Conservative Catholic Cities in US

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Hello Catholic Answers friends. I have been unemployed for 5 months and looking for 6 in Southern California. :confused: Long before this recession hit my family of 6 amazing kids and beautiful Path to Sanctity were looking to potentially move out of California. We just long for a safer, simpler life, but can’t live without the “orthodoxy” we prefer. A solid Chaput type Bishop, Arch Bishop, or Cardinal would be preferred too.

Can anyone help me with “insider” information on cities in the US that have a good job market (there ARE actually many cities that still do) that also have a solid Catholic community that CA or say EWTN would be proud of???

Some of the top family friendly cities according to CNN News.com were areas I would be interested in but let me know if you know of others.

Louisville, Superior, CO- Keller, Allen, Mansfield, TX- Lake St. Louis, MO-
Farmington, Draper, UT- Lenexa, Overland Park, Atchison, KS

God bless and reward you for your help!!

~JMJ~
 
jaaker said:
Hello Catholic Answers friends. I have been unemployed for 5 months and looking for 6 in Southern California. :confused: Long before this recession hit my family of 6 amazing kids and beautiful Path to Sanctity were looking to potentially move out of California. We just long for a safer, simpler life, but can’t live without the “orthodoxy” we prefer. A solid Chaput type Bishop, Arch Bishop, or Cardinal would be preferred too.

Can anyone help me with “insider” information on cities in the US that have a good job market (there ARE actually many cities that still do) that also have a solid Catholic community that CA or say EWTN would be proud of???

Some of the top family friendly cities according to CNN News.com were areas I would be interested in but let me know if you know of others.

Louisville, Superior, CO- Keller, Allen, Mansfield, TX- Lake St. Louis, MO-
Farmington, Draper, UT- Lenexa, Overland Park, Atchison, KS

God bless and reward you for your help!!

~JMJ~
Click to expand...
Hi, there.

Seems like your research is on the right track. Unfortunately it seems you’ll need to make the numbers line up for what you’d like to see.

Here’s a link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics that show the current unemployment rates. Places with very high rates are likely very heavy on factories, which have taken a serious blow with the recession, such as Michigan.

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana, where I live, has a strong Catholic community. But Indiana is rather heavy on factories for employment in just about everywhere but Indianapolis proper, with a current unemployment rate of 9.8. Indianapolis itself has a pretty diverse economy that feeds from tourism and white-collar work. Most importantly, it’s easy to drive or fly to and our cost-of-living is really nice, especially in relation to Chicago, just 4 hours northwest of us.

Many other states have relatively low rates, but take that with a grain of salt as this often means that there aren’t many people in these areas or businesses that have been as affected by the recession as others.

Here’s a past Catholic Answers forum thread where many had solicited their thoughts on good Catholic cities from 2-ish years ago.

God bless!
 
jaaker said:
Hello Catholic Answers friends. I have been unemployed for 5 months and looking for 6 in Southern California. :confused: Long before this recession hit my family of 6 amazing kids and beautiful Path to Sanctity were looking to potentially move out of California. We just long for a safer, simpler life, but can’t live without the “orthodoxy” we prefer. A solid Chaput type Bishop, Arch Bishop, or Cardinal would be preferred too.

Can anyone help me with “insider” information on cities in the US that have a good job market (there ARE actually many cities that still do) that also have a solid Catholic community that CA or say EWTN would be proud of???

Some of the top family friendly cities according to CNN News.com were areas I would be interested in but let me know if you know of others.

Louisville, Superior, CO- Keller, Allen, Mansfield, TX- Lake St. Louis, MO-
Farmington, Draper, UT- Lenexa, Overland Park, Atchison, KS

God bless and reward you for your help!!

~JMJ~
Click to expand...
Hi there. I’m very familiar with Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. What specific questions do you have? Feel free to send me a personal message if you like.
 
jaaker said:
Hello Catholic Answers friends. I have been unemployed . . .We just long for a safer, simpler life, but can’t live without the “orthodoxy” we prefer. A solid Chaput type Bishop, Arch Bishop, or Cardinal would be preferred too.
~JMJ~
Click to expand...
Not that it would help with the ‘job’ situation, but Archbishop Gomez is on his way to LA there . . . . .articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/06/local/la-me-jose-gomez7-2010apr07

That should help ‘shake thing up’ a bit there . . .👍
 
I would check out those Texas cities. I know the unemployment rate is lower in Texas
and I have heard of some great, small Catholic parishes.
 
jaaker said:
Louisville, Superior, CO- Keller, Allen, Mansfield, TX- Lake St. Louis, MO-
Farmington, Draper, UT- Lenexa, Overland Park, Atchison, KS

God bless and reward you for your help!!

~JMJ~
Click to expand...
I’ve been to Mansfield, TX and wasn’t too fond of it. I have been to Keller, TX and thought the people were very nice there. I have a friend who lives there. The job market was decent before the recession hit, I am not sure how it is now, but his family seems unaffected. They love it there.

I know St. Louis very well and I think the city and surrounding areas have a lot of culture and I like visiting there, however, I think the job market isn’t very good. I personally wouldn’t want to live there.

