Climate change and parishesIdeas for growing stewardship with parishesParishes, protagonists of the Eucharistic Renaissance"How to become a parishioner of the parishWhat do you mean, I'm not a parishioner? I've been attending Mass regularly for years," is the typical response of many when they learn that they are not "official" parishioners.
Some faithful Catholics often assume they are because they have been attending Mass at their church for years... but think again!
The receptionist at a well-known church in Manhattan says that most people take for granted that they are parishioners and are often surprised and sometimes angry when they learn that attending Mass regularly does not grant them an official pass. Johanna has been working at the parsonage for over nineteen years and has heard and seen it all.
It involves more than just sitting in the pew every Sunday or chatting with members of the congregation before and after Mass. "Many people call the Parish House and are surprised to discover that they are not parishioners," says Johanna. "To be considered parishioners, they have to officially register through the rectory or the parish website."
To combat this confusion, Johanna suggests that "the information be written on the Church's website," because it would make things easier for them and their families in the future.
If you want to get married in your Church, baptize a baby, or are asked to be a godparent at a baptism or confirmation, you will need a note of catholicity. With a membership record, your local parish can comply; without it, it cannot.
The "advantage" of registration
There are also other advantages to registering.
To begin with, it is an affirmation of one's faith. Yes, you may recite the Nicene Creed, also known as "the Creed," at Sunday Mass, but by making a solid commitment to your "spiritual home," you will bear much fruit. Secondly, you immediately become part of a Catholic ecclesial community, and what's better than that?
The people with whom you attend the Mass Sunday and daily become your extended family. Your parishioners will rejoice with you at every sacrament, whether it is Baptism or First Communion, and they will rejoice with you on your wedding day. And, when unexpected illness or death strikes you or a loved one, your church family will be there to comfort and support you. If you are a registered parishioner, you will be easier to help; you will not be just another face in the congregation, but an identifiable person.
We need not only relational support and connection, but also spiritual guidance and instruction.
And when you are a registered parishioner, you are more likely to maintain a lasting relationship with the clergy of your church, which offers excellent advantages, such as the specific encouragement, motivation and spiritual guidance of a trusted priest who knows you on a personal level.
