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MissMusicTeacher
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jun 30th, 2008 |
| Location: | Silicon Valley, California USA |
| Posts: | 24 |
| First Name: | Laura | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | EVFree, Catholic seeker |
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Posted: Thu Jul 3rd, 2008 04:48 pm |
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What is a parish? Is it similar to a school district, where you go to a certain school depending on where you live? There are six Catholic parishes near where I live, and I don't know if I am assigned to one based on my home address. Is it based on zip code? The Church/parish that is nearest my home is where some of my Catholic friends belong to, so it would be nice if I could go to that Church when I visit (whenever that is).
Thanks,
Laura
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out of town until August 2
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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 5348 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Thu Jul 3rd, 2008 05:48 pm |
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A "parish" is the geographical territory covered by a Catholic church. If you live within the boundaries of a church parish, you are a member of that parish unless you formally join another one. You should be able to call your nearest parish and they will be able to tell you what parish you belong to.
Any Catholic may attend mass at any Catholic church, but your parish is where you go to receive the sacraments that can only be received once (baptism, confirmation, marriage) or the sacraments of initiation for the first time (first communion, first reconciliation). Your parish also provides religious education for your children, and you have an obligation to support your parish financially. In our diocese, those who need assistance with things like utility bills, rent, etc., have to apply at the parish in which they live (even if they are not Catholic). That prevents them from going to multiple parishes and swindling the Church. The parish also hands out vouchers for the St. Vincent de Paul Society store (free clothing), commodities distributions, and other charitable activities.
For a good reason, you can choose to join a different parish, but unless you formally register with a different parish, you belong to the one you live in. Pretty much every area in the world is assigned to a Catholic parish, or at least every area where there are Catholics (and that's pretty much everywhere).
There is a different type of parish, called a "personal parish", which does not have a geographical territory but instead serves a particular community. In my diocese we have three personal parishes: a campus ministry at our local university, a Vietnamese parish, and a chapel that provides mass in Latin.
Last edited on Thu Jul 3rd, 2008 05:53 pm by CajunRick
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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