These are important questions we all should think about. Often, people come to us and request a sacrament, ask to be a godparent, volunteer to help with a liturgical ministry, or have another need and are surprised to learn they aren’t registered in the parish or are surprised to learn they aren’t a practicing Catholic. Let’s learn what these terms mean and what you can do to ensure you are both a registered parishioner and a practicing Catholic. 

REGISTERED PARISHIONERS 

• Registered parishioners receive parish mailings (which may include tithing envelopes) 
• Once someone is 18 years of age, he/she should register on his/her own in the parish even if he/she still lives at home. 
• This is an online database maintained by the parish office. Staff members will be happy to check your registration status for you. 

WHEN TO CALL THE PARISH OFFICE (973) 694-3400

• If you know you aren’t registered. 
• If you haven’t received any parish mailings in the last 6 months. 
• If you have gotten rid of your land line or switched phone numbers in the past 5 years 
• If you have adult children who never registered in another parish. They are likely still listed as part of your household. There are dozens of families where this is the case so please consider calling and asking if your adult children (usually aged 20-40) are still registered under your name. 

PRACTICING CATHOLICS 

• Are baptized in the Catholic Church. Fully initiated Catholics have also received First Holy Communion (typically around age 7) and Confirmation (typically around age 15) in the Catholic Church. 
• If married, you must be married in the Church. 
• Are registered in a parish and actively practicing the faith through keeping the Precepts of the Church. The Church sets the following precepts as the minimum of what it means to be a practicing Catholic:
  1. Attendance at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. (We encourage submitting tithing envelopes each week, even when with simbolic donation of $1. If someone asks if you are a practicing Catholic, this helps us denote regular Mass attendance.) 
  2. Confession of serious sin at least once a year. 
  3. Reception of Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter season. 
  4. Observance of the days of fast and abstinence. 
  5. Providing for the needs of the Church. 

WHEN TO CALL THE PARISH OFFICE 

• If you are uncertain of your status as a practicing Catholic and wish to discuss your situation in confidence with a priest or deacon. 
• If you need the Sacrament of Reconciliation and cannot attend during our normally scheduled times. 
• If you need full initiation into the Church, please contact Donna Scancarella, Coordinator of Adoult Initiation Formation. 

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. LET US KNOW YOUR NEEDS.