Membership in more than one parish

[SeekerCV]

My wife and I will soon begin RCIA at our local parish, but we visit my parents 2 to 3 weekends per month (about 35 miles away). Today we attended Mass at the parish local to my parents’ house and really enjoyed it, and on Sundays when we are at my parents’ house, we will attend Mass there. Is it ok to seek membership in 2 different parishes? When I first contacted a priest at our local parish about RCIA, he specifically asked if we lived within the parish boundaries, so I thought we could only be a member if we lived within the geographical boundaries of a given parish.

 

[SMHW]

As I understand it, there is no absolute requirement that you register with the geographical parish in which you reside. However there are still some dioceses which discourage registering elsewhere.

In any case, you are free to attend another parish regardless of whether or not you are registered there. If you are going to regularly attend both parishes it is reasonable to financially support both.

 

[Toni]

I am not sure how the diocese in your area looks at it. But I am registered in more than one parish. I give to both parishes.

 

[Little_Mary]

I am registered in two different parishes right now.

The first parish is the one where my children attend school. We are active in the school and attend Mass there periodically and especially when the kids are involved in the Mass (choir right now). However, this parish is 17 miles away from home.

The second parish is, literally, less than 1/2 mile from my driveway. It does not have a school. We attend this church more regularly, except when school duties have us at the other one.

I know that the school parish would prefer we be dedicated to it alone.

I received statements from both last week for income tax purposes, and we gave about evenly to each.

When my children finish school, we will stick with the one closer to home!