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What to look for in a parish? An interesting idea...

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A very interesting column from Tommy Tighe from today's Angelus News.
 
This subject of "looking for a parish" is something new to our Catholic culture. I am surprised that many Catholics (particularly those here out West) have no concept of parish boundaries. Go into any rectory back office, and you will find a map with a taped outline of the boundaries of the parish (the parish boarders, if you will). Many families I've met from back East often told stories of how they were not able to attend the same parish school as their neighbors across the street because the parish boundary passed down the middle of the street.

For many years and still in some places today, parish boundaries are strictly enforced. Why is that? You need to think medieval... as in every parish being like a medieval kingdom. If you live within the boundaries of the kingdom, your taxes are paid to that king (or rather, your offering goes in the collection of that parish). For medieval kingdoms (and for parishes) this can have some very real economic consequences. That, when combined with the idea that we are a universal church were every Mass that day is the same, and one should have no reason to go outside one's parish boundary to receive Eucharist (and collect your offering).

But even though parish boundaries still exist (and in some places still enforced), we here in California have grown to accept this idea of attending a parish where we feel spiritually fed and part of a family. This idea of "shopping around" for a parish is a very new idea, and one that is very much dependent on how pastors and bishops enforce their boundaries. Yet many feel this "shopping around" is the norm. Technically, for Catholics, it is not.

Then again, one of the great gifts of living here in California is that most of us are free to explore other parishes and find a parish in which, like Tommy Tighe and his family, can call home... particularly if one is relocating from one place to another. And given that as few as 24% of Catholics regularly attend Mass, I don't know any parish that would not allow someone to join just because they live outside the parish boundary. As with so many other elements of our faith tradition, we need to see what makes sense for the people of God in this age.

Regardless of all this, one thing remains true... there's no such thing as a "free range" Catholic. You cannot be a Catholic and not have a personal prayer life and relationship with God. Nor can you be Catholic and not belong to a parish community. Catholicism is both personal and communal, with one feeding the other. And while changing from one community to another (for whatever reason) is a fact of life, what is always constant is God's love for us and his desire for us to be in relationship with him.

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