How far do you have to go to avoid missing Mass?

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peaceofchrist

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Hello. I have a question about how much effort a person is required to put into avoiding missing Mass.

If one is scheduled to work at all times that mass is offered Saturday evening and Sunday in their area, is one required to ask a co-worker to work for them at some point so they can go to mass?

I am faced with this problem frequently. If I happened to be scheduled to workat all times mass is offered on Saturday evening Sunday, my philosophy has been NOT to ask anyone to work for me so that I can go to mass, because that would take away their opportunity to go to mass, no matter whether or not that person ever intended on going to mass. No matter the remote possibility, I would not want to be the reason they missed mass. If there is little chance that this co-worker would ever go to mass, is it morally okay for me to ask them to cover for me so that I can attend mass? Is it morally obligatory for me to ask someone to do this?

Also, how far is one obligated to travel to attend mass if all the masses in their area are scheduled at times they cannot attend? A twenty-minute drive, thirty?, forty-five? Two hours? How do you know when to stop worrying about it?

Thanks for any advice.
 
Have you tried explaining to your boss that are your religion obligates you to attend Mass either on Saturday evening or on Sundays and that you need sufficient time off from work to meet said obligation?

FYI: If you were Muslim and needed extra breaks to pray, you’d get them.
 
=peaceofchrist;8951551]Hello. I have a question about how much effort a person is required to put into avoiding missing Mass.
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If one is scheduled to work at all times that mass is offered Saturday evening and Sunday in their area, is one required to ask a co-worker to work for them at some point so they can go to mass?
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I am faced with this problem frequently. If I happened to be scheduled to workat all times mass is offered on Saturday evening Sunday, my philosophy has been NOT to ask anyone to work for me so that I can go to mass, because that would take away their opportunity to go to mass, no matter whether or not that person ever intended on going to mass. No matter the remote possibility, I would not want to be the reason they missed mass. If there is little chance that this co-worker would ever go to mass, is it morally okay for me to ask them to cover for me so that I can attend mass? Is it morally obligatory for me to ask someone to do this?
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Also, how far is one obligated to travel to attend mass if all the masses in their area are scheduled at times they cannot attend? A twenty-minute drive, thirty?, forty-five? Two hours? How do you know when to stop worrying about it?
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Thanks for any advice.
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IF the job requirement are 1. NOT of you’re making and 2. Not able to be controled by you; then attending a daily Mass MIGHT surfice for you’re Sunday Obligation. I do suggest that this be discussed with you’re Confessor priest ASAP so that both of you are in agreement on this issue.🙂

God Bless,
Pat
 
Don’t go down that negative guilt inducing road about what Sunday obligation means. It’s more about a positive grateful attitude. You do your best to go to worship the God who has given us so much. Sometimes, in this time of financial problems, other obligations need to be met. In other words…try to get there…God knows your heart. Don’t try to do the impossible and get too stressed. That can develop into unhealthy guilt.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
Have you tried explaining to your boss that are your religion obligates you to attend Mass either on Saturday evening or on Sundays and that you need sufficient time off from work to meet said obligation?

FYI: If you were Muslim and needed extra breaks to pray, you’d get them.
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Don’t go down this road please regarding the Muslim religion. Anyone can ask for a reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs. Depending on the nature of the work place that can mean adjusting a lunch break,or requiring the employee to make up the time lost somehow. If it will hurt the business the employer is not required to make accommodations because of religious beliefs or practices.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
FYI: If you were Muslim and needed extra breaks to pray, you’d get them.
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I’ve seen this plenty. Sadly, I’ve never seen the same concession given for Christians.

Anymore, I make the best effort I can. If it means walking to Mass by myself in inclement weather, I’ll do it. I’ve driven 30-45 minutes to another parish after missing all the local ones. If I take the best steps I can and something outside of my control still keeps me from making it (like the local church with the “last chance” Mass canceling it unexpectedly), I may be disappointed but I don’t lose any sleep over it.
 
The way I think is: you have to really try. And there has to be a Mass closer than two hours away. But what if you’re in China and it’s too risky to go to a real Mass? What do diplomats do?

Would Joe Biden care?

OK, that’s off-topic…
 
Anna_Claire said:
Don’t go down this road please regarding the Muslim religion. Anyone can ask for a reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs. Depending on the nature of the work place that can mean adjusting a lunch break,or requiring the employee to make up the time lost somehow. If it will hurt the business the employer is not required to make accommodations because of religious beliefs or practices.
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Asking doesn’t mean getting. I had to skip Midnight Mass a couple years ago because, even though I had someone else on shift to cover me and would have been less than 15 minutes away should a problem arise, my boss still insisted that I not go. My Muslim coworkers still got their prayer breaks that night. I don’t blame them or their religion in the slightest, by the way.
 
