed to register and attend the local diocesan Cathedral??? Isn’t the Cathedral’s boundaries the entire diocese??? Thanks and God bless.
 
There are some hard-liners around here that will say that you’re bound to your geographic parish. Not so. There seems to be nothing in the current Code of Canon Law which makes this so.
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Canon 518 says: “As a general rule a parish is to be territorial, that is, it embraces all the Christian faithful within a certain territory; whenever it is judged usefeul, however, personal parishes are to to be established based upon rite, language, the nationality of the Christian faithful within some territory or even upon some other determing factor.” (CLSA translation of 1983 code)

(“Paroecia regula generali sit territorialis, quae scilicet omnes complectatur christifideles certi territori; ubi vero id expediat, constituantur paroeciae personales, ratione ritus, linguae, nationis christifidelium alicius territorii atque alia etiam ratione determinatae.”)

While it is true that many parishes welcome all people, regardless of where they live, a pastor is within his rights to insist that all parishioners live within the parish boundaries. Indeed, some parishes even list the parish boundaries in the Sunday bulletin.
 
At the time the diocese did not have a policy regarding the Cathedral parish. I gave the letter to the cathedral rector who gave it to the bishop. Shortly thereafter, the diocese published a policy that anyone could join the cathedral parish.

When we joined in 1983 there were only 200 parishoners (the cathedral is downtown) registered. There are now well over 1500. We’ve never looked back.
 
When I lived in the city there were strict rules about what Catholic School you could attend (had to be in the boundaries), unless you got special permission. However, you are free to join any parish you want usually. I think there may be some exceptions, but as a rule you can.
 
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Lux_et_veritas:
No, I haven’t been there, but I’m so glad you put that link up because I know where I can find a 6:00 am mass when I want one during the week. I start work early.
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I left three different parishes. I joined two of them at different times and found their teachings there were “lacking”.
No one has ever said a word to me about changing parishes. I didn’t have to get a note of anything. The only things that I might see a new parish asking for, is record of children’s religious education and your certificates of Sacraments.
Until we as parishioners realize that we need to go where we feel most pious, things will not change. The modernists will continue to run deep in our parishes. If we don’t more to where they have EWTN type Holy Masses, they will continue to state that “everyone” at the parish loves the innovations.
Talk with your feet and your wallet.
 
Im glad you left your old parish…it is good to have you at St. Joseph’s… 🙂
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brotherhrolf:
At the time the diocese did not have a policy regarding the Cathedral parish. I gave the letter to the cathedral rector who gave it to the bishop. Shortly thereafter, the diocese published a policy that anyone could join the cathedral parish.

When we joined in 1983 there were only 200 parishoners (the cathedral is downtown) registered. There are now well over 1500. We’ve never looked back.
Click to expand...
 
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