Parish Life

U.S. Catholic magazine had a lead story recently on the way Catholics pick their parishes.

Only 39 percent of survey respondents said that they attended the parish closest to their home. Most were willing to travel to find the parish that is the best for them.

Though most respondents supported shopping around for a parish rather than attending the geographically closest church, once they've found the right parish, they're usually there to stay. Nearly 60 percent of survey takers say they have been at their current parish for more than five years.

Forty percent of survey takers say that they need to attend a parish at least two or three times before deciding whether or not it is the parish they want to belong to.

For 84 percent of respondents, quality liturgy is the most important factor for determining whether to stick with a parish or keep looking for somewhere else to attend.

One reader said that it can make a difference whether the parish is run by an order of priests. The most important qualities for a parish, according to another reader, are "good, solid Catholic teaching with opportunities to grow in the faith through service."

Many people want to know that their parish is making a difference in the life of the community. Many respondents look for the presence of programs like an Outreach Ministry as a sign that a parish is in fact making a difference.

Ultimately people want to find a parish that feels like home to them, with a welcoming environment. "A parish is not a 'fast food' Eucharistic drive-in. It is a community and only survives when its members participate in the community's life," one reader observed.

One woman had this to say about her parish: "It's not perfect, and neither am I, but in our own ways we struggle together to live out our baptismal call."

Yep. That's us. We're not perfect but we struggle together.