Territorial or Personal parish

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Do you attend masses at your territorial parish (geographical area), or somewhere else.

Until yesterday I truly believed that since Can #107 clearly defines that the Church is territorial, everyone should be registered and belong to the parish of his/her domicile.

In the Church where are feel to be home, the Cardinal Archbishop hold a town meeting yesterday, to collect information how to resolve a problem. He wants a typical suburban territorial parish to replace a faith community in a rapidly growing area…

During the meting, while the Cardinal openly scolded somebody who made the disturbance by falsifying a letter in the name of the auxiliary bishop, it came to my mind that may be as the beneficium orienting the 1917 Canon Law was obsoleted, so is the territorial (geographical are) oriented 1983 Canon Law.

Before St Pius X there was the one fit all Mass, in Latin and without personal participation of the laity. No matter where you went, everywhere the Holy Mass was the same… Immediately as the active participation started the masses started to be different. This became relevant after the 1970 Mass gave place to the differences.

The question weather this is good or bad is far reaching, but the statistical starting point is to see the reality: regardless of the reason

do you attend masses at the parish closest to you or somewhere else
 
I voted territorial parish. This is where I am active and registered and attend on Sundays and Holy Days and some weekdays, and it’s a wonderful faithful place.
I do however go to other parishes often on weekdays to be sure that I can make it to Mass every day, as I work about 33 miles away from home, two counties away. Most commonly when I can’t make it to my parish, I’m at the FSSP chaplaincy in Lexington or at the parishes in those two counties.
 
I’m a Lay Dominican, so I go to the nearest Dominican parish, which is a long way from being the nearest parish (I’d say there are at least 15 closer, although it is one of the closest ones to where I work).

Before I was a Lay Dominican, I went to the second nearest parish. The only reason I didn’t go to the absolute closest was that it was part of a cluster of countryside parishes with one priest, so there was only Mass on a Saturday evening and never on non-Sunday holy days of obligation; I prefered to be part of a parish community which met regularly so I went for the nearest church which offered a Sunday and holy day Mass.

In a few weeks I’ll be moving house and since there will no longer be a Dominican parish within commuting distance, I will be attending my geographical parish.
 
there is no poll choice for both
I usually attend evening Mass in my residential parish, where nobody knows me and will interrupt with questions about CCD or anything else, where I am not on duty, where I don’t feel obligated to challenge munchers to give me their gum, where I don’t have to keep watch on behavior of youth etc.

too many times I end up missing Mass on morning we have classes because of interruptions so I can’t take the chance and know from experience something will come up to keep me from a later Mass at the Basilica (my fall-back)

If I really want to worship rather than being “on duty” I need to be at Mass elsewhere. That is still a punishment since our priest is the best preacher in the Valley so I still also attend at least one Mass, sometimes more, in my workplace parish.

the best advice I ever got was to worship in another parish, not where you work

I don’t have a canon law book but doubt very much the canon you cite says you have to register at any parish. That is not part of canon law but a practice used in the US because donations must be tracked to suit the IRS.

Every Catholic residing in the territorial boundaries is a member of that parish, and that pastor has jurisdiction over their faith and sacramental life. Unless there is a good reason that is the parish you where you should worship and support and be part of community life.

Whether or not you can join another parish is at the discretion of the bishop, very few are strict about this any more, but an invidual pastor may be when it comes to enrolling your child in the parish school or programs, for instance.

there are also jurisdictional parishes, for instance the old ethnic parishes in places like Cleveland that had strong ethnic communities with their own priests and schools.
 
I go to my territorial parish because the next nearest one is about 20 miles away and filled with abuses. Before DH retired we were military so usually worshipped at the military parish of the Base where we were posted, except for the last posting we had where we joined the Catholic Francophone Community, which drew members from about ~35 territorial parishes around the archdiocese.
 
puzzleannie said:
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Every Catholic residing in the territorial boundaries is a member of that parish, and that pastor has jurisdiction over their faith and sacramental life. Unless there is a good reason that is the parish you where you should worship and support and be part of community life.

Whether or not you can join another parish is at the discretion of the bishop, very few are strict about this any more, but an invidual pastor may be when it comes to enrolling your child in the parish school or programs, for instance.

there are also jurisdictional parishes, for instance the old ethnic parishes in places like Cleveland that had strong ethnic communities with their own priests and schools.
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Diocese of Buffalo is. You must be registered in the parish closest to your geographical home. If you wish to attend Mass at another parish you are free to do so. Children are required to have all Sacraments performed in the parents registered parish. Dispensations can be granted by the Bishop, but I know of many that have been denied.
 
