Cancelling Mass, Sunday Obligation

[ProVobis]

Atlanta, Georgia: temperature tonight at 11:45 pm: 48 degrees Farenheit

In that case, you need to manufacture snow to show your holiness.

 

[felsguy]

My apologies to Tim and any other Atlantans I may have offended by my callous remark. I had forgotten about the severe storm you all had earlier this year.

( trying to remove foot from mouth)

 

[MariaG]

From the CCC:

My bold. I would think that shovelling out the driveway or sidewalk fits that description. It may be necessary to shovel on a Sunday in order to be able to make it to work on Monday morning, and there may be city ordinances about shovelling the sidewalk in front of the house.

Especially if you also are shoveling the old couples drive and walkway as well!!

 

[OraLabora]

Especially if you also are shoveling the old couples drive and walkway as well!!

I think, on my 2 km dirt road with 6 houses on it, we are the “old couple” … I’m 56 and my wife 57… but we’re fit as a fiddle so we can still do our own

No sidewalks to shovel, as we’re in the sticks. But I have a rather long driveway as our house is set back from the road quite a bit, and have a snowblower on my garden tractor. With the weather we’ve been having, I’ve been on it several times this week including this afternoon (Sunday). It’s not that powerful so in a big storm I have to plough several times during the storm, otherwise it becomes too much for it to handle. So if that means doing it on a Sunday to avoid being stuck on a Monday, so be it! This morning I hadn’t done it; our driveway is downhill towards the road so I was able to get out without any problems to get to Mass (compact car), but coming home, I had trouble getting back up the hill so I ploughed.

 

[marytk]

Hmmm. I seem to remember their giving out a perfect attendance award of some kind at my high school. But at my high school everyone came by bus or transit or walked.

It isn’t that it isn’t a good thinkg to be hard working and to go when you should. (I don’t mean skipping work or school to just be lazy) But it is bad when a sick person goes to work or school spreads germs because they like to be known as the person who works so hard and never misses. I se eit here proud boast that NOTHING will keep me home from Mass. Of couse we should want to go to Mass . It should be a high priority. There is something wrong if it iis too dangerous to go to Mass but you somehow can make it else where (same thing when they cancel school and everyone drives to to sledding hill) But God does want us to use our brains and doesn’t want us to put others at risk. (Like the Emergency workers who have to speed to pull me out of my car I crashed on the ice)

 

[fisherman_carl]

The problem with snow is that it creates necessary labor. It has to be cleared, and this involves much labor, and it can’t wait until Monday because school might NOT be cancelled on Monday, and your work definitely won’t be cancelled unless you are able to work from home. It’s no fun getting up at 4 in the morning on Monday to clear a foot of snow out of your driveway in below zero temps.

Or does everyone else think that shoveling snow is recreation, not work?

I’m grateful that so far, Northern Illinois has only had one major snowstorm. Hope it stays that way. We still have about two feet of frozen snow in our yard.

I feel for the Northeast. They must feel so trapped.

Getting up at 4 am to shovel your driveway?

I live in Canada and we get snow like that all the time. But, you won’t see me up at 4 am shoveling snow.

Up here in Canada we are used to the snow. I don’t remember a Mass ever being canceled due to snow. We are in snow for 6 months of the year.

The Telegraph US - Breaking news, opinion & analysis

 

[OraLabora]

But, you won’t see me up at 4 am shoveling snow.

Only if it’s necessary to catch the 7 am flight to Cuba, Florida or the Caribbean

 

[hwriggles4]

Just today due to the snow storm, my Orthodox parish priest cancelled services for today (supposedly the first time in 28 years or something).

Considering Catholicism has Sunday obligation, are there any rules for parish priests concerning the cancelling of services on Sunday, and if they have to have mass (unless really dire circumstances).
And if the local parish is cancelled, is the Sunday obligation waived or should the person go to another parish if possible.

I agree with using common sense, even if a dispensation was not “officially” granted. In a large city, the trains may be down (i.e. the power is gone), and it may be difficult to get to Mass. If one has to drive, the roads may not be in good shape. IMHO, most priests would understand, particularly if he knows that you are a regular Mass attendee.

That said, I do recall in the 1980’s when I lived in San Antonio years ago that Bishop Flores waived the Sunday obligation one Sunday due to a large ice storm. In the Southern States in places like Houston and New Orleans, people aren’t used to ice and snow, and don’t really know how to get around in it. I think Bishop Fiorenza did this a time or two in Houston when he was the bishop.

In the Dallas area, we get at least one ice storm a year, and people don’t know how to drive in it. Our pastor cancelled CCD classes at least once this year due to inclement weather. An ice storm that came in the weekend after Thanksgiving 2013, I was able to get up and go to the early Sunday morning Mass at a parish 5 miles away, instead of driving further to my home parish.

Again, I think common sense is the way to go.