Moving to a New Parish

[d2bc]

I have a question about moving to a new parish, I’m hoping this is the right spot to ask and that someone can help me.
I am a new Catholic (Easter Vigil this year, praise be to God!!) and had been driving the hour back to the parish where I went through RCIA since I moved, but the gas and time got to be more than I could handle. There’s a parish just down the road from my house and I’ve started attending there, but I’m not sure what I need to do to officially be a member of the parish. Is there some official way of registering that I need to go about? Can I just speak to someone at the parish or do I have to do something thru the diocese? (My new parish is in a different town, but it’s the same diocese.) Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

 

[malphono]

Why not just speak to the pastor of the “new” parish?

 

[Cristiano]

I have a question about moving to a new parish, I’m hoping this is the right spot to ask and that someone can help me.
I am a new Catholic (Easter Vigil this year, praise be to God!!) and had been driving the hour back to the parish where I went through RCIA since I moved, but the gas and time got to be more than I could handle. There’s a parish just down the road from my house and I’ve started attending there, but I’m not sure what I need to do to officially be a member of the parish. Is there some official way of registering that I need to go about? Can I just speak to someone at the parish or do I have to do something thru the diocese? (My new parish is in a different town, but it’s the same diocese.) Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

It looks like the parish close to your new home is your parish now. Your parish is defined by the geographical location of your residence. You can still attend any parish that you want, but the geographical one is your official one.

 

[SMHW]

I have a question about moving to a new parish, I’m hoping this is the right spot to ask and that someone can help me.
I am a new Catholic (Easter Vigil this year, praise be to God!!) and had been driving the hour back to the parish where I went through RCIA since I moved, but the gas and time got to be more than I could handle. There’s a parish just down the road from my house and I’ve started attending there, but I’m not sure what I need to do to officially be a member of the parish. Is there some official way of registering that I need to go about? Can I just speak to someone at the parish or do I have to do something thru the diocese? (My new parish is in a different town, but it’s the same diocese.) Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

This is usually just a matter of contacting the parish office and registering. This is so the parish knows you exit and can enter you into the parish database. Depending on how your parish does things you can request envelopes for donations, join ministry groups, etc.

As a courtesy you should also contact your previous parish and let them know that you will no longer be attending. If you want to continue to receive postal mailings or emails from that parish you can usually stay in the database as a non-member.

Also, the diocese usually asks each parish for a yearly update of the parishioners that have been added or deleted from the membership rolls. The diocese will learn that you have switched from the info you give to both parishes.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I have a question about moving to a new parish, I’m hoping this is the right spot to ask and that someone can help me.
I am a new Catholic (Easter Vigil this year, praise be to God!!) and had been driving the hour back to the parish where I went through RCIA since I moved, but the gas and time got to be more than I could handle. There’s a parish just down the road from my house and I’ve started attending there, but I’m not sure what I need to do to officially be a member of the parish. Is there some official way of registering that I need to go about? Can I just speak to someone at the parish or do I have to do something thru the diocese? (My new parish is in a different town, but it’s the same diocese.) Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

There’s usually information on the bulletin about new registrations. When in doubt, talk to the priest after Mass.

What we did when we moved is we wrote a letter to the previous parish to “unregister” us, basically save the money from printing us new envelopes. My wife also wrote a thank you note to the pastor. Then we registered with the new parish at the same time.

 

[FrDavid96]

I have a question about moving to a new parish, I’m hoping this is the right spot to ask and that someone can help me.
I am a new Catholic (Easter Vigil this year, praise be to God!!) and had been driving the hour back to the parish where I went through RCIA since I moved, but the gas and time got to be more than I could handle. There’s a parish just down the road from my house and I’ve started attending there, but I’m not sure what I need to do to officially be a member of the parish. Is there some official way of registering that I need to go about? Can I just speak to someone at the parish or do I have to do something thru the diocese? (My new parish is in a different town, but it’s the same diocese.) Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

You are already an official member of the parish where you live. A parish is a territory, not a building, so from the moment you became a Catholic you have been a member of that parish close to your home. Registration is something entirely different from membership though. Registration is a tool used to keep track of parishioners, for you own benefit of course. It’s a good idea to register at your parish-of-residence. Simply contact the parish office; most have some kind of simple registation forms or cards which only take a few minutes to complete. As others have suggested, it’s also a good idea to contact the parish where you went through RCIA to let them know that you’re registered and attending in your proper parish so that they don’t worry about “what happened to d2bc?”

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Why do you have to register with a parish? We don’t do that in the UK.

 

[SMHW]

Why do you have to register with a parish? We don’t do that in the UK.

Does the UK keep track of the religious affiliation of her citizens? How does the Catholic Church in England know that someone is a member of a local parish? Do parishes track the contributions of members? How many members are there in a typical parish? Is there any state funding for Catholic parishes?

