What Do You Mean, I’m Not Registered?

Registering in a parish is a declaration of your desire to be part of a Catholic community and to make a commitment to the life of that specific parish.  Unfortunately, it is becoming a common occurrence that when someone needs to obtain a letter of good standing from their pastor, they are surprised to find out that they are not registered!

When would you need a letter of good standing from your pastor? 

·        To become a sponsor for any sacrament, especially if you are going to another parish.

·        To get on the archdiocesan speakers list as a speaker outside your own parish.

·        To enter the diaconate formation program.

·        To enter vowed religious formation.

·        To request an apostolic blessing.

·        To obtain a school subsidy from your parish for your child who is attending a Catholic school located in another parish.

The reasons some people are not registered are many but the two most common are first, some have been attending the same Catholic parish for years and they consider themselves part of the community; and second, there are those who have been confirmed, are out of high school, and are now adults no longer registered with their parents.

Why is it important to be registered?  Ministries and the services a parish provides are driven by the number of registered households and the makeup of those households.  It’s difficult to plan ministries, for instance to young adults, when only older adults are registered. 

Why do some people resist registering in the parish?  Some people do not want to receive envelopes for their donations.  It may be that they are not able to give financially to the parish at this time, but most of us are able to contribute some of our time or our talent instead.  It was not part of the culture of some of our newly arrived immigrant brothers and sisters, and some people may not feel comfortable providing personal information.  For those who are uncomfortable registering, for whatever reason, we encourage you to speak with Father Tim or Father Tom.

If you’re uncertain whether you are registered or not, or you’d like to register, we encourage you to visit our website, www.RisenSaviorCC.org, and click on the “register online” link.  It’s easy and will take only a few moments of your time.