Question about home parish

[Cor_ad_Cor]

Most parishes don’t purge their membership rolls that often (if ever, really). They may just discontinue mailings if they haven’t seen or heard from you in a while.

In regard to the geographic parish you belong to, that only changes if you move or the diocese redraws boundaries which, while not a frequent occurrence, does happen more in these days of parish mergers and consolidations for some areas.

 

[NotYetASaint]

So from what I’ve looked up and based on church A being closest to my home and church B being almost exactly a straight line past church A and also in another state, seems I may just have to go there as I’d rather go to the parish that I’m part of by location versus being all about choosing. Still going to call B and find out in the morning but. Not wanting to submit to the Church was the driving force of me leaving for four years. About a year after my confirmation. Now the thing I had the issue with still applies but my priority and mindset is more set towards Catholic Faith vs my ego/ fears.

 

[DisorientingSneeze]

They may just discontinue mailings if they haven’t seen or heard from you in a while.

I wish they would. I still recieve envelopes from my old parish. I’ve called them a few times over the years to explain that we moved and are members of our closest parish, but nothing comes of it.

 

[NotYetASaint]

In any case most likely the church I went to before is probably the parish highly likely to be “mine” it’s like 1 mile straight down the road while the other is 2 miles and change down the road. Both part of same archdiocese but also not in same state. Maybe I’m really making a fuss because I don’t want to face people? I’m part asking advice part just typing to clear my head. And I am for whatever reason committed to going to Mass in my actually parish boundary. I suppose I’ll just get on with it, go to reconsiliation and try and meet with the Pastor (who isn’t my old pastor). Sound sensible?

 

[porthos11]

LittleFlower378:

No problem, Im so happy you are coming back! Call the Parishes that are closest to you and give them your address. They should be able to tell you if you are in their boundary. One Church will be your home boundary parish.

While the above is true, you can join any parish that you wish to. We don’t belong to our boundary parish, we belong to the one where we attend mass most often. It was a choice we made.

This is not true.

Unless you qualify for membership in a personal parish, membership is territorial. You are a member only of the parish of the territory in which you live. Yes, you can attend any Catholic church you like, even exclusively, and be even registered in multiple parishes, but only your territorial parish is your parish, and only that parish’s pastor can exercise acts of governance over you that are reserved to him (e.g. dispensations, legalities concerning marriage).

 

[Joe_5859]

I wish they would. I still recieve envelopes from my old parish. I’ve called them a few times over the years to explain that we moved and are members of our closest parish, but nothing comes of it.

Yes, this type of thing is going to vary immensely from parish to parish depending on who is working in the parish office keeping track of things. I know the parish database software that we use at my parish has a checkbox for marking someone active vs. inactive. But no one is ever deleted. I think once maybe ten years ago, they went through and tried to mark a bunch of people as inactive who hadn’t used their envelopes over a long period of time. But then some people come to Mass and just don’t use envelopes. But if someone calls to say they moved and/or switched parishes, it’s pretty easy to make that change. I’d bet not every parish actually has an electronic database, though. Some parishes are about 50 years behind the technological curve.

 

[s.cono]

If all things are equal, then yes, I would probably go to the parish closest to me. I chose to go outside of my home parish because I prefer the way the mass is said there; Ad Orientem, receiving kneeling at the altar rail, intincture, and just more traditional. More masses are scheduled, including Latin mass, more opportunities for adoration, First Friday, and other things. They do more things, and I prefer now to do these things. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

Unless, of course, your diocese does not adhere to territorial boundaries. Such is the case in several diocese including mine.

 

[porthos11]

Unless, of course, your diocese does not adhere to territorial boundaries. Such is the case in several diocese including mine.

Oh yes it does, even if it doesn’t make a fuss about which parish you attend. The definition of a parish is enshrined in universal canon law, and parishes are always territorial unless defined as personal. I seriously doubt any diocese is constituted primarily of personal parishes. Registration does not make you a member of a parish. You are a member of the parish in which you live. The only way to change your canonical membership is to move.

I’m registered in two parishes in my own diocese, but I know exactly what parish I belong to: the one where I live in, because that is what the law says and I have no say in the matter, even if I were to support the other church only (which I do not; I support both). I do not have to attend a single Mass there, but for purposes of the law and of governance, I better know who my pastor is, and it is not the one in the church where I attend the EF.

 

[NotYetASaint]

Just a preference and probably a little shame. But definitely have learned I need to put “I” in it’s place. So I’m going to stick with my geographic parish regardless of my like. Unless there was something very specific that was being done beyond my personal views. Since that was the error I made in leaving in the first place

 

[NotYetASaint]

Thanks that really resonates with where I’m at now although for me I’m just going to go to my geographic or actual parish under the law, just simpler for me. But your explanation of it was very helpful thanks.