In the United States registration with one’s local parish is really the only way the parish knows who its members are. Knowing about the members helps parishes plan the number of Masses to be offered, the types of services that her members might need. The records on the reception of sacraments are linked to parish membership. The diocese typically requires the parishes to provide census information. A parish here often has several thousand households. Knowing the populations of parishes helps the diocese figure out if it makes sense to create a new parish or to close/merge parishes with smaller populations.

When parishioners register the parish will track any donations made by those parishioners and will provide statements to that effect which can be used to offset
one’s income tax. So it’s usually to the parishioners financial benefit to register with the parish.

 

[Edward_H]

I have a question about moving to a new parish, I’m hoping this is the right spot to ask and that someone can help me.
I am a new Catholic (Easter Vigil this year, praise be to God!!) and had been driving the hour back to the parish where I went through RCIA since I moved, but the gas and time got to be more than I could handle. There’s a parish just down the road from my house and I’ve started attending there, but I’m not sure what I need to do to officially be a member of the parish. Is there some official way of registering that I need to go about? Can I just speak to someone at the parish or do I have to do something thru the diocese? (My new parish is in a different town, but it’s the same diocese.) Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!

Welcome to the Catholic Church. Good advice above. Just ring up the new Parish office.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Does the UK keep track of the religious affiliation of her citizens?

Yes, through censuses.

How does the Catholic Church in England know that someone is a member of a local parish?

By their contact with and involvement with the parish.

Do parishes track the contributions of members?

Records of contributions are made but there’s no “Big Brother” style monitoring of who gives what. Maybe we remember the parable of the widow’s mite

How many members are there in a typical parish?

I don’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘typical’ parish. Each parish is unique.

Is there any state funding for Catholic parishes?

No

In the United States registration with one’s local parish is really the only way the parish knows who its members are.

We know our parishioners by getting to know them.

The records on the reception of sacraments are linked to parish membership.

Obviously, sacramental records are kept.

When parishioners register the parish will track any donations made by those parishioners and will provide statements to that effect which can be used to offset one’s income tax. So it’s usually to the parishioners financial benefit to register with the parish.

That does not happen in the UK to the best of my knowledge. However, we can make donations to the Church on a Gift Aid basis in which the Church can claim from the state the income tax we have paid.

 

[jpjd]

Why do you have to register with a parish? We don’t do that in the UK.

We register with a parish so that the parish can know who is a member of the parish. Not only does this help them know the demographics of who the parish is serving, but the parishoner will be able to receive communications from the parish.

In my parish, registered members receive;
monthly offeratory envelopes; the annual letter from the bishop about the bishops appeal; a subscription discount on the diocesan newspaper; a letter from the pastor informing the parish of, for example, the kickoff of the stewarship drive, or the capital campaign; or a letter from the Director of Religious Education to affected families regarding religious education matters, etc.

If would be very difficult for a “group” of any kind to operate without knowledge of who its members are, and that also is the case of a parish. So that is why members of a parish should register.

 

[malphono]

You are already an official member of the parish where you live. A parish is a territory, not a building, so from the moment you became a Catholic you have been a member of that parish close to your home. Registration is something entirely different from membership though. Registration is a tool used to keep track of parishioners, for you own benefit of course. It’s a good idea to register at your parish-of-residence. Simply contact the parish office; most have some kind of simple registation forms or cards which only take a few minutes to complete. As others have suggested, it’s also a good idea to contact the parish where you went through RCIA to let them know that you’re registered and attending in your proper parish so that they don’t worry about “what happened to d2bc?”

Just a point of clarification. In an earlier post I suggested contacting the “new” parish, and that was for a reason. Granted that parishes are (with the exception of “personal parishes”) territorial, but that doesn’t necessarily mean one automatically belongs to the parish closest to where one lives. It depends on the parish boundaries. It can (and does) happen that people live closer to a parish that is not their territorial parish.

Let’s say there are 2 parishes in town, one located on 5th Street and the other on 70th St. For the purpose at hand, let’s assume that the boundary between the two is simple and clear (which, of course, is not always the case) and is at 60th St. The “X family” lives on 59th St. Although technically the “X family” belongs to the 5th St parish, they live far closer to the 70th St parish.

The matter of boundaries can be far more convoluted in suburban areas. I’m reminded of friends of mine in a suburban town in the Midwest. Their home was less than a 5-minute walk from a church, and when they moved in they assumed that was their parish church. They soon found out otherwise: their territorial parish was the other church in town, over a mile away. I don’t recall how (or even if) the matter was “officially” resolved, but I do know that those folks were very active in the closer parish for many years.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

We register with a parish so that the parish can know who is a member of the parish. Not only does this help them know the demographics of who the parish is serving, but the parishoner will be able to receive communications from the parish.

In my parish, registered members receive;
monthly offeratory envelopes; the annual letter from the bishop about the bishops appeal; a subscription discount on the diocesan newspaper; a letter from the pastor informing the parish of, for example, the kickoff of the stewarship drive, or the capital campaign; or a letter from the Director of Religious Education to affected families regarding religious education matters, etc.

