When Philip and I were looking for a home in Lincoln, we were surprised to learn that the location of our home would determine our new parish for us. It turns out the Diocese of Lincoln very strictly enforces parish boundaries. If you live here, you will be in ________ parish. If you go a few blocks that way, you’ll be parishioners at _________. We couldn’t register in a parish or enroll our children in school until we knew where our home would be. Although it was restrictive when we were searching for a home near Philip’s clinic, we have grown to appreciate and even love the strict enforcement of the parish boundaries. Here are just a few of the reasons why I think parish boundaries are a great thing:
- Culture of Stewardship: Tuition in the Lincoln Catholic Schools is very reasonable. The greatest reason for this is the tremendous level of stewardship. Regardless of whether or not you have school-age children, you are expected to tithe. The Diocese subsidizes tuition and makes sure that each diocesan school is receiving financial support. This ensures that children throughout the diocese are receiving high quality education at a reasonable price. While we are paying significantly less in tuition for our children to attend Catholic school, we are able to tithe a much larger amount to the parish and other charities. This allows the Diocese to direct funds where they are most needed.
- Stability: As cities grow and the socioeconomic make-up changes, Catholic schools in older parts of town tend to die off and close. In Lincoln, this isn’t the case. As with all cities, there are certainly pockets of wealth and poverty, but the quality of the Catholic schools is largely consistent. Attending Catholic school is not a status symbol the way it is in other places. When there is a culture of stewardship to support the city’s Catholic schools, they thrive and have staying power throughout the city.
- Strengthened Community: We are literally surrounded on every side of our home with fellow parishioners. As we walk to and from Mass or school, we pass by the houses of the people we worship with and our children learn with. Seeing all of these people outside of church and school on an everyday basis is a visible reminder that the Body of Christ extends beyond the walls of our parish. We no longer feel like we are on some isolated island of faith between visits to Mass or school.
- Home: When we moved in back in May, we were absolutely blown away by the warm welcome we received. Literally minutes after we pulled up with the moving van, there were two women from a parish committee there to say hello. As we unpacked boxes and got settled, we started meeting our neighbors. Over the summer, we had several opportunities to meet everyone on the nearby blocks. Within weeks, we knew more of our neighbors in Lincoln than we had in 5 years of living in the same house in Omaha. If they were Catholic, they went to St. Joseph’s, too. We live just a few blocks away from our parish, so we spent several summer evenings at the school playground. We met different families every time, and they all lived within walking distance. At the neighborhood Fourth of July party at another nearby park, we met even more parish families. The parish associate pastor even walked over from the rectory to join the Fourth of July parade! The parish wisely has “welcome dinners” for new parishioners as another great opportunity to meet people. When we go to Mass, there is a real sense of community. Even though we’ve only lived here for 9 months, we see a lot of familiar faces every time. I kid around that I thought the Catholic community in Omaha was small, but that I have to be on my very best behavior in Lincoln since everyone seems to know each other. This is probably a good thing! Parish boundaries made it so easy for us to meet fellow parishoners and feel at home right away.
- Increased Involvement: Without the choice of shopping around for a parish, people seem to be more invested in their parishes involvement-wise. The feeling seems to be, “This is the parish entrusted to us because of our address, and we’re going to support it as best we can.” Without the option to jump ship, the parishoners make it a point to make the parish the very best it can be with the resources we have available.
- It’s Not About the Priest: While we are very blessed at our parish with our pastor, associate pastor, and priest in residence, Mass seems very different. The focus is decidedly not on the priest. In places where boundaries are not strictly enforced, it seems more common for people to “shop” around until they find the flavor of preaching, music, etc. that they like best. It’s not uncommon for people to switch parishes if their beloved priest moves or the music director changes. With geography determining where we will worship on Sundays, the focus is lifted from the priest and put back on the sacraments. It forces us to focus on the gift that is the catholicity (universality) of the Church–we are getting the same Jesus in the sacraments regardless of which parish we’re in or which priest is celebrating the Mass. What a gift!
- Not a Competition: Because the pastors’ boundaries are set in stone, they aren’t competing against one another to gain more parishioners. Instead, they are focusing on the souls entrusted to them within their designated areas. If you want to join a specific parish, you have to live within the boundaries. Period. This way, pastors can shepherd those entrusted to them to their fullest capacity instead of trying to compete with other pastors to increase the flock. Without the element of competition, pastors (and priests in general) seem to view each other as comrades and have a strong community built on fraternity.
Questions for You:
Are the parish boundaries in your area strictly enforced or not? Did you even know about parish boundaries before this blog post? What has been your experience?
To read more 7QT posts, head over to Kelly Mantoan’s blog, This Ain’t the Lyceum.
Wow. When I read things like this, I cannot believe the writer isn’t coming from some early 1900’s Irish immigrant town somewhere. I cannot imagine living in an area where you’re surrounded by Catholics. I’m in a rural area where there are few Catholics. I go to a church only 15 minutes away, but the 3 churches 30 minutes north are in a separate diocese from me. And there are only 2 more churches in my area about 20-30 minutes away, but until recently, all were manned by the same single priests (our “circuit-preacher-priest!), so no big deal in choice there.
