Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today we continue to celebrate the Season of Christmas and we join with the rest of the Church in celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany. Today we recall the journey and the visit of the Three Kings to honor the newborn Jesus. These kings left their homes and families, they carried gifts for miles and miles, and they followed a star’s guidance to get to Bethlehem. What are you doing to honor Jesus in your life?

As we continue to get used to 2006 (I’ve only written 2005 a couple of dozen times this past week on various documents), I thought it would be a good time to catch-up on some basics that are pretty important when it comes to our lives together. Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about Parish registration.

It is more important for Catholics today than ever, to be registered in a Parish community. The Church very much wants everybody to “land” somewhere, and be a part of a Parish community. This Parish registration is extremely important for the organization of our Church all over the world. Today, the Parish that you belong to has jurisdiction and responsibility for you and your family in Church. This is very important when it comes to receiving the Sacraments, not necessarily going to Communion each week and going to Reconciliation, but is extremely important for Baptisms, Confirmation, Weddings, and even Holy Orders. The Parish of registration does have responsibility for the formation of individuals for First Communion and First Reconciliation. And while there are still parish boundaries drawn and on the books, the reality is that in Hamilton County, nobody has ever tried to enforce parish boundaries. I believe this is a good thing for everybody. There are several local parishes in the area, and it is best for individuals to find the one where they most feel at home and where they can grow in their Faith lives. You can belong to any parish that you choose. But it is important to choose! It is my greatest hope that St. Maria Goretti can be that kind of parish for you. If it is not, or can’t be for you, then I would be the first to recommend to you to find a place that better meets your needs. The Parish that we belong to is a big deal. It is home. It is our spiritual home. And everybody needs to decide where that spiritual home is going to be for them. If you are currently, regularly, attending St. Maria Goretti, and have not yet registered, we need you to do as soon as possible. Visitors are ALWAYS welcome here. But every Catholic does need to belong somewhere. Again, we would love for that somewhere to be here for you, but it is much more important to get you registered someplace. Un-registered Catholics are like people “floating” around out there without a connection to a spiritual home. If this sounds like your situation, let’s fix it as soon as possible.

How do you know whether or not you are registered at St. Maria Goretti? Are you receiving The Catholic Moment each week? Do you receive envelopes with an enthralling letter from me accompanying them each month? If these things are NOT happening, then most likely, you are NOT registered at St. Maria Goretti.

It is also important for all of us to know and be aware of the fact that St. Maria Goretti, just like most of the rest of the Catholic parishes of Hamilton County, does have a waiting period after registration, before you can begin preparation for any of the Sacraments. St. Maria Goretti’s is four months. This is less a “waiting period” and much more a “get-to-know-each-other” period of time. This policy encourages registration, but it also helps us to know the needs of a new family and also whether or not the family is active and practicing. You can be registered in a parish, but if you’re not practicing, then it is obviously not the right time to be requesting any of the Sacraments. This also discourages “parish hopping” just to “get” the Sacraments, which is of no advantage to anybody.

Finally, adult children of members of St. Maria Goretti, should be registered on their own. If they are here in this area, obviously we would love to have them continue to be members of St. Maria Goretti. If they move away, then the expectation is that they will register at a parish where they live, and will become active and participating members there. This would normally happen when the son or daughter moves out from home. In cases where the son or daughter is in college, they should stay on their parent’s registration until after they get out of school, and then they should register independently.

I hope this helps. These priorities are affecting us a lot these days with weddings and Baptisms. Hopefully, by all of us knowing what the expectations are, we can be better as a community. God bless you and have a great week!

In Christ,

Fr. Kevin

The smallest good deed is better than the grandest good intention.