Do you parish hop or do you feel committed to one parish?

Gnarwhal · May 25, 2025

I've always loved my parish and I hate the idea of going somewhere else for Mass unless I'm out of town or something. I really love my parish community and feel devoted to it, but my wife is the opposite. She doesn't dislike our parish by any stretch, in fact I think she likes it a lot, but she doesn't think twice about going to Mass at another parish, even 20mins away if it suits her. And by suitable I mean she doesn't have to wake up too early to be there. I started wondering if this was cultural, if it was a cradle vs convert thing or if it was maybe just something she and her old friend circle used to do cause I know they were all spread out and would join each other for Mass at different parishes or go to other events like Holy Hours at parishes that weren't theirs.

How about you guys? Do you tend to go to the same parish every week or do you have a couple that maybe you bounce around to? If you stick with the same parish do you also go to the same Mass every week as well?

Michie · May 25, 2025

I have attended different parishes but it was because of the situation at the time. I never really parished hopped out of curiosity. We only have one Catholic Church where I live.

RileyG · May 25, 2025

I stick to one parish, unless my schedule demands I must be somewhere else.

FaithT · May 25, 2025

Gnarwhal said:
I've always loved my parish and I hate the idea of going somewhere else for Mass unless I'm out of town or something. I really love my parish community and feel devoted to it, but my wife is the opposite. She doesn't dislike our parish by any stretch, in fact I think she likes it a lot, but she doesn't think twice about going to Mass at another parish, even 20mins away if it suits her. And by suitable I mean she doesn't have to wake up too early to be there. I started wondering if this was cultural, if it was a cradle vs convert thing or if it was maybe just something she and her old friend circle used to do cause I know they were all spread out and would join each other for Mass at different parishes or go to other events like Holy Hours at parishes that weren't theirs.

How about you guys? Do you tend to go to the same parish every week or do you have a couple that maybe you bounce around to? If you stick with the same parish do you also go to the same Mass every week as well?

I usually go to my parish every Saturday but occasionally I go to a neighboring parish if we’re going out to dinner and want to avoid the crowd. If I’m in Florida, I go to this really nice Catholic Church in Destin, though my last trip to Florida my anxiety was out of control and I‘m not sure I’m going back.

RileyG · May 25, 2025

FaithT said:
I usually go to my parish every Saturday but occasionally I go to a neighboring parish if we’re going out to dinner and want to avoid the crowd. If I’m in Florida, I go to this really nice Catholic Church in Destin, though my last trip to Florida my anxiety was out of control and I‘m not sure I’m going back.

May God bless you in his love!

FaithT · May 25, 2025

RileyG said:
May God bless you in his love!

Thank you!

RileyG · May 25, 2025

FaithT said:
Thank you!

You’re welcome

FaithT · May 25, 2025

RileyG said:
You’re welcome

My anxiety was really bad and I spent most of my time in our room. Hardly any beach time. I was physically sick from all this so we came home a day early and I had a bad panic attack that lasted a long time on the drive home. It was a disaster.

RileyG · May 26, 2025

FaithT said:
My anxiety was really bad and I spent most of my time in our room. Hardly any beach time. I was physically sick from all this so we came home a day early and I had a bad panic attack that lasted a long time on the drive home. It was a disaster.

I’m so sorry! I hope you are feeling better now!

FaithT · May 26, 2025

RileyG said:
I’m so sorry! I hope you are feeling better now!

I am, but I did have a panic attack this afternoon. I learned something recently from an acquaintance that helps many people with their panic attacks. When you’re having one, put Ice in a plastic baggie and put the ice bag on the back of your neck. Leave it there for awhile (she didn’t say how long). I do it until I can’t stand the cold anymore. Then I wait a short while and reapply the baggie. I‘ve been doing it for about ten to fifteen minutes and the panic attack disappears. I did it today for the third time and it works!

RileyG · May 26, 2025

FaithT said:
I am, but I did have a panic attack this afternoon. I learned something recently from an acquaintance that helps many people with their panic attacks. When you’re having one, put Ice in a plastic baggie and put the ice bag on the back of your neck. Leave it there for awhile (she didn’t say how long). I do it until I can’t stand the cold anymore. Then I wait a short while and reapply the baggie. I‘ve been doing it for about ten to fifteen minutes and the panic attack disappears. I did it today for the third time and it works!

