I have a question about this topic. I grew up as about one of the only Protestants in a heavily Catholic area outside of Detroit. At that time (late 50s, early 60s), I remember that the parish my friends attended was determined by the neighborhood in which they lived. Except for special occasions, they weren't supposed to go to Mass in other parishes. When did this change and why? Curious...
Like so many other aspects of our faith, this never changed, as evidenced by the article written by Father McNamara. Prior to VCII, the Latin Mass was the same regardless of which parish one attended. Post VCII, Catholics soon discovered that, depending on the pastor, some parishes applied more innovation to the celebration of the Novus Ordo Mass, than others. Frustrated by these 'novelties', Catholics began shopping around, looking for a parish that suited their worship style. This has resulted in certain parishes having a larger congregation than others.