Can you register with two churches?

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CalifMomma

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Can a family be registered at two Catholic churches in different cities? We live in a small town with one church where we do attend and are registered. On occasion we attend another church in a larger city if we are there and obviously can’t attend Mass at our church. Should we register there also? We enjoy both churches and donate to both. I have heard of people that are registered at two different churches in different cities, but I didn’t know what was appropriate. :confused:
Thanks.
 
You should be *registered *at one parish, your home parish.

You can call the other parish and ask them how they handle putting non-parishioners into their records for the purpose of recording your offerings and sending you a tax statement.

Depending upon the software system they use, they should be able to add you as a non-parishioner. Ours has designations for these sorts of cases.
 
I’m registered in two parishes under two different bishops. Neither pastor seems to have a problem with it.
 
It depends on how your diocese/parish defines “registered”.

Registration is frequently not so much a matter of parish membership as defined by canon law as it is a matter of practicalities in operation.

It’s typical for a parish to assign households a unique number in their software database (if they use one) for those families that have some sort of “business” relationship with the parish. This number may or may not be the same number that appears on your donation envelope. But you might not be considered a “member” of that parish. The database probably has flags that specify whether you are a member, whether you are ‘registered’, whether you receive envelopes, whether you attend the parish school, etc.

The diocese you live in probably also has a unique number for each household. Your parish knows this number if you are considered a parish member. In many (if not all) of the dioceses in California (and I imagine elsewhere in the United States and the world) parishes are expected to give the diocese a yearly census of the households who are members of that parish. (This will probably be a list of changes: new families, families who have moved, deaths.)

You are or are not a member of a given parish based on how the canon law applies to your given situation. But you would be wise to make sure that your diocese doesn’t have you listed twice because you are on the books of two different parishes. You should be able to call your parish office and ask how you are listed on your parish records.
 
1ke said:
You should be *registered *at one parish, your home parish.

You can call the other parish and ask them how they handle putting non-parishioners into their records for the purpose of recording your offerings and sending you a tax statement.

Depending upon the software system they use, they should be able to add you as a non-parishioner. Ours has designations for these sorts of cases.
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It doesn’t make sense to register at more than one parish but you certainly do not have to register with your home parish. You can choose any parish to register at. You are not obliged to register or even attend the church in your home parish.
 
thistle said:
It doesn’t make sense to register at more than one parish
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Sure it does. We belong to one parish where my daughter was baptized, I was baptized, I was married in, my parents were married in, etc. We go there on holidays and try to attend about once a month. The other parish that we belong to is a local parish where we attend regularily.
 
Sir_Knight said:
Sure it does. We belong to one parish where my daughter was baptized, I was baptized, I was married in, my parents were married in, etc. We go there on holidays and try to attend about once a month. The other parish that we belong to is a local parish where we attend regularily.
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What does registration entail then?
If lots of people register with several parishes that is artificially inflating the number of parishioners in these parishes.
 
Some people have a home parish but perform a ministry in another parish. My parish requires catechists and liturgical ministers, and probably others, to register, whether it’s our home parish or not.
So yes, perhaps the diocesan numbers are inflated to a small degree. Then again, some people never register at any parish.
 
Our priest answered this question a few months ago. He said that there is nothing that prohibits you from being registered at two churchs. So, if you feel a part of both churches, then register at both churches. That way, you can keep up to date on any special events in both.
 
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