Parishioner vs. Communicant

[bassdrummer]

Hi,

I’m not sure if this is the right place for this question.

Can anyone tell me the difference, if any, between a Parishioner and a Communicant?

My wife and I and our two daughters have been attending the same parish in our town for eighteen plus years. I was curious if we would be called one thing or the other. Is a communicant someone of another faith? I had not necessarily heard that term used in the Catholic Church.

Thanks in advance.

God Bless,

J

 

[jc-servant]

I’ve only heard communicant in the context of receiving the Eucharist. A communicant being the person receiving Holy Communion.

A parishioner is a member of a parish.

 

[dixieagle]

A communicant would be simply someone who receives communion at a particular parish (“A communicant at St. Joseph’s”.) I rarely hear that used anymore. Ideally, every parishioner would also be a communicant, but circumstances sometimes prevent one from receiving communion each time one attends Mass (mortal sin breaking the fast, etc.)

 

[Genesis315]

A communicant would be simply someone who receives communion at a particular parish (“A communicant at St. Joseph’s”.) I rarely hear that used anymore. Ideally, every parishioner would also be a communicant, but circumstances sometimes prevent one from receiving communion each time one attends Mass (mortal sin breaking the fast, etc.)

Or, one day a person visiting a different parish would be a communicant there but not a parishoner there.

 

[Refugium]

I have only heard “communicant” used in that sense in a non-Catholic context, i.e. “Mr. Smith is a communicant member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod” or “First Presbyterian Church has 576 communicant members.”

 

[Feedmysheep]

I’ve only heard it ever used in the context of those who attend daily Mass faithfully, as in “Mrs. X was a daily communicant”

FMS