National Parish

National parish is a type of Catholic parish, within a particular Church, which coexists with other types of parishes in the same geographical area, each parish being distinguished by liturgical rites or nationality. A national parish is distinguished from the commonly known type of parish, the territorial parish, which serves a territory subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the territorial parish priest. A national parish is an ecclesiastic subdivision which serves a community of people but is not a geographic subdivision.

National parishes housed in national churches in Rome have existed for centuries to meet the spiritual needs of both people temporarily or permanently residing in Rome and people visiting Rome on pilgrimage. For example, the Church of Santa Susanna serves both as a titular church and the national parish for Americans.

National parishes have existed in North America since the late 18th 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.

Father Raymond A. Schroth, SJ, wrote in a 2002 National Catholic Reporter article about trusteeism that, "national parishes, particularly German and Polish, who brought over European traditions of the laypeople establishing and directing the parish" contributed a voice to the laity.

Media background information, prepared by the Department of Communications of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, on covering Pope Benedict XVI's 2008 visit to the United States identified two historically significant national parishes: Holy Trinity Church, in Philadelphia, established in 1789 as both the first national parish in the United States and the first to serve German-speaking Catholics; and, Saint Benedict the Moor Church, in New York, established in 1883 as the first national parish to serve African-American Catholics.

Jerry Filteau wrote in a 2009 National Catholic Reporter article about the resignation of Bishop Joseph Francis Martino of Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, that, national parishes for Poles, Italians, Irish and other Catholic immigrant groups were established in the late 19th and early 20th century. He also wrote that a lack of cross cultural sensitivity affected how Martino was perceived.

George Gregory, wrote in a 2010 Catholic News Service article, about the establishment of a new national parish designated for Hispanics that, "national parishes serve particular ethnic communities, as opposed to territorial parishes, which serve a geographic area of an archdiocese or a diocese." He also wrote that, the new parish is the 32nd national parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia."