Missing Mass Q

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FidesSpesCarita

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Is it morally permissible to miss Mass in order to go camping for 3 days, a week, whatever?

My gut answer is no. I cannot see any reason to miss Mass on purpose, no matter how nice camping would be. But, hoping I might get an answer that I like more, I am posting here.

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You could always ask your priest for a dispensation.

Everyone is entitled to a vacation, and for some that means getting away from it all to the great outdoors. One assumes that missing a Sunday is your only option.

I asked for one recently to participate in a charity cycling event to raise money for cancer research and treatment.
 
God doesn’t take a vacation. So what makes a person think they are “entitled” to a vacation?
 
Can’t you plan your camping so that you are close enough to a place with a Catholic Church that you can attend Mass at some point? Do you have a vehicle available? Can you get your ‘3 days’ by starting out on Thursday, camping that day, Friday and Saturday, and heading home early on Sunday so that even if you are 3 or 4 hours away from a Catholic Church, leaving at 7 a.m. would get you to a place with a 10 or 11 a.m. Mass? (Mass Times has the schedules for so many churches!). . .and then afterward, having a nice lunch, finishing the drive, getting home in plenty of time to get the camp stuff put away and relaxing before going back to work Monday?
 
My first choice would be to include Mass in my plans. I might plan to be home in time to get to an evening Mass on Sunday, or even check masstimes.org for the places I’ll be going through on my way back so I can go to Mass on the way home.

But if I couldn’t fit in Mass and the trip was that important to me, I’d ask my pastor for a dispensation to miss Mass. I think I’d appreciate his (name removed by moderator)ut either way – yes, that’s a good reason to miss Mass and he dispensed my obligation, or what was I thinking and he won’t give a dispensation.
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
Is it morally permissible to miss Mass in order to go camping for 3 days, a week, whatever?

My gut answer is no. I cannot see any reason to miss Mass on purpose, no matter how nice camping would be. But, hoping I might get an answer that I like more, I am posting here.

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speak with your priest

my opinion would be no. we don’t take vacations from God, unless we want God to take vacations from us :eek:

when i go on vacation, i always look for the closes Catholic parish to go to. once i didn’t, i went to Las Vegas. i said, no way there would be a Catholic parish near the strip, and i just walk around the strip and take public transit. lo and behold, there was one on the strip. found out too late though, it was already early evening Sunday and i think the last Mass just completed at that time. but the other times i do seek parishes close to where i go. but i haven’t gone camping deep in the woods yet
 
OraLabora said:
You could always ask your priest for a dispensation.

Everyone is entitled to a vacation, and for some that means getting away from it all to the great outdoors. One assumes that missing a Sunday is your only option.

I asked for one recently to participate in a charity cycling event to raise money for cancer research and treatment.
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I am sure someone will correct me or possibly back me up, but I believe only the bishop can dispense with that obligation; and only for a compelling reason which vacation does not qualify, sorry.

Our bishop granted a dispensation for our entire diocese in August of 2008 for hurricane Gustav which tracked directly across our area on Sunday. The vicar general, one of my instructors, told us the story. He informed the bishop that cannon law allowed him to dispense with the obligation and his response was something like, “I can do that?” We had a good laugh in our next class about that, with the bishop present of coarse.

We didn’t ask that question about a priest being allowed to dispense or not, but I am sure that a vacation is not a compelling reason. You can find a church close enough to where you are to meet your obligation; search the internet about the area where you are going and you will find one.
 
It depends. As long as it is not a regular occurrence, some attempt has been made to include Mass in the weeekend, and as long as the intention for going away was to miss Mass it could be morally permissable. I’d discuss it with my priest.
 
Lapey said:
I am sure someone will correct me or possibly back me up, but I believe only the bishop can dispense with that obligation; and only for a compelling reason which vacation does not qualify, sorry.

Our bishop granted a dispensation for our entire diocese in August of 2008 for hurricane Gustav which tracked directly across our area on Sunday. The vicar general, one of my instructors, told us the story. He informed the bishop that cannon law allowed him to dispense with the obligation and his response was something like, “I can do that?” We had a good laugh in our next class about that, with the bishop present of coarse.

We didn’t ask that question about a priest being allowed to dispense or not, but I am sure that a vacation is not a compelling reason. You can find a church close enough to where you are to meet your obligation; search the internet about the area where you are going and you will find one.
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i believe a priest can grant dispensation on an individual basis. a bishop would grant dispensations for a larger group of people

i’m not sure a vacation would be a valid reason for dispensation though.
 
I recall when I was younger during one of the homilies the priest mentioned that sometimes it’s okay to miss mass once in awhile to spend time with your family out at the lake and people shouldn’t be so quick to judge.

I’d talk to your priest if it’s really eating away at you.

I know back when we used to attend church as a family we’d try to make it into town in time for mass
 
Love_Divine said:
I recall when I was younger during one of the homilies the priest mentioned that sometimes it’s okay to miss mass once in awhile to spend time with your family out at the lake and people shouldn’t be so quick to judge.

I’d talk to your priest if it’s really eating away at you.