Where my son goes to public school (again, closest Catholic schools are 30-45 minutes away in other towns. Not an option for 2 full-time working parents who work NOT in towns where those are or where we live.
You are blessed! Your children are blessed for being able to interact with other Catholics so easily!
Wow. When I read things like this, I cannot believe the writer isn’t coming from some early 1900’s Irish immigrant town somewhere. I cannot imagine living in an area where you’re surrounded by Catholics. I’m in a rural area where there are few Catholics. I go to a church only 15 minutes away, but the 3 churches 30 minutes north are in a separate diocese from me. And there are only 2 more churches in my area about 20-30 minutes away, but until recently, all were manned by the same single priests (our “circuit-preacher-priest!), so no big deal in choice there.
Where my son goes to public school (again, closest Catholic schools are 30-45 minutes away in other towns. Not an option for 2 full-time working parents who work NOT in towns where those are or where we live.
You are blessed! Your children are blessed for being able to interact with other Catholics so easily!
I think you bring some great points up,esp about the neighbors. However, I would hate to lose my parish family if I. moved within the city. We love our church that was close to our apartment, but isn’t close to our current home.
I get what you’re saying, Cassie. A parish family is so important, and I know how much we love ours. However, I think we need to be careful not to become too attached to the people. After all, we are to be a pilgrim people. Wherever we can receive Jesus in the sacraments in the universal Church is our temporary home. If we’re putting too much emphasis on the pastor or the people of the parish, it’s easy to lose heart and leave. In order for our connection to the Church to have staying power, we need to look to the sacraments and Jesus Himself.
I think you bring some great points up,esp about the neighbors. However, I would hate to lose my parish family if I. moved within the city. We love our church that was close to our apartment, but isn’t close to our current home.
I get what you’re saying, Cassie. A parish family is so important, and I know how much we love ours. However, I think we need to be careful not to become too attached to the people. After all, we are to be a pilgrim people. Wherever we can receive Jesus in the sacraments in the universal Church is our temporary home. If we’re putting too much emphasis on the pastor or the people of the parish, it’s easy to lose heart and leave. In order for our connection to the Church to have staying power, we need to look to the sacraments and Jesus Himself.
You can do this in a diocese like Lincoln where you know all parishes are orthodox. Not so most places.
I think the parish boundaries are one of the primary reasons the diocese remains to faithful. While each priest has his own gifts, there isn’t the variety of “flavors” of Catholicism from parish to parish. Without the boundaries, people come and go without putting down roots and building up their particular parish.
I think the reason for this is summed up by our new music director who has been a church organist for over 40 years.
Trying to quote literally.. “To have a strong parish, you need three things: a good priest, a good priest, and a good priest.”
This is not a statement of clericalism, but a reflection that they are the shepherds. (Remember, the bishop is a first of all a priest.) We are not our own shepherds. They have the ability to permit/encourage heresy, or reject it. The buck stops with them. They sign the checks. They hire the staff. If a parishoner has a problem with heresy or scandal in a CCD class or liturgy, the pastor can quickly identify you as a “troublemaker.” (e.g. a former 1st grade teacher at the parish school was telling my daughter that she could become a priest.) You can get responses from the priest like “I’m the pastor. This is the way we do things HERE.” With strictly enforced parish boundaries, the only option is call a realtor.
If a priest is reflecting Christ to us, the parish will swell. If he’s a modernist (as in the modernist heresy) vocations will cease.
When our family joined our current parish, we were told that our parish had the most zip codes of all the parishes in our Archdiocese. We live 16 miles away. I’ve observed that they are refugees because they have been pushed out of their geographic parish because there is a lack of fidelity. People are becoming more skeptical about funding programs without knowing if there is fidelity to church teaching or not. If there is doctrinal disobedience, the laity can only vote with their feet and their wallets. The bishop has more cards to play.
We actually had to move to a whole new diocese to be able to join a parish that had a school that wasn’t endorsing modernism in one form or another.
Words cannot adequately express the joy and peace we now have because we moved 1 1/2 away to our new home, and parish.
You can do this in a diocese like Lincoln where you know all parishes are orthodox. Not so most places.
I think the parish boundaries are one of the primary reasons the diocese remains to faithful. While each priest has his own gifts, there isn’t the variety of “flavors” of Catholicism from parish to parish. Without the boundaries, people come and go without putting down roots and building up their particular parish.
I think the reason for this is summed up by our new music director who has been a church organist for over 40 years.
Trying to quote literally.. “To have a strong parish, you need three things: a good priest, a good priest, and a good priest.”
This is not a statement of clericalism, but a reflection that they are the shepherds. (Remember, the bishop is a first of all a priest.) We are not our own shepherds. They have the ability to permit/encourage heresy, or reject it. The buck stops with them. They sign the checks. They hire the staff. If a parishoner has a problem with heresy or scandal in a CCD class or liturgy, the pastor can quickly identify you as a “troublemaker.” (e.g. a former 1st grade teacher at the parish school was telling my daughter that she could become a priest.) You can get responses from the priest like “I’m the pastor. This is the way we do things HERE.” With strictly enforced parish boundaries, the only option is call a realtor.