While I haven’t been to Overland Park, KS, I have been in many of the surrounding suburbs. the KC area is nice, but I prefer STL. I also think the job market isn’t that great in KC, but the cost of living is lower.

I have been to Louisville, CO many times and know the area well. It is a ‘new’ city/town so to speak. Many of the developments are built within the last 10-15 years or it appears that way. It is growing a lot and very nice there. It is not far from Boulder, Denver and the University of CO. Longmont, CO is another nice town not from Louisville, but I think Louisville is better. I think the job market is pretty solid around Denver and Boulder. If you like the outdoors, this is a great area to live. Lots to do.

I haven’t been to Superior, CO but I would imagine its nice as well.
 
jaaker said:
Hello Catholic Answers friends. I have been unemployed for 5 months and looking for 6 in Southern California. :confused: Long before this recession hit my family of 6 amazing kids and beautiful Path to Sanctity were looking to potentially move out of California. We just long for a safer, simpler life, but can’t live without the “orthodoxy” we prefer. A solid Chaput type Bishop, Arch Bishop, or Cardinal would be preferred too.
Can anyone help me with “insider” information on cities in the US that have a good job market (there ARE actually many cities that still do) that also have a solid Catholic community that CA or say EWTN would be proud of???
Some of the top family friendly cities according to CNN News.com were areas I would be interested in but let me know if you know of others.
Louisville, Superior, CO- Keller, Allen, Mansfield, TX- Lake St. Louis, MO-
Farmington, Draper, UT- Lenexa, Overland Park, Atchison, KS
God bless and reward you for your help!!

~JMJ~
Click to expand...
Here ya go, Jaaker - look on this calandar/list for parishes hosting ACTS retreats :
actsmissions.org/images/stories/retreat_calendar/cal_2010v11.pdf

If a parish is listed there, I promise you it will be ON FIRE with the Holy Spirit - see for yourself and call some folks there - go on a retreat if you can.

Holler if you need more . .

-G
 
Hi, I am a young single woman who is from a small city in Michigan. I am finishing up my nursing degree in 4 months and would like to move away for a while to spread my wings so to speak. I am looking for a Traditional Conservative Catholic area to settle down in and meet some people with similar values and views on things. I have never lived anywhere else and have no idea where to start looking. I am open to pretty much any state, and suggestions?

Thank You
 
Northern Virginia (Washington D.C. area)

A) There are lots of jobs still! Due to the number of federal agencies and related businesses that are located here, it’s weathered the recession better than almost anywhere.

B) The Diocese of Arlington is orthodox, and it’s very active. For example, my parish’s Knights of Columbus council has almost 300 members. There’s always a lot going on at the parish-level, and much moreso when you look to the diocese as a whole.
 
joan_7 said:
Hi, I am a young single woman who is from a small city in Michigan. I am finishing up my nursing degree in 4 months and would like to move away for a while to spread my wings so to speak. I am looking for a Traditional Conservative Catholic area to settle down in and meet some people with similar values and views on things. I have never lived anywhere else and have no idea where to start looking. I am open to pretty much any state, and suggestions?

Thank You
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I can’t help but suggest Pittsburgh, PA. Great bishop, tons of hospitals. Small town family values in a big city.
 
Jay82 said:
I’ve been to Mansfield, TX and wasn’t too fond of it. I have been to Keller, TX and thought the people were very nice there. I have a friend who lives there. The job market was decent before the recession hit, I am not sure how it is now, but his family seems unaffected. They love it there.

I know St. Louis very well and I think the city and surrounding areas have a lot of culture and I like visiting there, however, I think the job market isn’t very good. I personally wouldn’t want to live there.

While I haven’t been to Overland Park, KS, I have been in many of the surrounding suburbs. the KC area is nice, but I prefer STL. I also think the job market isn’t that great in KC, but the cost of living is lower.

I have been to Louisville, CO many times and know the area well. It is a ‘new’ city/town so to speak. Many of the developments are built within the last 10-15 years or it appears that way. It is growing a lot and very nice there. It is not far from Boulder, Denver and the University of CO. Longmont, CO is another nice town not from Louisville, but I think Louisville is better. I think the job market is pretty solid around Denver and Boulder. If you like the outdoors, this is a great area to live. Lots to do.

I haven’t been to Superior, CO but I would imagine its nice as well.
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I don’t know about the diocese for the Denver/Boulder area, but Boulder especially is a liberal/hippie mecca. It would be hard to conceive of an area less likely to include a conservative/orthodox diocese. When we left Denver 22 years ago, I was out of the Church so I would not have known anything about the Church there, but just wanted to warn the OP that it is very unlikely that the diocese is orthodox. Maybe individual churches, but not the hierarchy.
 
TexCatholic4JMJ said:
I would check out those Texas cities. I know the unemployment rate is lower in Texas
and I have heard of some great, small Catholic parishes.
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Ditto, Texas. And, Lousiana.
Also, ditto for the Arlington,VA Diocese. But it’s a little more pricey up there unless you can find something far away from D.C. And the traffic is ridiculous.:eek:
 
Arlington, VA is great but the cost of living is extremely high and the traffic is as bad as LA. The public bus is affordable but the subway/metro is extremely expensive.

