How to recognize a healthy catholic parish (Amsterdam)

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Hi I will be in Amsterdam on Sunday and would like to know which churches you recommend to attend a Mass at and why. You see I’ve never been to Holland and I heard that people there are somethat “liberal” (in the bad sense of the word). I don’t know how it is about catholics but I wouldn’t like to step into something weird/not really catholic.

I live in Poland and when I was travelling to USA in 2001 a friend priest told me that an important sign of sound catholic live in a parish is the presence of confession booths in the church. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any in the area where I lived (Dallas suburbs, 3 “catholic” churches). In Poland there are many in every church, and people make use of them.

So do you know any catholic churches in Holland with confessionals exposed? Or so?

Thanks!
STF
 
There may be confessional booths present that have not been in use for many years. I think the main clue would be how reverent (or lack of) the congregation is toward the Blessed Sacrament.
 
The Cathedral in the Attic is worth visiting…don’t know how healthy it is but it goes back to when Catholics had to hide for worship. Check your tour books.
 
I found Amsterdam no more liberal than NYC or any other large Western city. The infamous red light district is pretty tame compared to old 42nd Street. Yes, you’ll see coffee shops where they sell pot. Most of the time you wouldn’t know what they are about if someone didn’t point them out.

Dutch are wonderful and friendly. We have Dutch family who are Catholics.

If you need any ideas of what to see do, happy to help.
 
If the parish is a legitimate part of the Roman Catholic Church, then it is, by definition, healthy.

Unless, of course, you are challenging the authority of the episcopate to make decisions about legitimate and illegitimate congregations. Such an attitude verges on the sinful.
 
L2P2 said:
If the parish is a legitimate part of the Roman Catholic Church, then it is, by definition, healthy.

Unless, of course, you are challenging the authority of the episcopate to make decisions about legitimate and illegitimate congregations. Such an attitude verges on the sinful.
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This is not true. Many parishes are quite unhealthy and wander into many areas that are quite strongly against the faith. Bishops and Priests are fallible men and they can be lead astray just like anyone else.
 
The two times I was in Amerstam, I went to a really nice Latin Mass near the city center.

I don’t remember the name of the parish, but it was within easy walking distance of the ‘downtown’ Marriott.

What I generally do is to email the Chancellory office of the dicoese I am going to visit and request information on parishes. In the case above, I simply asked at the concierge desk of the hotel I was staying at (Marriott) and they were very helpful.

Here is the website for the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam
bisdomhaarlem.nl/
 
I live in Poland and when I was travelling to USA in 2001 a friend priest told me that an important sign of sound catholic live in a parish is the presence of confession booths in the church.
**Non sequitur.

Eastern Catholic parishes have traditionally not used confessional boths.**
 
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