Has anyone sold their home to move closer to a parish?

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Catholic41506

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I love living in the country too much to move into the city for that.

But if I could find an awesome, orthodox country parish with houses up for sale, I would be elated…
 
Some friends of mine did this.
They were motivated by the quality of catechesis and the availability of the sacraments at their new parish, and by the strong Catholic identity and religious education program at the parish school.
Years later, they have no regrets about moving.
May God bless you and your parish. Amen.
 
Catholic41506 said:
We are currently placing our home on the market in order to move across the street from an awesome parish in the next diocese. Thoughts, comments welcome. I would also like to hear from others who have done this.
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I would love for my children to grow up in the shadow of a beautiful old church; to walk across the street for daily mass when I retire; to be so close to church that I could be involved in more activities; to hear those church bells every hour.

Of course, the practical realities then crop up. The parish you want is surrounded by dilapidated houses with paper thin walls that would cost a fortune to heat and are too small with no yards. The parish you want is in a bad school district and you can’t home-school. After you move, the orthodox priest gets reassigned and Father Feelgood is assigned to the parish for the next 8 years. On the other hand, the parish you are looking at may not have these same problems. If not, go for it.
 
sainthumbert said:
I would love for my children to grow up in the shadow of a beautiful old church; to walk across the street for daily mass when I retire; to be so close to church that I could be involved in more activities; to hear those church bells every hour.

Of course, the practical realities then crop up. The parish you want is surrounded by dilapidated houses with paper thin walls that would cost a fortune to heat and are too small with no yards. The parish you want is in a bad school district and you can’t home-school. After you move, the orthodox priest gets reassigned and Father Feelgood is assigned to the parish for the next 8 years. On the other hand, the parish you are looking at may not have these same problems. If not, go for it.
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A few things about this parish:
  1. Its in a wonderful historic town, on a nice street.
  2. The home was built in 1921, in fairly good shape.
  3. The parish is due to become a basilica in January and a Co Cathedral for the bishop within the next year.
  4. The parish priest won’t be reassigned and he has a another 20 or so years left in him.
 
Another note; we home school and that won’t change. 🙂 My job doesn’t play a role in this move as I will be staying with the same company.
 
From what you’d said I think it’s a wonderful move for you and your family.
 
Catholic41506 said:
A few things about this parish:
  1. Its in a wonderful historic town, on a nice street.
  2. The home was built in 1921, in fairly good shape.
  3. The parish is due to become a basilica in January and a Co Cathedral for the bishop within the next year.
  4. The parish priest won’t be reassigned and he has a another 20 or so years left in him.
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Sounds like a great opportunity then. One last thing though. It sounds like you would be moving from one city to another city rather than within a city. Is it close enough to maintain relations with family and existing friends?
 
sainthumbert said:
Sounds like a great opportunity then. One last thing though. It sounds like you would be moving from one city to another city rather than within a city. Is it close enough to maintain relations with family and existing friends?
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Oh yeah. Its only 11 miles away. 🙂
 
I sold my home and moved into an apartment this fall. I am now only 5 miles from my FSSP parish,North American Martyrs rather than 15 miles (one way), and in the winter when it snows, I can get the bus!😃

Before the FSSP came to Seattle, I lived a block away from my former parish,Holy Family, Seattle, so my son could walk to daily Mass (he was the altar boy).

If things get really snowy, I can walk 5 blocks to Christ Our Hope at the corner of Second and Stewart.
 
Almost eight years ago, I left my geographical parish when the landlord refused to renew my lease, and chose my current location because of its proximity to a roller derby venue. Fast forward to today, when roller derby is a figment of my past, and I am faced with moving yet again in February. Unfortunately, being a denizen of low-income apartment housing, I do not have my pick of places right on top of the parish, but I am looking for places that are convenient by bus. If I get my way, I will move slightly closer than I am now, scraping perhaps 5 minutes off a 20-minute bus ride, which includes a transfer, but uses only free shuttles. I rarely have to pay bus fare to get around my city.

I am extremely pleased with my parish and I wouldn’t dare to move to anywhere else as things are now. Our pastor has an eight-year tenure and there is no sign of him being moved in the near future, so I can count my blessings.

There are a few viable choices for apartment living near my parish. If worse comes to worst, I can live slightly further away but on a main bus line so that the parish remains within a convenient distance to me. But please pray for me that when I move I can achieve my objective of remaining close to both the parish and the heart of downtown so that I can enjoy my life as it has been.
 
Thinking about it right now. The parish in question has the best catholic school in the Chicago metro area (above average academics and 100% supercharged faith integration in daily school life). We currently drive half an hour each way and our oldest has reached the sports years. The driving is getting old, but the kids aren’t going anywhere else. Nobody else even HAS daily mass for all the school kids, monthly confessions, daily priest interaction in the school (class visits, etc)… Most catholic schools in the region aren’t much different than a low budget public school with a religion class tacked on like an afterthought and MAYBE a once a week all school mass (monthly is more common).

Well worth moving, it’s the the economics that are hard these days.
 
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