Registering for a Parish

Today I did the adult thing and registered at my territorial parish.  I found it by asking the GPS for places of worship nearest my location and picking the Catholic sounding one.  Then google!

I wasn't 100% certain that this was my territorial parish but I figured they would tell me if it wasn't.

Did you know that there are parishes that have more than one building?  And that these new modern buildings all kind of look alike?  Perhaps some signage at the entrance to the parking lot or on the buildings might not be remiss....

After finally finding the office (which I had to be buzzed into...answering the door is so *old school*) I asked to register.  I get the paperwork and am directed to a room to fill it out.  I mention that I'm not sure this is my parish and the secretary was like we don't enforce the boundaries. (Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought according to Canon Law, the pastor of my territorial parish, regardless of whether or not I'm registered at that parish, is responsible for me...maybe I'd like to meet the guy? Or here's another thought, I thought that Canon Law required me to give my time, talent and/or treasure to my territorial parish...)  Fill out the paper, get a welcome to Parish and that's all she wrote.

I don't know anything about this parish.  I don't know when the Mass times are (grabbed bulletin though).  She said she'd see me Sunday...neglected to tell me *when*.  If I was shopping for a Catholic Church this did not sell me on it.  In fact, I thought that was one of the points of territorial churches was to stop Catholics from acting like Protestants and church shop.

I just have to ask, is it so hard to say Welcome to St. Snup.  Our masses are at X, Y and Z but here's a bulletin/piece of paper for you to have them all to refer to.  I usually attend Mass at X so if I see you I could introduce you to some parishoners. Father Snup gives excellent homilies and Father Charlie is in charge of the youth group.  We have lots of opportunities for different activities, many of them are in the bulletin but if you tell me what you are interested in, I might be able to hook you up with a group.   (Especially when the person registering says they've just moved to town and has only been in town 2 days.)

Let the snark begin!

And so it begins...again.

Hello all my legions of loyal readers!  I hope you are still with me. :D

I have moved to Little Rock, AR to take a job with the USDA- National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  Briefly, I count cows (and ducks..and chickens...and horses...and cotton...and fish...et cetera et cetera et cetera).  I don't get to actually go out in the field and count them...I look at surveys sent in the mail or online.

Because I had so much fun (snark) the last time, let's do it again, this time with the Diocese of Little Rock.  There are some tiny issues that I hope will work themselves out.

• I'm only guaranteed 5 months.  This fun could end by April.
• The diocese is the entire state.  I'm in the center...it takes roughly 3 hours to get to a state border.  
• In other words, you might get pictures if I go hiking around there but no Mass report.
• 3 hours is 1 tank of gas.  It is expensive to live on your own...
• I don't know where anything is...but the GPS fixes that issue.  Expect lots of I got lost.

I will start Friday, November 1 for the Feast of All Saints.  

Yeah, I know I need a new header.  I don't know what to use right now....