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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Will someone please explain this boundary thing? I never knew that and it seems very strange. What's the purpose? To keep people segregated by where they live.  [/quote]

You know how a public school will only allow you to attend the school for which you are zoned so they make sure the resources are divided appropriately and each school has what they need (teachers, books, etc.) for the year, including enough physical space for each child?

People register at a parish based on where they live.  That way one church is not over-crowded or under attended.  I parish in a more densely populated town might have 3 or 4 priests, where as one out in Appalachia might have 1 visiting priest for 25 parishioners.  Priests have to hear confessions, visit the sick, provide counseling, manage the funds..etc.

That being said, a lot of Catholics parish hop.  My clue for a parish which I would feel comfortable is to listen to the intentions during mass (Where they say, "Lord hear our prayer" after a list of issues.) If it is all about politics or a cause about which I am less passionate, and they forget about a cause that is important to me time and time again, I feel like it isn't a good fit and I probably would not be a great part of that community.

Some pastors will say, "I notice you live closer to St. Somebody Else. Why are you not attending there?" My friend is a priest and he's pretty cool. I could see people coming to mass with him because he's entertaining. He's aware, as a priest, that the money in the collection plate goes to pay for things like cancer treatments for retired members of the clergy, so he feels pressure to keep his parish "in the black."

When you register, you get envelopes with your name on them.  When you pay taxes, they send a receipt re: what you donated based on your envelopes. If people are going somewhere else, they are probably financially supporting that other parish instead of their home, but when they need something (funeral, wedding, counseling) they are more likely to rely on the church that is like a home. You can also drop $1 or $20 in the basket when it comes around. You don't have to put your name on it.  If you do, though, you can claim it on your tax refund.

You probably have heard this, but Our Lady Queen of Peace is in Arlington, but does not answer to the Diocese of Arlington.  Very social justice oriented place.  I loved it. My family did not.  My husband and kids like the structure of a more traditional mass. [/quote]

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