I know back when we used to attend church as a family we’d try to make it into town in time for mass
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yikes! no way it is okay to miss mass for a picnic
 
Where is it written that a Priest can dispense someone from their Sunday Obligation in the first place? Or even a Bishop fro that matter? But especially a Priest. Can anyone cite the source of this for me?

And I do not think the OP has reason to miss their Sunday Obligation?
 
Tantum_ergo said:
Can’t you plan your camping so that you are close enough to a place with a Catholic Church that you can attend Mass at some point? Do you have a vehicle available? Can you get your ‘3 days’ by starting out on Thursday, camping that day, Friday and Saturday, and heading home early on Sunday so that even if you are 3 or 4 hours away from a Catholic Church, leaving at 7 a.m. would get you to a place with a 10 or 11 a.m. Mass? (Mass Times has the schedules for so many churches!). . .and then afterward, having a nice lunch, finishing the drive, getting home in plenty of time to get the camp stuff put away and relaxing before going back to work Monday?
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The problem I am having is working 60-80 hours a week… It is going to be a stretch for me to even take 1 day off, let alone 3. Were I planning on going Truck camping (campsite, camper, etc) I wouldnt even ask this question. My problem is that I intend to, essentially, vanish into the woods for three days. At least 5 miles in (and this is in the Rockies…), as far as 10-15 depending on my feeling of adventure. Thus, it makes it difficult to get out in a timely fashion. If I hike in on a thursday evening (which would be something of a sprint, not a hike to get that far before dark) I would have to break camp early on saturday morning, only 1 day in the wilderness…

But I seem to be only making excuses… Meh, God is more important to me anyway. I will just have to take shorter camping trips…
DeepeningFaith said:
And I do not think the OP has reason to miss their Sunday Obligation?
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Nope, no particular reason. Just to clear my head.

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FidesSpesCarita said:
The problem I am having is working 60-80 hours a week… It is going to be a stretch for me to even take 1 day off, let alone 3. Were I planning on going Truck camping (campsite, camper, etc) I wouldnt even ask this question. My problem is that I intend to, essentially, vanish into the woods for three days. At least 5 miles in (and this is in the Rockies…), as far as 10-15 depending on my feeling of adventure. Thus, it makes it difficult to get out in a timely fashion. If I hike in on a thursday evening (which would be something of a sprint, not a hike to get that far before dark) I would have to break camp early on saturday morning, only 1 day in the wilderness…

But I seem to be only making excuses… Meh, God is more important to me anyway. I will just have to take shorter camping trips…

Nope, no particular reason. Just to clear my head.

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I have family in Spokane and in western Montana so I know what you mean about wilderness. I agree, it’s a shame to have to take shorter breaks. But I also believe God will appreciate your giving Him your time. That’s a sacrifice. God bless you.
 
DeepeningFaith said:
Where is it written that a Priest can dispense someone from their Sunday Obligation in the first place? Or even a Bishop fro that matter? But especially a Priest. Can anyone cite the source of this for me?

And I do not think the OP has reason to miss their Sunday Obligation?
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Can. 89 A pastor and other presbyters or deacons are not able to dispense from universal and particular law unless this power has been expressly granted to them.

this doesn’t mean any priest can just outright dispense the Sunday Obligation, but it means that he can have that authority. i also wouldn’t be surprised if most Bishops already grant this authority to their pastors so they would handle the person-by-person cases
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
The problem I am having is working 60-80 hours a week… It is going to be a stretch for me to even take 1 day off, let alone 3. Were I planning on going Truck camping (campsite, camper, etc) I wouldnt even ask this question. My problem is that I intend to, essentially, vanish into the woods for three days. At least 5 miles in (and this is in the Rockies…), as far as 10-15 depending on my feeling of adventure. Thus, it makes it difficult to get out in a timely fashion. If I hike in on a thursday evening (which would be something of a sprint, not a hike to get that far before dark) I would have to break camp early on saturday morning, only 1 day in the wilderness…

But I seem to be only making excuses… Meh, God is more important to me anyway. I will just have to take shorter camping trips…

Nope, no particular reason. Just to clear my head.

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Maybe you could find a Catholic retreat house near the woods. You could still get your sense of adventure going and get to Mass.
 
FidesSpesCarita said:
The problem I am having is working 60-80 hours a week… It is going to be a stretch for me to even take 1 day off, let alone 3. Were I planning on going Truck camping (campsite, camper, etc) I wouldnt even ask this question. My problem is that I intend to, essentially, vanish into the woods for three days. At least 5 miles in (and this is in the Rockies…), as far as 10-15 depending on my feeling of adventure. Thus, it makes it difficult to get out in a timely fashion. If I hike in on a thursday evening (which would be something of a sprint, not a hike to get that far before dark) I would have to break camp early on saturday morning, only 1 day in the wilderness…
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Given the circumstances, I’d think most priests would grant you a dispensation and then command you to go camping.
 
Again I ask, where does it say that a Priest or even a Bishop can dispense someone from their Sunday Obligation?
 
DeepeningFaith said:
Again I ask, where does it say that a Priest or even a Bishop can dispense someone from their Sunday Obligation?
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i have posted canon law in the previous page where it says a priest or even a deacon may be granted the authority to dispense from anything, which may include Sunday obligation.
 
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