Well, technically I have two home parishes(I split the year living in two diocese) . At college, I attend the territorial parish of the town in which I live. However, at home, I don’t go to the territorial parish.

Now, this has nothing to do with how Mass is celebrated or anything. Simply, when I started Confirmation (after not going to church for years) I went to the parish in the town over where classes hadn’t started yet.

I just kinda stayed there. 🙂
 
I don’t belong to a parish church anymore. I go to religious houses to attend Mass. It is much quieter and more peaceful before and after Mass. Secondly, there are very few liturgical abuses if none at all. Ever since I have done this, I have been so blessed.

God bless.
 
Since moving back to my hometown, I have attended church at the parish where I grew up and attended the school next door which has since been razed. My territorial parish has branched into a second parish which is much closer to my home but filled with young families with children. I feel more at home with people I know from grammar school and high school at my childhood parish. Besides, I love old things and our church is 125 years old and we recently found the original cornerstone which was on the small church that burned down.
 
As much as I hate to say it, my territorial parish looks like a shopping mall. The wall separating the narthex from the nave is just a big transparent glass sheet. Our entry-area looks downstairs via some holes in the floor… almost like a mezzanine level in a hotel. What’s visible down below the entrance-floor? Why, sofas and couches and potted plants, with really kitschy paintings and weird modernist displays in waiting areas. Interestingly, the church hall in the depths below is much larger and more decorous than the actual church itself. From the outside it looks neo-Romanesque enough, but the inside is really ugly and I hate it - I literally cannot stand being in that church.

I either go to the local cathedral or a small church served by Franciscans.
 
I didn’t vote because of the lack of “other” as a choice.
I attend both a local parish, and an FSSP parish and sometimes a Dominican Mass.
I would like to attend a Ambrosian sometime in the future but none are available outside of Milan, I think.
 
I do belong to a parish, but if I have work, vacation, or family commitments, I will attend a different parish for Mass. I am within 15 minutes drive from at least 5 or 6 churches with the closest being 5 minutes drive from me.
 
I go to church closest to where I work. I work about 30 minutes away from home. However, I’m up here much more than I’m at home when I need to be at Mass. I’m registered at the parish closest to work also.
 
We attend a basilica 10 miles away from us. It isn’t our registered parish though. It’s run by Conventual Franciscans, most of whom were all from my parents’ home town 100 miles away.
 
I attend Mass at my territorial parish.

But it is not always easy for people around here to figure out what their territorial parish is. If someone new to the area was to contact a parish (or the diocese) to ask what parish is the territorial parish they would probably be directed to an online map (or given a printed copy of one) and told to contact the nearest parish to where they live. I know for a fact that some people in my city live closer to a parish that is not within the territorial boundaries.

And supposedly a few years ago the bishop opened up “membership” at both parishes in town to all those who live within the combined territorial boundaries.
 
All of my local Parishes are served by the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Rock Hill, SC. My closest parish (5 mi.) while served by Oratorians is a bit too liberal( Parishioners) for my tastes. I attend St. Anne Parish in nearby Rock Hill, SC ( 10 mi.) because I find the Parish to operate with a more reverent attitude towards Worship and the Mass. All of our Parishes in our County (5), one Parish and one new mission Parish in the next County East are O. F. Parishes. All of the Oratorian Priests are equally sincere and reverent.

On a side note, i do find it discomforting that we find ourselves Parish-shopping these days for Parishes that adhere to the Magesterium and follow the Rubrics as established By Rome. I pray for the day when Catholic (universal) means Catholic again.
 
I don’t attend my territorial parish.

The closest parish is 2 miles away and shares a priest with three other small towns. The only mass time offered in my town is late Sunday morning and it is always over-crowded.

Instead, we drive 10 miles to a different parish. This parish is where my husband & I started out 30 years ago. We have moved many times since then, but feel we are back “home.” This parish offers 24 hr. Eucharistic Adoration 👍
 
Thanks for the answers. I expected 2:1 for the local parish. The possibility given by the transportation and the desire to participate through ones own resonances apparently works.
 
We do not regularly go to Mass at or territorial parish according to the boundry lines. We live basically on the line between parishes and have always attended the one across the line. Both are very devout, reverant OF parishes so we haven’t changed in order to attend an EF or for other liturgical reasons.
 
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