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Rosary_Miracles
Guest
Should I only attend Mass at my local parish, which I live close to, to support the community? Or is it acceptable to attend different parishes farther away?
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LawyersGunsAndMoney
Guest
The default assumption should be to attend your own parish, but if there is some reason to attend a different church it’s perfectly valid to do so.
In the present day, parish boundaries don’t mean much. As a practical matter, people attend the parish closest to them, or the one they like the best. I myself attend a parish other than the one I live in.
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tafan2
Guest
I disagree. The parish you should support and be active is the one you are a member of, or live in it’s boundaries. That is who you should look to for baptism, first communion, confirmation. But mass attendance? You need no reason at all.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
You are supposed to support your parish church financially, and for certain sacraments like matrimony, funeral, baptism you are supposed to have it at your parish church, although you can request permission to have it someplace else if there is a good reason.
Priests like to see their parishioners attend Mass in their parish. What actually happens in reality though is that parishioners who attend Mass may or may not go to their parish, for a variety of reasons. Some of them are looking for a different type of Mass (more traditional, different music, has a Sunday school for the kids, etc) and for others, including me and my family in the past, it was a matter of where the convenient Mass time was.
Growing up I had a main parish which we sometimes attended, but we would also regularly attend about three or four other parishes over the years because of Mass schedules being better for my family for some reason. My mother and I have always preferred noon or evening Masses over the early morning or 10 am variety, and our geo parish back in my hometown tends to schedule its last Sunday Mass at 11:30 am, though sometimes they’ve had a 12:15 or 12:30 depending on the pastor. I knew other families who preferred to attend churches that were doing social justice work in the inner city. I myself have a little handful of churches I attend regularly in the areas where I spend the most time, but depending on my schedule I go all over the place. I send regular checks to my geo-parishes.
Priests like to see their parishioners attend Mass in their parish. What actually happens in reality though is that parishioners who attend Mass may or may not go to their parish, for a variety of reasons. Some of them are looking for a different type of Mass (more traditional, different music, has a Sunday school for the kids, etc) and for others, including me and my family in the past, it was a matter of where the convenient Mass time was.
Growing up I had a main parish which we sometimes attended, but we would also regularly attend about three or four other parishes over the years because of Mass schedules being better for my family for some reason. My mother and I have always preferred noon or evening Masses over the early morning or 10 am variety, and our geo parish back in my hometown tends to schedule its last Sunday Mass at 11:30 am, though sometimes they’ve had a 12:15 or 12:30 depending on the pastor. I knew other families who preferred to attend churches that were doing social justice work in the inner city. I myself have a little handful of churches I attend regularly in the areas where I spend the most time, but depending on my schedule I go all over the place. I send regular checks to my geo-parishes.
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Rosary_Miracles
Guest
OK thanks everyone
I am a parishioner at a church a little farther away, and am considering changing it to my local parish, which I have never been to (just joined the Catholic Church last year and received all sacraments in the parish that is a little farther.) I am going to see how I like the close one, as it is very convenient.
I am a parishioner at a church a little farther away, and am considering changing it to my local parish, which I have never been to (just joined the Catholic Church last year and received all sacraments in the parish that is a little farther.) I am going to see how I like the close one, as it is very convenient.
Technically, you are not a parishioner of the church farther away, even though that is the one you regularly attend and with which you may even be registered. You are in fact a member of your local parish within whose boundaries you live, regardless of whether you are registered there or not.
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TheLittleLady
Guest
They actually do mean much, but, the parish office will take care of the important things (getting permission for your kids to get Baptized, Confirmed, etc from the territorial parish)
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halogirl
Guest
I attended RCIA, first confession, confirmation and communion out of my parish as that’s just how it worked out. If I have a child I would like that same priest to baptise and confirm him or her. I don’t think that’s so wrong. I attend mass in my parish usually
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