I remember learning in therapy, 10+ years ago, using a rubber band to “snap” yourself when you have an intrusive thought also works.

I’ve also heard what you described!

Blessings!

Lady Bug · May 26, 2025

I'm a hopper so far because simply put it's kind of hard for me to be able to go to the same Mass at the same time every week at the same place. However, I think that has made me miserable. I somehow feel happier going to the parish that's closest to me even though I don't like its Mass nearly as much as the parish I'm technically a member of. I'm worried though, that if I move (ok that's farfetched), then I'd have to change parishes if I wanted to live very close to my parish, and that could end up devastating.

JimR-OCDS · May 26, 2025

I used to only go to my parish for Mass and other services and events.

Since my hospitalization and during the pandemic, where I was at high-risk,
health, my wife and I no longer belong to a parish, but watch the Mass
from the National Shrine in Washington DC. So, I parish hop when needed,
especially for confession as I need a restroom available because of
type II diabetes has me needing to pee.

FaithT · May 26, 2025

JimR-OCDS said:
I used to only go to my parish for Mass and other services and events.

Since my hospitalization and during the pandemic, where I was at high-risk,
health, my wife and I no longer belong to a parish, but watch the Mass
from the National Shrine in Washington DC. So, I parish hop when needed,
especially for confession as I need a restroom available because of
type II diabetes has me needing to pee.

I can relate to the peeing comment.

Bob Crowley · May 27, 2025

I stick to one place. When I was Presbyterian i stayed in the same parish for nine years, and I've been in my current Catholic parish for about 28 years (long enough for my head to go from a balding spot to a ring of gray hair!).

There were times when I considered going to another parish but I stayed here. There was a patch between the Presbyterian and Catholic churches when I found it a bit difficult to settle down, attending a couple of Baptist churches with my wife who is Baptist and joining a Wesleyan Methodist Church for a short time.

That was mainly because the sons of my old Presbterian pastor joined a Wesleyan church after he died and the succeeding pastor was so unpleasant they left the Presbyterian Church altogether.

I haven't got much time for church hopping.

I can empathise with @jim-OCDS regarding toilet stops - age, coffee and to a lesser extent Diabetes II. In my last job before I retired I was a community transport driver. I'd normally buy a cappucino somewhere before my first pickup.

That was sometimes a bad move. Within an hour or so I could be caught in peak hour traffic trying to get someone to a hospital!

When you drive for a living you soon get to know where the toilets are - one of the things McDonalds are useful for! It was usually one of their cappucinos anyway!

Gnarwhal · May 27, 2025

JimR-OCDS said:
my wife and I no longer belong to a parish

Why's that if you don't mind me asking?

JimR-OCDS said:
but watch the Mass
from the National Shrine in Washington DC

I used to attend that Mass when I lived in Brentwood, MD for a few months before I got married. Aside from marrying my wife and the friends I've made at my job, I think the Shrine was the only other bright spot from my time on the east coast. I loved it there.

JimR-OCDS said:
I parish hop when needed,
especially for confession

I don't know why but for some reason in my mind parish hopping for confession isn't a big deal, cause we need to get that in and confession times can often conflict with our schedules.

JimR-OCDS · May 28, 2025

Gnarwhal said:
Why's that if you don't mind me asking?

Health reasons!

Learning always · Jun 3, 2025

We used to attend Mass at a neighbour suburb church, the reason?
To attend a reverent Mass, where Holy Communion in the ongue is common, and no sign of peace if possible.
San Domngo is the name of that church. You might think we are crazy.

Now, after years of attending Mass at San Domngo, we are attending Mass at our own parish, where the former priest was replaced by 3 conservative priests. No more driving to Mass, because its our own parish. We havent attended Mass at our own parish
for years, the reason? To attend a reverent Mass.

We no longer attend Mass at San Domngo because their conservative parish priest was sent to a far away parish. Too
far for us. We loved him (parish priest) very much.

It's 1 year since we started attending Mass at our own parish.
99.9% of people here used to receive Holy Communion in the hands, but now unbelievably more & more
people here received Holy Communion in the tongue. And some even kneeling.

Do you parish hop or do you feel committed to one parish?

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