Parish (Catholic Church)
Encyclopedia
In the Roman
Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province
to diocese
to deanery
to parish
.
Each parish has a parish priest
, also known as a pastor
, although pastoral care of one or more parishes can also be entrusted to a team of priests in solidum
. In extraordinary situations, administration of a parish can also be entrusted to a deacon or lay person (supervised by a priest).
The practical significance of parish boundaries varies in different parts of the world. Catholics can generally choose to worship in any church that they find convenient or specially appealing, irrespective of whether they live within the parish boundaries, and if they thereby become members of that parish community, their place of residence will not count against them. A parish is thus primarily a community of people, rather than a geographic territory.
.
The parish generally has a busy schedule, although this depends on size and culture. The seven sacraments are the centre of parish life. Traditionally, there is Mass
daily and on Sundays according to pastoral need, normally celebrated by priests resident in the parish. There is offered confession
s, as well as other forms of prayer and social events. This is still the case in many parishes. However, in the Western world, as numbers of priests fall, there tend to be fewer priest-led, and more laity
-led activities. There are also always social events: their nature depends on culture and circumstances.
, whose ministry of Christ he is called to share, so that for this community he may carry out the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling with the cooperation of other priests or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of Christ's faithful, in accordance with the law".
In the United States
, the "Parish Priest" is instead referred to as the "pastor", with the term "parish priest" used as a general reference to any priest assigned to the parish, including the pastor and any parochial vicars (associate pastors).
, consecrated religious, and ordained. For example, there can be a Parish Secretary who assists the Parish Priest with administrative matters; a parish sister who was responsible for activities like sick visiting; and a permanent deacon
, who is often married and assists the Parish Priest with the pastoral or administrative side of parish affairs. Often, parishes also have a parish council, appointed by the Parish Priest, although, unlike in Protestant denominations, this council has no authority except through the Parish Priest.
Europe
America
Asia
Roman Catholic (term)
The term Roman Catholic appeared in the English language at the beginning of the 17th century, to differentiate specific groups of Christians in communion with the Pope from others; comparable terms in other languages already existed...
Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
to diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
to deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
to parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
.
Requirements
A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish. First, a body of Catholics within a fixed boundary and a named priest with responsibility for that parish.Each parish has a parish priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, also known as a pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, although pastoral care of one or more parishes can also be entrusted to a team of priests in solidum
Team of priests in solidum
In 1983 the Catholic Church introduced the possibility of entrusting the pastoral care, of one or more parishes to a team of priests in solidum. This provision in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, which resembles ancient models of pastoral care in the Roman tituli churches with their colleges of priests,...
. In extraordinary situations, administration of a parish can also be entrusted to a deacon or lay person (supervised by a priest).
The practical significance of parish boundaries varies in different parts of the world. Catholics can generally choose to worship in any church that they find convenient or specially appealing, irrespective of whether they live within the parish boundaries, and if they thereby become members of that parish community, their place of residence will not count against them. A parish is thus primarily a community of people, rather than a geographic territory.
Parish life
The parish is the centre of most Catholics' spiritual life, since it is there that they receive the sacramentsSacraments of the Catholic Church
The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are, the Roman Catholic Church teaches, "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper...
.
The parish generally has a busy schedule, although this depends on size and culture. The seven sacraments are the centre of parish life. Traditionally, there is Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
daily and on Sundays according to pastoral need, normally celebrated by priests resident in the parish. There is offered confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
s, as well as other forms of prayer and social events. This is still the case in many parishes. However, in the Western world, as numbers of priests fall, there tend to be fewer priest-led, and more laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
-led activities. There are also always social events: their nature depends on culture and circumstances.
The Parish Priest
"The Parish Priest is the proper clergyman in charge of the congregation of the parish entrusted to him. He exercises the pastoral care of the community entrusted to him under the authority of the diocesan bishopDiocesan bishop
A diocesan bishop — in general — is a bishop in charge of a diocese. These are to be distinguished from suffragan bishops, assistant bishops, coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, metropolitans, and primates....
, whose ministry of Christ he is called to share, so that for this community he may carry out the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling with the cooperation of other priests or deacons and with the assistance of lay members of Christ's faithful, in accordance with the law".
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the "Parish Priest" is instead referred to as the "pastor", with the term "parish priest" used as a general reference to any priest assigned to the parish, including the pastor and any parochial vicars (associate pastors).
Parish personnel
In addition to the Parish Priest, it is common for the Parish to have a group of staff; layLaity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
, consecrated religious, and ordained. For example, there can be a Parish Secretary who assists the Parish Priest with administrative matters; a parish sister who was responsible for activities like sick visiting; and a permanent deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
, who is often married and assists the Parish Priest with the pastoral or administrative side of parish affairs. Often, parishes also have a parish council, appointed by the Parish Priest, although, unlike in Protestant denominations, this council has no authority except through the Parish Priest.
Statistics
Number of parishes in different countries in 2004:Europe
- ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- 25,694; 26,000 (2006) - SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- 22,680; 22,827 (1998) - FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- 18,844 - GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- 12,488 - PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- 10,421; 10,162 (2006)
America
- USA - 19,081; 19,000 (2008)
- BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
- 9,222
Asia
- IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- 8,583