 

[NotYetASaint]

Actually one reason I’m hopeful that I’m still in the bounds of church B is that they tend to more strictly to the Liturgy and Have a little more going on whereas the one I most likely am in bounds of ( and I will mainly attend whichever is mine one way or the other) is more modern in layout of the interior and not a lot of people even kneel etc. At church B everyone that can does …just an example. But anyway I think this will be my last post on this thread unless specifically asked anything. Thanks all for helping me sort this out

 

[jrgmercado]

We drive past 4 parishes to our parish (where we are registered). I did my conformation there (as an adult), we were married there and both our kids were baptized there. When my daughter was in the hospital, we called our parish and the associate pastor drove all the way to the hospital. Never once was I asked where my house was, although they had it once we registered. I’m not sure if that is the same all over, all I can say is that is how it’s worked for us in the DOSP.

 

[Joe_5859]

’m not sure if that is the same all over, all I can say is that is how it’s worked for us in the DOSP.

People on the forum point this out frequently because it is technically accurate that a “parish” is a geographic term (such as “county” or “state”).

However—for good or ill—very few people actually pay attention to those boundary lines anymore. Certainly, I cannot imagine a person registering at a parish, going there for all their sacraments, and then on their death bed having the pastor say, “Oh, well, technically you don’t live in my parish boundaries, so you’re going to have to call the other parish.” That would never happen.

 

[JanetF]

While the above is true, you can join any parish that you wish to. We don’t belong to our boundary parish, we belong to the one where we attend mass most often. It was a choice we made.

I disagree with your interpretation of cannon law. In my diocese, the parish that I belong to, am registered as a member and make monetary contributions to on a regular basis, is not my parish by boundary. The priest that I go to for legalities concerning the sacraments is the priest of the parish that I am a registered member of, not the priest of the boundary parish.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

All I can tell you is that I wouldn’t even know how to find out what my territorial parish is if I wanted to. When I called the chancery last year they told me to just pick one. I was just confirmed and we are working out the details in a convalidation and no one has said a single thing about boundaries to me. So, it’s pretty clear to me that my diocese has no preference regarding boundaries.

 

[Horton]

Every Catholic with an address lives within a parish boundary. Many of us actually register at the parish of our choice. I do not attend in my home parish due to what I felt were irregularities. I chose to go to another town and am registered at the parish there. I actually work for the parish where I attend now and no one says anything about boundaries.

While a dioceses may not enforce parish boundaries, they are still there.

 

[jrgmercado]

I couldn’t imagine it either but the reality has shown me to be different from my expectation.

 

[NotYetASaint]

I want to do the thing that has the least chance of biting me later/least complicated. At the end of the day.

 

[PetraG]

So from what I’ve looked up and based on church A being closest to my home and church B being almost exactly a straight line past church A and also in another state, seems I may just have to go there as I’d rather go to the parish that I’m part of by location versus being all about choosing.

You seem to be saying that Church B belongs to a different diocese. That can be an issue, but honestly the bishops in an area like yours may be mostly concerned that you are free to go to the church that you will actually form a relationship with and GO TO.

In any case most likely the church I went to before is probably the parish highly likely to be “mine” it’s like 1 mile straight down the road while the other is 2 miles and change down the road. Both part of same archdiocese but also not in same state. Maybe I’m really making a fuss because I don’t want to face people? I’m part asking advice part just typing to clear my head. And I am for whatever reason committed to going to Mass in my actually parish boundary. I suppose I’ll just get on with it, go to reconsiliation and try and meet with the Pastor (who isn’t my old pastor). Sound sensible?

Most of the time, if you haven’t been to a church for several years people just assume you were going somewhere else. If you come back, the people who recognize you will be happy to have you back. They may wonder or ask whether you were going somewhere else or just not going, but that’s a pretty personal thing to ask if you don’t bring it up.

This is not true.

Unless you qualify for membership in a personal parish, membership is territorial. You are a member only of the parish of the territory in which you live. Yes, you can attend any Catholic church you like, even exclusively, and be even registered in multiple parishes, but only your territorial parish is your parish, and only that parish’s pastor can exercise acts of governance over you that are reserved to him (e.g. dispensations, legalities concerning marriage).

This depends on the bishop. In our archdiocese, for instance, the funeral and marriage policies specifically say that regular attendance and being active in a parish is enough to establish domicile.

I would think, for instance, that people from the next diocese who are sending children to a Catholic high school in this diocese would be welcome to “establish domicile” one of the parishes nearest their children’s school, for practical reasons.