National parish
Encyclopedia
National parishes are Catholic
parishes that serve particular ethnic communities. They are distinguished from the other type of parish, the territorial parish, which serve a geographic area of a diocese. National parishes (sometimes called National churches
) have existed in Rome for centuries to meet the spiritual needs of the masses of pilgrims. But they also have existed in North America
since the late eighteenth century, when they were established to meet the needs of immigrants not speaking the language of the majority population. The first national parish in north America was Holy Trinity German National Parish founded in 1788 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
parishes that serve particular ethnic communities. They are distinguished from the other type of parish, the territorial parish, which serve a geographic area of a diocese. National parishes (sometimes called National churches
National church (Roman Catholicism)
In Roman Catholicism, the term national church can refer to the church claiming pastoral oversight over a specific country , but more often to either a parish catering to immigrants from another nation, or to a church building in Rome dedicated to a specific country...
) have existed in Rome for centuries to meet the spiritual needs of the masses of pilgrims. But they also have existed in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
since the late eighteenth century, when they were established to meet the needs of immigrants not speaking the language of the majority population. The first national parish in north America was Holy Trinity German National Parish founded in 1788 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.