Folia Canonica 5. (2002)
STUDIES - John D. Faris: Territory and the Eastern Catholic Experience in the United States
58 JOHN D. FARIS who attends Mass on a daily basis during his lunch hour may find a great sense of attachment to the parish in which his workplace is located rather than his “home” parish. Territorial boundaries do not keep the faithful attached to one or the other parish. A family who is displeased with a priest or the liturgical life of one parish will not be constrained by any “canonical fences” and will worship elsewhere. Issues of territorial boundaries, rite, language and culture have become secondary. Conclusion I have tried to demonstrate that the mobility of populations during the past century have resulted in a drastic modification of the physiognomy of the Eastern Catholic churches. We canonists who think we have finally “caught up” and are addressing the needs of today are perhaps falling even further behind in not taking into account the effects of the Internet and the creation of a completely different sense of community among the faithful today.
