Do we have to go to the nearest parish?

[petronus]

On a literal level, yes that’s true.
For practical reasons, pastors want people to register. It helps them discern what is needed.
How much to budget for education, etc.
The Dioceses here in the US expect them to give reports to them. That’s where they derive their statistics from. That’s how they determine if your parish needs a second or third priest. Things like this.
Maybe it’s different where you are.

Yes it is .

As I said we have no such thing as registration .

 

[SMHW]

We have no such thing as registration .

When you live within a certain parish you are automatically a member of that parish .

Petronus, I don’t know where you live.

You are right in that one is automatically a member of the territorial parish (or perhaps an ethnic parish if that applies) but in the case of those of us who live in the United States there is no way for the Church to know we are Catholic and living within the bounds of the parish unless we register. The local parish and the diocese build their budgets around the registered parishioners. It’s an economic and administrative model that works so well (for both parishes and parishioners) in the United States that registration has practically (although not completely) eliminated the importance of location, at least within a given deanery.

 

[SecretCatholic]

Thank you for the explanation, pianistclare.

 

[pianistclare]

Thank you for the explanation, pianistclare.

Thank YOU!
I just now noticed your screen name! “Secret” Catholic!
LOL



very cool!

 

[Brendan]

You may attend any Catholic church anywhere.

However, you are only a member of the parish in which you reside. Parishes are territorial entitles. The territory is the parish. .

Except for Personal Parishes

Can. 518 As a general rule a parish is to be territorial, that is, one which includes all the Christian faithful of a certain territory. When it is expedient, however, personal parishes are to be established determined by reason of the rite, language, or nationality of the Christian faithful of some territory, or even for some other reason.

By far the closest parish to me is a Polish parish. It was established as a Personal Parish serving the Polish community in Metro Detroit. It is staffed by a religious order from Poland.

As such it has no territory (other than the Archdiocesan boundaries), but for the Poles who attend there, the pastor there IS their Canonical Pastor.

In addition to a number of Personal Parishes serving various ethnic communities, our Archbishop has two that serve the faithful who desire the Extraordinary Form. All of those have no territory, but serve the entire Archdiocese.

Can. 519 The pastor (parochus) is the proper pastor (pastor) of the parish entrusted to him, exercising the pastoral care of the community committed to him under the authority of the diocesan bishop in whose ministry of Christ he has been called to share, so that for that same community he carries out the functions of teaching, sanctifying, and governing, also with the cooperation of other presbyters or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of the Christian faithful, according to the norm of law.

In most cases, the community entrusted to a pastor is territorial in nature, but not always, and the pastor who is entrusted to care for other forms of communities is still that pastor of those to whom he is entrusted…

 

[FrDavid96]

Except for Personal Parishes

By far the closest parish to me is a Polish parish. It was established as a Personal Parish serving the Polish community in Metro Detroit. It is staffed by a religious order from Poland.

As such it has no territory (other than the Archdiocesan boundaries), but for the Poles who attend there, the pastor there IS their Canonical Pastor.

In addition to a number of Personal Parishes serving various ethnic communities, our Archbishop has two that serve the faithful who desire the Extraordinary Form. All of those have no territory, but serve the entire Archdiocese.

I think I did address that.

…
The two exceptions to this are:

1. What are known as “personal parishes” meaning that the membership is determined by persons not territory. Examples of this are ethnic parishes, parishes for the Extraordinary Form, or Anglican Ordinariate parishes.
2. A person may have more than one residence. Quasi-domicile (living in a place other than one’s home for 3 months or longer) means that one may have more than one parish.

Perhaps my spelling error threw you off.

 

[RuthTherese]

I’ve wondered if I should become a member at the parish I’m currently attending. I’m technically registered as a member at my home parish (since I still live under my parents’ roof), but I go to a different one now that I’m at school.

 

[Brendan]

I think I did address that.

 

[FrDavid96]

I’ve wondered if I should become a member at the parish I’m currently attending. I’m technically registered as a member at my home parish (since I still live under my parents’ roof), but I go to a different one now that I’m at school.

You automatically become a member of a parish based on where you live (see also the exceptions above). It’s not a matter of choosing. If you live in that territory, you are a member. If you do not live in that parish territory, then you are not a parishioner of that parish.

Neither attending nor registering has any bearing on parish membership.

If you actually reside at school (maybe you live in a dorm, but still consider your parents’ address as your permanent one) then you would have a quasi-domicile there, and you would actually be a member of both parishes. Still, both of these are determined by territory, not choice.