Why would you not ask Muslim or Jewish co-workers to cover for you? They certainly won’t be wanting to go to Mass, and if you can return the favour on a Friday or Saturday so much the better.

Even your non-Catholic Christian co-workers might have their services at very different times to your Masses. For example, I have only ever come across one non-Catholic Christian church that offers worship on a Saturday evening. So you’d be fairly safe asking them to cover you for Saturday vigil times. You should certainly ask!
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
FYI: If you were Muslim and needed extra breaks to pray, you’d get them.
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http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/religion.html

Title VII requires an employer, once on notice that a religious accommodation is needed, to reasonably accommodate an employee whose sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance conflicts with a work requirement, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship. Under Title VII, the undue hardship defense to providing religious accommodation requires a showing that the proposed accommodation in a particular case poses a “more than de minimis” cost or burden. Note that this is a lower standard for an employer to meet than undue hardship under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which is defined in that statute as “significant difficulty or expense.”

In other words, not always. And I know of one Muslim school administrator who fought - and lost - his claim of discrimination because his district successfully argued that his requests to pray would create undue hardship on his colleagues. He applied for a lateral transfer to another job.

But I’ll not derail this thread further that it already has been.

Luna
 
The simplest answer is that you have gone far enough when you can honestly say to yourself and to God that you did all that you could reasonably do to get there. You need to be brutally honest about this with yourself, because Our Lord already knows…

As the poster right before me said, definitely talk to your priest. He can give you good guidance on this matter.

Finally - if you can’t get to mass on a Sunday (or Saturday vigil) then at least try to get there sometime during the week. 👍

Peace
James
 
I solved this problem for one of my employees who found it difficult to work on Sunday and go to Mass by instructing her to do so during working hours. I am sure we got more back in her other working hours as a result!
 
peaceofchrist said:
Hello. I have a question about how much effort a person is required to put into avoiding missing Mass.
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This issue is one best left for your priest. Make an appointment with him tomorrow, Tuesday if the parish office is closed for Lincoln’s Birthday.

Luna
 
Hokomai said:
I solved this problem for one of my employees who found it difficult to work on Sunday and go to Mass by instructing her to do so during working hours. I am sure we got more back in her other working hours as a result!
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If only others could have an employer like you. 👍

Peace
James
 
I was able to work out with my manager at my job as I work Saturdays through Wednesdays 7am to 4pm, with Thursdays & Fridays off to be able to get off at 3:30 pm to make it to one of two nearby local churches for Mass at 4pm. She was able to allow me to get off early on Saturdays, and have a shorter yet legal lunch time of 30 minutes so I can leave early to attend Mass.

If I cannot make it to one of the 4pm Masses for some reason, I can make it to one of a few others that have Mass later at either 4:30pm or even at 5:00pm on Saturdays. Good thing I’ve researched my diocese’s website for Mass times too and looked at the bulletins for various churches for most up to date Mass times.

Yes, employers should make reasonable accommodations for people who want to worship on the weekends. But at the same time, staff is always needed in certain professions 24 x 7 in some capacity especially in many medical, law enforcement, and technical fields as examples. I would hope most work places have a decent amount of diversity to allow those who wish to go to church, synagogue, temple, mosque, etc can do so either with a day off or a half day off work or similar arrangement made.
 
peaceofchrist said:
Hello. I have a question about how much effort a person is required to put into avoiding missing Mass.

If one is scheduled to work at all times that mass is offered Saturday evening and Sunday in their area, is one required to ask a co-worker to work for them at some point so they can go to mass?

I am faced with this problem frequently. If I happened to be scheduled to workat all times mass is offered on Saturday evening Sunday, my philosophy has been NOT to ask anyone to work for me so that I can go to mass, because that would take away their opportunity to go to mass, no matter whether or not that person ever intended on going to mass. No matter the remote possibility, I would not want to be the reason they missed mass. If there is little chance that this co-worker would ever go to mass, is it morally okay for me to ask them to cover for me so that I can attend mass? Is it morally obligatory for me to ask someone to do this?

Also, how far is one obligated to travel to attend mass if all the masses in their area are scheduled at times they cannot attend? A twenty-minute drive, thirty?, forty-five? Two hours? How do you know when to stop worrying about it?

Thanks for any advice.
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I can only answer this question with a quote from Padre Pio:

“If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass”
 
I struggle with this too at my place of emplyment.

Best think I have done is to drive a bit further to a chruch that offers a more flexible time whenit is my weekend to work. Sometimes I have driven 45 minutes one way…but I did it!
 
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