Forced to work on Sunday by the church

[johnnycatholic]

I just wanted an oppinion on this scenario:
Suppose you are a person who works for a catholic parish in a manual labor capacity. Suppose the parish requires you to work on a sunday to clean up after a fundraising event without explanation of why the event had to be held on sunday. Keep in mind you can easily go to mass and the work is only for say an hour and a half. Is it moral for the church to require its manual labor employees to work on Sunday without explanation? (See ccc 2184 - 2185 for teaching)

 

[Eileen_T]

I see that no-one wants to touch this one.

I didn’t do the poll but for what it is worth, I suggest you read the Apostolic Letter on Keeping the Lord’s Day Holy * DIES DOMINI * vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_05071998_dies-domini_en.html+

#48 "… It is the special responsibility of the Bishops, therefore, “to ensure that Sunday is appreciated by all the faithful, kept holy and celebrated as truly ‘the Lord’s Day’, on which the Church comes together to renew the remembrance of the Easter mystery in hearing the word of God, in offering the sacrifice of the Lord, in keeping the day holy by means of prayer, works of charity and abstention from work”.(Sacred Congregation for Bishops, Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops Ecclesiae Imago (22 February 1973), 86a: Enchiridion Vaticanum 4, 2069.)

If the Church held a fundraising event on a Sunday, I would have expected they would use volunteers to tidy up rather than require an employee to do so.

 

[puzzleannie]

we try never to schedule events on Sunday for this reason, because Sunday as family day is very strong down here. Sometimes it can’t be avoided, but volunteers handle clean-up. Usually on Sunday I am that person. With RCIA, monthly Confirmation meetings (parents and catechists voted on Sunday), monthly youth Mass, retreats 4 x a year, I work 4-8 hours every Sunday. Try to keep afternoons free because it is absolutely the only day DH and I have together. I really resent Sunday work, but it is a condition of employment with the Church. Look at the poor priests and deacons.

 

[SueKrum]

remember also what Christ said in the gospils “the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” now I know Sunday isn’t the “sabbath” per se, but the same holds true. I work at a very special retreat twice a year and we have to do a lot of hard work to keep evrythign clean and cook for the people who are going on the retreat and do lots and lots of dishes. That’s okay with me because the work is for God’s glory. the people on the retreat are being opened up to the Holy Spirit and it’s very special and I"m glad God chose me to help make their weekend away from the world easier by providing them with their meals and such.

But church bathrooms need to be cleaned just like everywhere else and the fundraisers are often on the weekends and they do good for the church. I think the church should explain herself if she is going to ask people to work on Sunday, but I think for most people, it’s obvious. so, no I don’t see a problem with it so long as it’s for the glory of God and doing good for the communitity. is it wrong for the salvation army person to stand in front of the store and ring the bell to collect money on Sunday? Theya re doing a good work. That’s how I see it anyway, someone else may have a totally different attitude

 

[Fidelis]

As you describe it, it doesn’t sound immoral, but merely inconsiderate or maybe a lack of communication.

 

[mlchance]

An hour-and-a-half of work in service of the Church that doesn’t significantly interfere with duties to attend Mass, et cetera? For time-and-a-half, I’d do it.

That point aside, how is the Church forcing anyone to do the work? If I was in such a situation, and I didn’t feel doing the work on Sunday fit my day’s plans, I’d simply inform my employer that I’m not available.

– Mark L. Chance.

 

[BlestOne]

My pastor reminds us that he has to work on Sundays…but don’t even try to contact him on Monday unless it is an emergency! If you have to work on Sunday try to look at it as a service to God, to help bring others closer to him. That might help you put things in perspective. I used to be the DRE at my parish and as such I had to work every Sunday during the school year, but because I did, our youngest members could attend Sunday School, so it was a labor of love to our Lord.

 

[cainem]

it would be acceptable only now and again not every sunday, i don’t see how it can be for god’s glory cleaning up after every one very time consuming, also look at it this way your spouse works monday to friday the kids are at school monday to friday, then you have to give up your sundays, when do you pray and play together, that only leaves this person saturday as a family day, providing your not too busy food shopping odd jobs about the house and other things husbands/dads are required to do

 

[Khoria_Anna]

I have been a parish secretary in several different parishes over the years and am well acquainted with many other parish secretaries. The ideal situation for many of us is that we are NOT employed by the parish where we regularly attend Sunday Mass. We’ll put in scads of unpaid extra hours during the work week to ensure that we’ll not be needed on Sunday or holy days so that we can go to our home parish on those days to worship.

This avoids that unpleasant moment that too often can occur: while saying ones prayers upon entering one’s pew (or even at the peace, or while making ones thanksgiving after Communion), to be interrupted by a parishioner staring one in the face and asking about church business – business that could easily wait until Monday.

About manual labor in the parish: if a sexton is absolutely necessary to handle a true emergency – broken or backed up plumbing, for example – yes, it’s acceptable to ask him to serve (along with any other so-skilled parishioners that happen to be there) on Sunday – hey, that could be considered an act of mercy. For the other stuff, the parishioners should be called on to clean up after themselves . . . or wait until Monday to handle the chores.