 

[SMHW]

Except for Personal Parishes

Can. 518 As a general rule a parish is to be territorial, that is, one which includes all the Christian faithful of a certain territory. When it is expedient, however, personal parishes are to be established determined by reason of the rite, language, or nationality of the Christian faithful of some territory, or even for some other reason.

This raises an interesting question…

Can the Archbishop/bishop determine that his diocese would be best served if ALL parishes are personal parishes?

Can he determine that all parishes within a given geographical area are personal parishes for those who live in a given geographical area?

I believe I’ve heard that a parish can be both a geographical parish for those who live within its boundaries and also a personal parish for people who live outside those bounds but meet whatever criteria exist for a personal parish.

I keep hearing that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles allows membership in any parish. I naturally take such statements with a grain of salt and figured neighboring parishes just had some transparent behind the scenes way of handling pastoral duties.

I am now wondering if perhaps there is something going on with personal parishes.

 

[RuthTherese]

You automatically become a member of a parish based on where you live (see also the exceptions above). It’s not a matter of choosing. If you live in that territory, you are a member. If you do not live in that parish territory, then you are not a parishioner of that parish.

Neither attending nor registering has any bearing on parish membership.

If you actually reside at school (maybe you live in a dorm, but still consider your parents’ address as your permanent one) then you would have a quasi-domicile there, and you would actually be a member of both parishes. Still, both of these are determined by territory, not choice.

I do live in a dorm at school the majority of the time during the school year, but otherwise live with my parents. Would I want to register at the parish closest to my school then? Forgive me if I’m being thick.

 

[FrDavid96]

This raises an interesting question…

Can the Archbishop/bishop determine that his diocese would be best served if ALL parishes are personal parishes?

Can he determine that all parishes within a given geographical area are personal parishes for those who live in a given geographical area?

I believe I’ve heard that a parish can be both a geographical parish for those who live within its boundaries and also a personal parish for people who live outside those bounds but meet whatever criteria exist for a personal parish.

I keep hearing that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles allows membership in any parish. I naturally take such statements with a grain of salt but I am now wondering if perhaps there is something going on with personal parishes.

Well, the law says what it says.

I do not think that a diocesan bishop can say that all parishes are personal ones because he would be acting against canon law. I can see that for a special type of diocese, such as the military archdiocese, but not for a typical geographical diocese.

A parish can be either territorial or personal, but it can’t be both at the same time. A personal parish can have boundaries, being limited to those persons of a certain group who live in a given area, but it would technically be classified as personal, not territorial. Every parish must be either-or.

The bishop of any diocese can allow registration at any parish, but he cannot change what canon law says as to membership. What he could do, as the pastor of the entire diocese, is to give faculties to all of his priests to administer sacraments across parish boundaries. He could certainly do this. The practical effect would be the same as if he eliminated the parish territories. While the end result would be the same, he is still bound by canon law that requires parishes to have defined territories.

 

[SMHW]

The bishop of any diocese can allow registration at any parish, but he cannot change what canon law says as to membership. What he could do, as the pastor of the entire diocese, is to give faculties to all of his priests to administer sacraments across parish boundaries. He could certainly do this. The practical effect would be the same as if he eliminated the parish territories. While the end result would be the same, he is still bound by canon law that requires parishes to have defined territories.

I’ve always supposed this is what is going on. But whenever I’ve asked no one seems to understand my question.

 

[FrDavid96]

I do live in a dorm at school the majority of the time during the school year, but otherwise live with my parents. Would I want to register at the parish closest to my school then? Forgive me if I’m being thick.

Whether or not you “register” at the parish closest to the school is entirely up to you. If you live there for 3 months or longer (what canon law calls a “quasi-domicile”), you are automatically a member—if you do not register, you are still automatically a member. Which parish would be determined by the parish that includes the location of your dorm. It might or might not be the closest. It might even be a parish erected specifically for the college.

 

[RuthTherese]

Whether or not you “register” at the parish closest to the school is entirely up to you. If you live there for 3 months or longer (what canon law calls a “quasi-domicile”), you are automatically a member—if you do not register, you are still automatically a member. Which parish would be determined by the parish that includes the location of your dorm. It might or might not be the closest. It might even be a parish erected specifically for the college.

Oh, I see. That makes sense. My particular school is of a Methodist denomination, so there is no Catholic parish affiliated with them in any way. The school’s in a farm town, so I’ve just been attending the parish down the road.