Can/should a college student register at the parish near their new school?

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aqua711

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Hi! To provide some background: I’m going to be starting college at a university three hours away from where I currently live (two different dioceses). For now, my “regular” address (the one I use for voter registration, etc.) will still be my parents’ house, but I’ll be in the new area more often than I’m at my current house and will have an address in the new city. My family is registered at our local parish here. I’m leaning towards wanting to register at the church I’ll be attending while in school, though.

I have two questions regarding this situation:
  1. Which parish would technically be my home parish - my current one or the new one?
  2. Even if it’s not technically my home parish, does it make sense to register as a parishioner in the new city?
I’m familiar with canon law regarding parish membership and know registration is mostly just a formality to count active parish membership. I’ve heard that being registered as a single, quasi-domicile person affects the amount of funding the church can get, though. (I’m not quite sure how that works…if you know, please explain!) I’d like to be able to register so I can have my own parish separate from my parents’ and so that I’m able to get married in the new city more easily should I end up meeting my husband in college, but if registering will cause more problems for the parish, then I don’t want to do it.

Any (name removed by moderator)ut/advice is appreciated! 🙂
 
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If you think you’ll be getting married/receiving other major sacraments at the school parish, then register there.
If you think you’ll most likely move back home and get married/have baptisms there, then stay registered at your home parish.

Either way, it’s no biggie.
 
There’s a good chance your college will have a Newman Center or Catholic campus ministry. Since those services are there specifically to support you as a Catholic student, it would probably make the most sense to affiliate with them.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
There’s a good chance your college will have a Newman Center or Catholic campus ministry. Since those services are there specifically to support you as a Catholic student, it would probably make the most sense to affiliate with them.
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Yes, look around for a Newman Center. My daughter is in her third year of college and is on the leadership team of their Newman Center. That place is her home away from home. They celebrate Mass three times a week, go on retreats, have service projects and even set up a tailgate at all of the home football games. I go to three games a season, bring my grill and cook for them. I hope you are able to find a good group.
 
The university does have a Newman Center, but when I went to visit, it looked (and smelled…) incredibly run-down. The center is literally just one small room with a few offices off to the side 😦 My current church is actually a little university parish, as well, and after years of seeing such a vibrant Catholic student community there I was not impressed by this Newman Center. I was thinking of going to the nearby church for Mass and going to the Newman Center for stuff like retreats and student activities.

Thank you for the advice! I’m so happy your daughter has found a home with her campus ministry - it sounds like a wonderful Catholic community!
 
Many college town parishes understand that students don’t want to become permanent members (Canon Law definition aside) and allow for a student registration. It may be worth asking the office.
 
The fact that you live within the territory of a parish automatically makes you a member of that parish.

If you plan to live there for at least 3 consecutive months (pretty much a given) you have what’s called a quasi-domicile in that parish. That (by canon law) makes you an official parishioner there.

If you consider your home address to be your permanent address, even though you’ll be away for several months, then you are still a member of your home parish. If you abandon your home address completely (as some students do), then you’re no longer a member there. It all depends on you personally, whether or not you still consider that to be your home. From what you posted earlier (that’s the only way I can say I know this), you will still be a member of your home parish.

The result is that you are actually a member of both parishes: one by domicile (home), the other by quasi-domicile (college).

Whether or not you are registered at either parish, you are officially a member of both.

Most parishes do not expect college students to actually register with the parish. It’s good that you’re thinking ahead and might want to be married in that parish church when the time comes. That’s a very good reason to register now, so that when the time does come, you’ll be in a much better position because you can say “I’ve been attending here for 4 years…”

So, yes, given your overall situation, it makes a lot of sense.

And I must say I wish more high school students were able to look to the future and see the bigger picture as you obviously are.
 
I registered my son in the local parish that is walking distance from the fraternity chapter house he is living in. The church is closer than the one on campus. I made sure the parish had his address & cell phone number so that they can reach out to him from time to time and so that the parish sends him a packet of donation envelopes as a reminder of his Sunday obligation.
 
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