If would be very difficult for a “group” of any kind to operate without knowledge of who its members are, and that also is the case of a parish. So that is why members of a parish should register.

I have no disagreement with the system that you have in the USA. I just wondered why you have it.

Would it be correct to presume that those who register with the parish are the same people who go to church every Sunday. Because all the things that you mention we achieve by giving the information to parishioners at Sunday Masses. RE matters can also be done through the Catholic schools.

I wouldn’t have thought that those parishioners who don’t go to church would register. If they did it would certainly provide a way of targeting though parishioners for catechesis about coming to church on Sundays.

 

[jpjd]

Would it be correct to presume that those who register with the parish are the same people who go to church every Sunday. Because all the things that you mention we achieve by giving the information to parishioners at Sunday Masses. RE matters can also be done through the Catholic schools.

I wouldn’t have thought that those parishioners who don’t go to church would register.

Well, these things are never black and white. You have registered people who go sporadically and you have non-registered people who attend regularly. (I have heard that some people deliberately do not register so that they are not sent offeratory envelopes or capital campaign letters or bishops appeal letters, etc. I won’t go into my thoughts on that…) The idea is, however, that people who consider themselves members of that parish should register at the parish.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Well, these things are never black and white. You have registered people who go sporadically and you have non-registered people who attend regularly. (I have heard that some people deliberately do not register so that they are not sent offeratory envelopes or capital campaign letters or bishops appeal letters, etc. I won’t go into my thoughts on that…) The idea is, however, that people who consider themselves members of that parish should register at the parish.

Excellent answer! I would not have committed myself to a concrete answer to those questions, either.

 

[Phemie]

I have no disagreement with the system that you have in the USA. I just wondered why you have it.

Would it be correct to presume that those who register with the parish are the same people who go to church every Sunday. Because all the things that you mention we achieve by giving the information to parishioners at Sunday Masses. RE matters can also be done through the Catholic schools.

I wouldn’t have thought that those parishioners who don’t go to church would register. If they did it would certainly provide a way of targeting though parishioners for catechesis about coming to church on Sundays.

Let me put it this way. We have around 450 families/1500 people registered in our parish. If we only went by those we see regularly we’d have about 100 families, ~300 people.

Realistically, even though we rarely see them, as the only Catholic parish we are responsible for all the Catholics in our territory whether they attend regularly or not. We have to offer services based on the number of people registered and not simply based on those we see regularly.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Let me put it this way. We have around 450 families/1500 people registered in our parish. If we only went by those we see regularly we’d have about 100 families, ~300 people.

Realistically, even though we rarely see them, as the only Catholic parish we are responsible for all the Catholics in our territory whether they attend regularly or not. We have to offer services based on the number of people registered and not simply based on those we see regularly.

Ok, ok! I get it. It was just a general enquiry. We don’t have that system so I wondered why it was used in US. As you have it too I guess it’s used in Canada as well.

I think it would be a very useful as a tool to contact registered but non-attending families to “bring them home”.

 

[Phemie]

I think it would be a very useful as a tool to contact registered but non-attending families to “bring them home”.

Yes, but sadly I rarely hear about ‘bringing them home’ but always about ‘lets get as much money out of them as we can even if they don’t come to Mass.’

 

[Edward_H]

Yes, but sadly I rarely hear about ‘bringing them home’ but always about ‘lets get as much money out of them as we can even if they don’t come to Mass.’

That’s interesting. I’ve been a Catholic for 50 years, hanging around and working in various ministries for years - there may be people who say this, maybe thiink it- but I’ve never ever heard it myself.

“hear…always…as much money as we can…”…seems kind of an exaggerated statement to me. Actually almost like a gross distortion, in fact, fired for effect.

That’s just how it seems to me.

I think more “Catholics” need to read Acts 5.

If God asks me when I face Him, “did you half step your whole life toward me?”, how will I respond?

 

[Phemie]

That’s interesting. I’ve been a Catholic for 50 years, hanging around and working in various ministries for years - there may be people who say this, maybe thiink it- but I’ve never ever heard it myself.

“hear…always…as much money as we can…”…seems kind of an exaggerated statement to me. Actually almost like a gross distortion, in fact, fired for effect.

That’s just how it seems to me.

I think more “Catholics” need to read Acts 5.

If God asks me when I face Him, “did you half step your whole life toward me?”, how will I respond?

Unfortunately, it’s what is said regularly by the people in my de-facto parish council. When they wanted to do a formal parish survey I said, ‘Oh, we are hoping to contact them and get them back into the fold?’ The reply was “No, we are going to contact them to let them know of their obligation to financially support the parish even though they don’t come to Mass.”

In the last couple of years the focus of everything that has been done in my parish has been money. Nothing was done for evangelization but everything was done to raise funds. Now, I pay the bills and keep track of the bank accounts so, yes, I know we need money but not at the expense of everything a parish should be.