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Protestant Denomination Similar to Catholicism?

Question:

Is there a Protestant Church that is comparable to Catholicism? We recently moved, and there are no Catholic churches nearby.

Answer:

The closest Protestant denomination to Catholicism would arguably be Anglicanism, or Episcopalian Christians in the American branch of Anglicanism.

I infer that you’re living in a rural area that is lightly populated with Catholics. Could you make it to Sunday Mass with a drive of an hour or two each way? That would be a sacrifice, but one well worth making and would further instill in you and your children the overarching importance of fulfilling our Sunday obligation if at all possible, given that the Mass is “the source and summit of the whole Christian life” (CCC 1324).

If you are really in such a remote location that you couldn’t fulfill your Sunday obligation, you’d be dispensed from that obligation. In addition, you couldn’t fulfill it at a Protestant church, because none of them offers a valid Eucharistic Sacrifice (Mass). It’s possible that you could receive the Eucharist from a non-Catholic minister, e.g., an Eastern Orthodox priest (Code of Canon Law, can. 844 §2).

Contact your local diocese to see what might be possible for you. If you’re not sure of the diocese in which you reside, visit this page.

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