Question for Catholics: parish affiliation

[Loki]

Quick question for the Catholics: what does it mean if a particular church claims a specific "order" so to speak, such as "St. X, a dominican parish?"

 

[winsome]

Quick question for the Catholics: what does it mean if a particular church claims a specific "order" so to speak, such as "St. X, a dominican parish?"

Most parishes within a diocese are "diocesan" parishes where the responsibilty for running them lies with the diocesan bishop, and he appoints the parish priest.

However in some cases the responsibility lies with a particular religious order like the Dominicans or the Benedictines and the religious order would appoint the priests for the parish.

I can't say how this would come about in the USA but in England for example it happened when, after having all our churches taken away at the Reformation, and Catholics were finally allowwd to build churches again, there was initially no hierarchy, no diocese. So Religious orders sometimes filled the gap and built churches and formed parishes.


There may be other reasons. Perhaps a bishop asked a religious order to help and expand the diocese by building a church and forming a parish in a new area. I'm guessing there though.

 

[Loki]

Much thanks for the reply. Do you know if the focus, style of worship, or any aspect of the parish would change by having a particular order "sponsoring" the parish?

 

[BAFRIEND]

Each order has different customs and practices that will affect the parish community to some extent.

However, the Mass remains the same.

Orders have their own sets of perception and practices and differing spirituality... but the main focus they share in common is the Imitation of Christ.