Camping and the Sunday obligation

[pnewton]

. I am not a priest and I certainly would not be running to my priest for a dispensation for a weekend camping trip that was at a distance from a Church because my informed conscience tells me that it is not necessary.

I do not know if that was what is meant by “ask your pastor”. I think the advice is good, if one needs it. If one is unsure, pastoral guidance is a good way to form one’s conscience. I do not think the comment was intended that everyone needs to ask their pastor about everything, or for a dispensation every time they need to miss Mass. I sure don’t. I asked for the one time about my work situation. I know what my priest expects and thinks now, and how the Church thinks about my situation.

 

[angelacote]

These are great words of encouragement. I do this often even when the kids whine and fuss and we have to leave the fun things our friends/family who are not practicing are doing. My husband is not a practicing catholic so it is even a little harder but always worth it and we end up learning a little about the local community!

It depends what you mean by camping. Are you traveling in a camper or tent at a nearby State Park or National Park? If so, generally there are ways to plan your Mass schedule in advance.

However God does not require us to do what is impossible. If you are in a remote place and it is literally impossible to get to Mass then you cannot go. You cannot do what you cannot do!

Let me offer you this though…when I was a child we took small vacations with our parents sometimes camping sometimes not. We always went to Mass, my mother looked up local churches and this was before the internet, my parents made sure of it. I remember whining when I got a little older that I was tired and it was hard to get up, I also remember wondering why we had to take time away from our vacation to go to Mass. Fast forward to today, that is one of the things that my parents did that had one of the biggest influences on me. They lived their faith life, they “walked the walk” so to speak.

When my parents took us every Sunday Mass at our parish that had an impact on me of course, however when my parents went out of their way to take me to Sunday Mass when we were out on vacation that left a HUGE impression. I am just suggesting that in case you have children or teens, you will be sending them a message and they will never forget going to Mass on vacation I can promise you that. This is because children will see first hand that God comes first, even when it is not necessarily convenient. Hope this helps a little.