If a priest is reflecting Christ to us, the parish will swell. If he’s a modernist (as in the modernist heresy) vocations will cease.
When our family joined our current parish, we were told that our parish had the most zip codes of all the parishes in our Archdiocese. We live 16 miles away. I’ve observed that they are refugees because they have been pushed out of their geographic parish because there is a lack of fidelity. People are becoming more skeptical about funding programs without knowing if there is fidelity to church teaching or not. If there is doctrinal disobedience, the laity can only vote with their feet and their wallets. The bishop has more cards to play.
We actually had to move to a whole new diocese to be able to join a parish that had a school that wasn’t endorsing modernism in one form or another.
Words cannot adequately express the joy and peace we now have because we moved 1 1/2 away to our new home, and parish.
A very interesting article and it’s something I would imagine would work very well in a small place like Lincoln, Fredericton, or Charlottetown, but I wonder how easy it would be in, say, New York City or Boston where there are literally millions of people to keep track of.
A very interesting article and it’s something I would imagine would work very well in a small place like Lincoln, Fredericton, or Charlottetown, but I wonder how easy it would be in, say, New York City or Boston where there are literally millions of people to keep track of.
Years ago, we lived in the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA, there were parish boundaries. I don’t know if that practice still holds.
For the Archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington, DC, you’re free to go wherever you like.
Years ago, we lived in the Diocese of Harrisburg, PA, there were parish boundaries. I don’t know if that practice still holds.
For the Archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington, DC, you’re free to go wherever you like.
In Phoenix, parish boundaries are not strictly enforced at all. I travel fifteen minutes and past three closer parishes to go to the Cathedral. My roommate drives twenty minutes in the other direction to sing in a choir at the parish she likes. I have friends who drive half an hour or more to go to the Latin Mass every week (or more often). Others choose where to go based on what else they have going on in a weekend (out of town, family, obligations, et cetera). As a young adult who does frequently move, I appreciate the stability of being able to go to the same parish, wherever I chose to live in the city and I can see myself raising my family in the parish I go to now.
We mostly use parish boundaries to delineate who needs to provide services for a given area, although if a parish doesn’t have something in their boundaries (like a hospital), they will help out a neighboring parish that does.
In Phoenix, parish boundaries are not strictly enforced at all. I travel fifteen minutes and past three closer parishes to go to the Cathedral. My roommate drives twenty minutes in the other direction to sing in a choir at the parish she likes. I have friends who drive half an hour or more to go to the Latin Mass every week (or more often). Others choose where to go based on what else they have going on in a weekend (out of town, family, obligations, et cetera). As a young adult who does frequently move, I appreciate the stability of being able to go to the same parish, wherever I chose to live in the city and I can see myself raising my family in the parish I go to now.
We mostly use parish boundaries to delineate who needs to provide services for a given area, although if a parish doesn’t have something in their boundaries (like a hospital), they will help out a neighboring parish that does.
Thank you Ms. Boucher for this very important article! My husband for year has been adamant – do not church shop. The parish closest to your home is your parish, attend Mass there, and participate. This is a great idea. In practice, very hard to implement. At least what I’ve experienced.
Our parish here in Iowa is midsized (2,000 families) in part rural/part business community. Sadly the key players are borderline protestants with very poor formation. They control the music/children’s programs/parish council and God Bless you if you try to “infiltrate.” Parish school is the same issue, staff and school board are lukewarm Catholics whose sole goal is to raise money for more technology. We have had to take a break from worshiping and tithing there as the liturgical abuses are just too many. So now we are “orphans” and worship at the more orthodox parish downtown, but we have no ties and it’s sad as our children’s classmates attend (if they do attend) elsewhere. God bless us all! Thanks again for this article will pass it on!
Thank you Ms. Boucher for this very important article! My husband for year has been adamant – do not church shop. The parish closest to your home is your parish, attend Mass there, and participate. This is a great idea. In practice, very hard to implement. At least what I’ve experienced.
Our parish here in Iowa is midsized (2,000 families) in part rural/part business community. Sadly the key players are borderline protestants with very poor formation. They control the music/children’s programs/parish council and God Bless you if you try to “infiltrate.” Parish school is the same issue, staff and school board are lukewarm Catholics whose sole goal is to raise money for more technology. We have had to take a break from worshiping and tithing there as the liturgical abuses are just too many. So now we are “orphans” and worship at the more orthodox parish downtown, but we have no ties and it’s sad as our children’s classmates attend (if they do attend) elsewhere. God bless us all! Thanks again for this article will pass it on!
PS and Amen to it can’t be about the priest. That can be a form of clericalism.
PS and Amen to it can’t be about the priest. That can be a form of clericalism.
My husband and I talk all the time about how important parish boundaries are. What great additional reasons you pose. Unfortunately, I think that we’re both guilty of parish shopping, although we’re often in unusual circumstances. This post makes me want to move back to Lincoln!
My husband and I talk all the time about how important parish boundaries are. What great additional reasons you pose. Unfortunately, I think that we’re both guilty of parish shopping, although we’re often in unusual circumstances. This post makes me want to move back to Lincoln!