7501 Adelphi Rd, Hyattsville
MD 20783, United states
301 422-8300
E-mail: rectory@stmarkhyattsville.org
Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Office hours
MD 20783, United states
E-mail: rectory@stmarkhyattsville.org
Office hours
Registering with your parish is an important first step in becoming an active member of the local church community. Enrollment brings tangible benefits that can help a person participate more
fully in the local church and can help immigrants with issues related to immigration law in the future.
Please note that parish and diocesan leadership will not share registration information with any government or law enforcement agency. The registration process is completely confidential.
Registering in one’s local parish, in general, is not a common practice for Catholics in Latin America and Europe. However, it is a common practice in the United States and is therefore important to immigrants as it offers them a variety of benefits. Here are some reasons to sign up:
1. Establishes evidence of its presence in the States Joined. It is not unusual for immigrants, including to those who are undocumented, having to show evidence of your continued presence to authorities of immigration. Enrollment in your parish is a quick and easy step to help document the number of years that you have resided in this country.
2. Provide proof of your participation in the sacraments. If a person receives any of the sacraments at a parish, registration gives you a clear and easy way to keep track of this information. Conveniently, the record of your sacramental participation can be transferred from one parish to another should you decide to move.
3. It offers spiritual benefits. After enrolling in a parish, the person is more likely to participate fully in the life of the parish and find a spiritual family. Families feel less alone and more supported in moments of joy and in moments of pain. Immigrants will get to know more American citizens more closely and feel more secure in this country. In times of difficulty, the parish family can offer vital material and spiritual help. Parishioners will find many opportunities to grow in love for God and their neighbor, and will be surrounded by some excellent role models who will help them navigate the complexities of life in the United States.
4. Demonstrate your involvement in the community. Enrollment in the parish provides you with the opportunity to participate and become an established member of the local parish community. That gives you a variety of benefits that go beyond participation in weekly Mass.
– Being involved in the local parish helps you get to know other parishioners and the parish priest. If a person experiences any immigration-related issues with local or federal authorities, the parish priest and other parishioners will be able to provide a letter of good moral character.
– Through any subsequent involvement in the community, the parishioner will be able to demonstrate the positive ways in which he/she served the parish and local community (eg, volunteering at a soup kitchen). This can be a useful tool to show that she has good moral character and an interest in contributing to the community.
– The person, as a registered member of the local parish, will have the opportunity to help organize and promote the celebration of the traditional religious festivals: the Virgin of Guadalupe, Altagracia, Señor de los Milagros and the Stations of the Cross.
5. Provides economic and educational benefits. Enrollment in the local parish often brings additional benefits that can help family members. For example, enrollment could provide you with a credit or subsidy that you could use for your children at local parochial schools. This could lower the cost of tuition and help the parishioner’s son or daughter receive the educational advantages and spiritual formation that comes from attending a Catholic school.
6. Demonstrates an economic commitment. Giving a regular offering at weekly Mass using gift envelopes after registration demonstrates a financial and weekly commitment to the Church. However, it is important to emphasize that registration in the parish does not require the parishioner to make financial contributions; nor are individuals expected to make large contributions.