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thistle
Guest
That is not correct.Your home parish is the parish in which you reside.
Either the person you asked misunderstood your question or you misunderstood his response. Either way what you said in your post is wrong.
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Either the person you asked misunderstood your question or you misunderstood his response. Either way what you said in your post is wrong.
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AnastasiaRomano
Guest
In many places, though, it might not be so easy to determine what your geographic parish is. The diocese obviously knows, but parishioners? In an urban environment or an environment with a lot of Catholic parishes, sometimes it can be difficult to know where one canonical parish ends and another begins. (Even calling the parish office doesn’t always help… I once called a parish office to ask what the territorial boundaries were. The very sweet secretary told me that she had no idea, but that I was welcome to attend Mass and register there.)
Recently our diocese, which does allow the faithful to register in any parish even if they don’t live in its territorial boundaries, published on their website a nifty little map that showed the territorial boundaries of all the diocesan parishes. There were some surprises! A lot of people found out, for instance, that although they lived closer to Parish X and were registered there, their home was actually in the territory of Parish Y. The reverse was sometimes true – we were registered in one parish, slightly farther away from our home than what we thought was our geographic parish. But surprise, we actually do live in the territorial boundaries of the parish we are registered in. The map caused a lot of interesting discussions for a couple weeks on the local blogs and at the parish coffee hour…
I guess all of this is to say that in some areas, it might not be very easy for the average lay person to know whether or not they reside in the territorial boundaries of the parish they are registered in. (Nor, as another matter, do most Catholics know about the canon law articles cited here.) I imagine that’s why requests to marry outside of one’s geographic parish are so routinely approved in most places, as pastoral prudence no doubt frequently weighs in favor of approving good-faith requests.
Recently our diocese, which does allow the faithful to register in any parish even if they don’t live in its territorial boundaries, published on their website a nifty little map that showed the territorial boundaries of all the diocesan parishes. There were some surprises! A lot of people found out, for instance, that although they lived closer to Parish X and were registered there, their home was actually in the territory of Parish Y. The reverse was sometimes true – we were registered in one parish, slightly farther away from our home than what we thought was our geographic parish. But surprise, we actually do live in the territorial boundaries of the parish we are registered in. The map caused a lot of interesting discussions for a couple weeks on the local blogs and at the parish coffee hour…
I guess all of this is to say that in some areas, it might not be very easy for the average lay person to know whether or not they reside in the territorial boundaries of the parish they are registered in. (Nor, as another matter, do most Catholics know about the canon law articles cited here.) I imagine that’s why requests to marry outside of one’s geographic parish are so routinely approved in most places, as pastoral prudence no doubt frequently weighs in favor of approving good-faith requests.
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Chatter163
Guest
I agree that a diocesan map can be helpful. However, when moves to a new address, a simple call to the diocese will confirm the parish and location. 
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AnastasiaRomano
Guest
Totally agree – but the vast majority of people don’t call the diocese. If they call anyone, it’s the nearest parish church, and the sweet church secretary might just tell them the boundaries don’t matter. Or, what is more likely, the newly-moved don’t make any calls and just start attending the church closest to their home.I agree that a diocesan map can be helpful. However, when moves to a new address, a simple call to the diocese will confirm the parish and location.
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Sarabande
Guest
This is true. Where I work there is another Catholic parish across the street, another one two blocks away and another a few more blocks away… and that’s just within those few blocks.
In regards to the OP, I agree with others who recommend speaking with a priest. Another bit of advice I have always heard and read was to not book anything until you have confirmed a date with the church you will be marrying in.
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solayan
Guest
Sorry if this is muddying the waters further, but I’m curious if these rules also apply to a parish that is set up around cultural/linguistic grounds rather than geographical ones.
For example, there’s a parish in my city that only offers Mass in Croatian (and it’s listed as a parish, not a chapel). I imagine that while some of their parishioners live close to the church, many do not. Would someone registered at this parish be required by default to be married etc. closer to where they live? Likewise would someone who lives in the geographical area of the parish but doesn’t understand any Croatian have that as their “home parish” by default.
