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Types of Communities in the Ordinariate

"A parish is not simply a church, a set of buildings, a territory, a priest, or a worshiping community. A parish is not a means to hold property or organize community life on the local level. It is not an ecclesial version of a civil corporation. Although in the course of its establishment and life the parish might well require all of the forgoing attributes, the primary reason for its existence is to foster a stable relationship with Christ Jesus the Lord. A parish is ordered to the salvation of souls."
- Architects of Communion,
Guide for Parish Development 2021 

Parish

Quasi-Parish

Community in Formation

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A parish is a certain community of Christ’s faithful stably established within a particular Church whose pastoral care, under the authority of the diocesan Bishop is entrusted to a parish priest as its proper Pastor.

-Code of Canon Law, 515

A definite community of the Christian faithful entrusted to a priest as its proper administrator but not yet established as a parish. A quasi-parish is not meant to be permanent: it is a community on its way to becoming a parish. A quasi-parish is understood as equivalent to a parish but not yet having attained parish status.

A community in formation is a group of persons who are formally recognized by the Bishop with the desire to establish an Ordinariate parish but find themselves at an earlier point of development. A community in formation must have an associated Catholic priest, either to shepherd the association himself or to act as a resource to a community. Communities in formation are expected to be making progress toward quasi-parish and, eventually, parish status. They remain in close consultation with the Chancery and are evaluated regularly.

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