Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts
People go “parish hopping” for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes it’s because of simple things like wanting more convenient mass times, or a shorter drive. Or it might be because they’re looking for a community with more people in their age group, or more options for activities or outreach.
Sometimes, people leave their parish because of reasons pertaining to doctrine or liturgy. A new pastor might preach homilies that run counter to people’s understanding of the faith, or initiate liturgical changes that leave them feeling spiritually desolate. For instance, following Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu proprio relaxing restrictions on the old Latin Mass, some parishes shifted to a more traditional liturgical form that sent some parishioners on a quest for the inclusive, Vatican II type Mass they preferred. Then in 2021, Pope Francis’ instruction limiting the traditional rite sent other parishioners scrambling in other directions.
And sometimes, people leave their churches for more serious reasons relating to financial scandals, or spiritual or sexual abuse.
Does the church have an official stance on parish-hopping? If your parish is inconvenient, or you don’t like the liturgies, or don’t get along with your pastor, should you leave, or are there other options for dealing with issues in your parish?
On this episode of Glad You Asked, the hosts talk to Paul Jarzembowski about what a Catholic should do if they have issues with their parish or don’t like their pastor. Jarzembowski is associate director for the Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the United States’ national coordinator for World Youth Day. He serves as an advisor to the Vatican on ministries with young people.
You can learn more about this topic in these links:
- “Would you leave your parish because of the priest?” by Rosy McCarty
- “After a bad homily, this is what I told my kids,” by Shannon Wimp Schmidt
- “Two very different parishes point to divisions in the church,” by Peter Feuerherd
- “Is there a bright side to parish mergers?” by Nathaniel Hunter
- “Should you stop donating to your parish?” by Abby Rampone
- “It’s time to make parishes accessible to people of all abilities,” by Karen Jackson
- “Can my parish celebrate the Latin Mass?” by John Kyler
- “For heaven’s sake, say hi to new parishioners,” by Angela Howard-McParland