Is there a different category for parishes of this sort?
For example, there’s a parish in my city that only offers Mass in Croatian (and it’s listed as a parish, not a chapel). I imagine that while some of their parishioners live close to the church, many do not. Would someone registered at this parish be required by default to be married etc. closer to where they live? Likewise would someone who lives in the geographical area of the parish but doesn’t understand any Croatian have that as their “home parish” by default.
Is there a different category for parishes of this sort?
Here’s a related question:
Must territorial boundaries be distinct? Or can the boundaries of territorial parishes overlap?
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Chatter163
Guest
Yes, which is why I made reference to the rare instance of a non-territorial parish. My parish is such a parish. Nearly all of these fall into two categories: Ethnic parishes and parishes that offer the EF form exclusively. Many churches that were founded a century or so ago as ethnic parishes have since be redesignated as territorial parishes, even if their ethnic customs are still in evidence. They may still have Polish art and traditions, but the parish now takes in a specific geographic area. EF-exclusive parishes are usually staffed by priests of the FSSP or ICRSS.
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Chatter163
Guest
I forgot to complete my post. Other ethnic parishes have never been redesignated territorial parishes, or were created more recently as ethnic parishes for newer arriving immigrants, often from non-European countries.
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Irishgal49
Guest
I talked to three different priests, they said they don’t follow that if you are registered somewhere. Geography only comes into play if someone is unchurched or moves into the area and is looking to attend the church closest to home. I drive 50 minutes to my parish and I’m registered there. My priest said, “Of course you would get married here. We go by the fact you are registered here. We wouldn’t call anyone in your case because you never attended there and frankly, we don’t have time.”
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Phemie
Guest
My pastor is a canon lawyer but yesterday he told me there is no limit on the number of sponsors for baptism. Unfortunately, he’d also told a couple of parents that they were free to have 4.
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Irishgal49
Guest
Ha ha ha ha! I think the frustration for me comes in that I was totally ignored when I tried to return to the Catholic Church a year ago this past June. I called twice and once was totally assured that she would personally give the priest my message. Now I’m totally Ok if he designated someone else to return my call but after 4 emails and 3 call attempts (2 were to the deacon) I decided to go elsewhere. I did attend Mass there 3-4 times and it was horribly illicit and the people were rude and cold. Our Bishop gives an “out” in that he states that one’s geography does not have to come into play for several reasons; culture, language, “and other valid reasons”. I fall into the other reasons. I have 3 very serious mental illnesses and the priest who is working with me has 36 years experience. He is the only priest that has worked with me and been very clear about what I need do and not do. I drive 50 minutes for that parish and I’m a EMHC and Lector there. He told me to stop worrying that in my case I fall on that third criteria with my illnesses and that our diocese doesn’t call for permission from local priests if:
a. the person is registered at that parish
b. the person attends and serves in that parish regularly (they say at least 2-3 Sundays a month)
Weddings are NOT done for people who are not registered at a parish, whether it’s where you live or not. Every wedding policy I have seen says that and most require you are registered for 6 months BEFORE they will even meet with you about a wedding. That’s even if you live in their boundaries!
So I was panicked because I have limitations that necessitate working with someone who understands my disability and the priest where I attended said not to worry if I was to remarry (divorced/annulled here) I would certainly be marrying there and no one’s required to approve anything (except him and the Bishop). Our area is pretty transient. I have seen on the new members page 3 other people who also drive almost an hour. This is a fairly new parish (15 years old) and so it is drawing people due to it’s strong commitment to the divorced (it has the ONLY divorce support group in the Diocese). So the Bishop here made that little “and other valid reasons” sort of clause to stop a whole lot of needless work by priests who have loyal faithful attendees who are registered and want to marry where their family/heart is.
I hope that helps explain where I’m coming from. Thanks for making me laugh on the sponsors. I’m glad my kids are grown. I wouldn’t have anyone who would be able to be one. I’m the only Catholic in my family.
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