Sincerely,

Maria1212
 
Don’t count out Colorado! In response to the hippie/liberalish tendencies, there has been a HUGE growth of Orthodox Catholicism there!! FOCUS ministries is based out of Denver, and that has drawn this large community of faithful Catholics to the city. Additionally, ENDOW (a Catholic group committed to educating others on the nature and dignity of women) is based out of Colorado, and has drawn a great number of people to it. It seems like these days every other awesome person I meet at retreats or what-have-you is living in Colorado!

Also, I’m not sure how great Overland Park is in general, but ask Dr. Paul Camarata! He is on the SQPN Board of Directors, and I love his Catholic podcast, the SaintCast!! Surely if he and his family have been there, it’s got to have SOME good people…

**Arlington **is my home diocese and IMHO, it doesn’t get any better than that. Although Arlington proper is quite expensive, Manassas isn’t as bad and there’s still great Catholic life out there too. Just find a parish that has Youth Apostle involvement and you’ll be in good hands, that’s for sure (youthapostles.org/)

If you’re looking for any place else, I’ve definitely got to give it up to my hometown of **Orlando **and my new town of Naples, both Florida. They are not quite as obvious Catholic hubs as other places, but certain parishes are fantastic (I’m thinking of Holy Family in O-Town and St. John the Evangelist in Naples, in particular). They have growing populations, lots of activities, and are strong in the faith.

Best of luck, and prayers for your employment search!
 
Oh, and PS–I’ll second the love for Pittsburgh! My best friend got married and moved up there. Amazing Catholic community, lots of good people and plenty of good parishes.
 
ForAll said:
Oh, and PS–I’ll second the love for Pittsburgh! My best friend got married and moved up there. Amazing Catholic community, lots of good people and plenty of good parishes.
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Another vote for Pittsburgh. I don’t live there, but I have several friends who do, and they love it.

Lafayette, LA (or anywhere in Cajun Country) is also a very Catholic area, though it’s definitely a different culture than Pittsburgh.
 
No one’s mentioned Ann Arbor, MI yet- has a reputation as a liberal college town, which it is, but there is also a fantastic, on-fire charismatic Catholic community as well as many other very traditional parishes of which the bishop is supportive. There’s a vibrant homeschooling community (both Catholic and secular) as well. The downside, of course, is that the economy stinks in Michigan…
 
I’ve been to a few churches in AA, one being Old St. Patricks. I love the priest at OSP, and the traditional Mass there is wonderful… but it is such a odd community of parishoners. They are not very welcoming… It’s like you say, a “vibrant homeschool community” and if you haven’t gone there your whole life or were homeschooled, you get a stand-offish cold shoulder. I’m worried about moving away on my own and being an outsider.
 
St Louis is known as the “Rome of the West” A newly ordained priest who is studying in Rome told me this. There is a church on every corner, one of them Catholic. We are very orthodox.

Also, St Louis is very family friendly. It’s a big city, but housing costs are reasonable. We have big city baseball, symphony, free zoo and art museum. The St. Louis Zoo is world-renowned. Parking costs are reasonable and driving to events is generally hassle-free.

St. Louis is a big city with a small town feel. The most popular question is “Where did you go to high school?” And it’s usually means, “which Catholic high school did you attend!”
 
ForAll said:
Don’t count out Colorado! In response to the hippie/liberalish tendencies, there has been a HUGE growth of Orthodox Catholicism there!! FOCUS ministries is based out of Denver, and that has drawn this large community of faithful Catholics to the city. Additionally, ENDOW (a Catholic group committed to educating others on the nature and dignity of women) is based out of Colorado, and has drawn a great number of people to it. It seems like these days every other awesome person I meet at retreats or what-have-you is living in Colorado!

Also, I’m not sure how great Overland Park is in general, but ask Dr. Paul Camarata! He is on the SQPN Board of Directors, and I love his Catholic podcast, the SaintCast!! Surely if he and his family have been there, it’s got to have SOME good people…

**Arlington **is my home diocese and IMHO, it doesn’t get any better than that. Although Arlington proper is quite expensive, Manassas isn’t as bad and there’s still great Catholic life out there too. Just find a parish that has Youth Apostle involvement and you’ll be in good hands, that’s for sure (youthapostles.org/)

If you’re looking for any place else, I’ve definitely got to give it up to my hometown of **Orlando **and my new town of Naples, both Florida. They are not quite as obvious Catholic hubs as other places, but certain parishes are fantastic (I’m thinking of Holy Family in O-Town and St. John the Evangelist in Naples, in particular). They have growing populations, lots of activities, and are strong in the faith.

Best of luck, and prayers for your employment search!
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Which FOCUS is based in Denver? The Fellowship of Catholic University Students? Sounds great! Nice to hear of some orthodoxy happening in the Denver area!

Over the last 30 years we had so many Californians pull up stakes and move to CO that they ended up changing the entire character of the state. I hope that doesn’t continue forever.
 
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