Is it time to change to my current home parish?

[Jengirlmama]

I’ve attended my church for around 20 years, only 7 of which it was my terrotorial parish. I felt called there while attending with my boyfriend’s family in college. I joined the choir. I happened to find the perfect apartment nearby. We were married there and we became active snd made wonderful friends. Our children did their sacraments there and I was a member of the staff for a while. My husband and I have been teaching religious ed. for several years. We moved away when our first daughter was born, but it was still 15 minutes away. Then we got our first house and it was 20 minutes away. I took on a full time job and we had quit the choir to be with the kids in mass. I quit my job with the church. The married couples group disbanded. My husband’s work schedule changed from 9-5. We started attending a mass that our friends did not attend because it was better for our family and we have started losing touch with our church friends. Our busy schedules and the drive makes it hard to be involved. Our favorite priest was just reassigned to a church far away. Every two years we get a new associate pastor that we connect with and they rip them away from us. The associate priest leaving our current church has broken my heart. My husband really doesn’t like our head pastor for theology and personality reasons. I understand. He’s more liberal and lacking in people skills. My husband gets bothered by some of the things our head pastor says and it irks me too sometimes. He doesn’t like some of the more liberal things that are going on. It’s harder to be active when it’s so far away. Sometimes the gas has hurt us when I worked there a lot.
My husband and I have been teaching religious ed. there for several years, and I know he likes it. I do too. I’m afraid we’ll miss it. My oldest daughter was looking forward to having Ms. Laura for religious ed. again this year.
My husband grew up going to the church in our town near our house. My daughters and I enjoy going to confession there and we have attended mass there many times. It’s a 7 minute drive. It’s a hard decision because of the years and memories. Is it ok to move on to a new chapter? Perhaps my kids will make new Catholic friends that live nearby? Perhaps we can go to special events at our old church and visit. Perhaps we could get involved and teach and sing at this nearby church. I don’t know.
Jennifer

 

[veritatisstella]

There’s nothing wrong with switching parishes especially when you think that would be easier on you and could benefit your family. From what you said here, it sounds like the closer parish would carry some good benefits the old one does not, but the decision to change is ultimately up to you. Think about it and pray that God will help you decide what is best.

 

[Seagull]

They say ships - are found in ports -
But that’s not what ships are meant for.
Test new waters -
God just may be calling you somewhere - to make perspective changes.
Sounds promising - to me

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

Ask your kids. Your adult faith hopefully would not be aversly affected by either parish. I’m not saying leave it up to them completely, but get their (name removed by moderator)ut on how you can best nurture their faith life. A 7 minute drive does sound like it would make being involved during the week easier.

 

[Gertabelle]

Change parishes or don’t. It’s totally up to you. No one will be irreparably harmed either way, honest.

There is nothing in the Catechism that precludes you from changing parishes. So talk with your family and make a decision. And if you change parishes, seek consolation from your family as you move forward together.

 

[Joe_5859]

My husband and I have been teaching religious ed. there for several years, and I know he likes it. I do too. I’m afraid we’ll miss it.

I agree with the others that it is certainly up to you and that there is no objectively “wrong” decision here.

With regards to this statement, is there religious ed at this closer parish, too? I have a hard time imagining they wouldn’t also love to have you both teach religious ed.

Though, to your point about your daughter looking forward to a particular teacher, that’s something you’ll have to weigh in your decision making process. Maybe you decide to stick it out at your current parish for one more year so she can have that teacher. Or maybe you look at it as an opportunity for your daughter to experience another great teacher in another parish.