Mass Obligation for Daughter while camping

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javier_29

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Some friends have invited my 10yr old daughter to go camping with them this weekend because they have a daughter the same age.

They are not returning from Camping until sometime on Sunday.

We normally go to mass at 12:30…I doubt that she would be back by then.

This brings up a couple of questions;
  1. Is this a valid reason for her to miss Mass?
  2. If she returns before the final spanish mass at 6pm do I as a parent still have an obligation to take her to that one even though we may have gone to the earlier mass?
Any feedback is appreciated

God Bless
Javier
 
My thoughts (and I stress I’m not an expert here) - are that if she can attend the 6pm Mass she is under an obligation to go to it. And that you need to take her if you can, or perhaps arrange with someone else to give her a lift if it can be done.

As an alternative, try talking to your pastor during the week. Any time when you think you might not be able to attend Mass, you can ask your priest to dispense you (for that weekend) from the obligation to go.

Bear in mind he has the right to refuse, in which case your daughter is under obligation to go to the 6pm Mass if she can.
 
My boys are in boy scouts and frequently camp on weekends. Our parish has Masses Sunday morning at 8:30 and 10:30. I like to attend at my own parish - either the Saturday anticipated Mass or Sunday at 8:30 a.m. A nearby church has an evening Mass at 6:15. They are always home by then, and I always take them to that Mass on camping weekends. I figure I can always offer the “extra” Mass for someone who for whatever reason did not attend Mass that weekend.

You can’t do what you can’t do. If there was no Sunday evening Mass within an hour’s drive, for example. But if it CAN be done (attending Mass) then it should be done.

My humble opinion.
 
LilyM said:
My thoughts (and I stress I’m not an expert here) - are that if she can attend the 6pm Mass she is under an obligation to go to it. And that you need to take her if you can, or perhaps arrange with someone else to give her a lift if it can be done.

As an alternative, try talking to your pastor during the week. Any time when you think you might not be able to attend Mass, you can ask your priest to dispense you (for that weekend) from the obligation to go.

Bear in mind he has the right to refuse, in which case your daughter is under obligation to go to the 6pm Mass if she can.
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+1 to what LilyM said.
 
unless your daughter can get her own transportation, you the parent are responsible to take her to an evening Mass after she returns from her trip if there is one within a reasonable distance (the distance you would drive, for instance, to see a ball game or go shopping at a mall), no matter what the language. We had a mass obligation for centuries when it was in a language other than our own.
 
I agree that you should take your daughter to the evening Spanish Mass. You will both know well enough what is going on. I love the idea of offering your ‘extra’ Mass for someone who was not able to attend–perhaps a shut-in or someone who had to work that weekend.

It’s always a good idea to know the Mass schedules (and confession schedules) of your neighboring parishes. Then you can arrange to be at Mass each Sunday despite any upsets in your schedule.
 
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