No Mass on Veterans Day

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RoyNeary2001

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This past week the local parish office was closed for Veterans Day. The real suprise on the schedule was that there was not a daily Mass offered. This seemed to imply that there was a day off from the Mass, as though the priest was like a mail carrier who deserved a day off too. Has anyone encountered this strange juxatoposition? Does it seem like the Mass is just another service like banking and school? Does the fact of no Mass on Veterans Day suggest this interpretation?
 
RoyNeary2001 said:
This past week the local parish office was closed for Veterans Day. The real suprise on the schedule was that there was not a daily Mass offered. This seemed to imply that there was a day off from the Mass, as though the priest was like a mail carrier who deserved a day off too. Has anyone encountered this strange juxatoposition? Does it seem like the Mass is just another service like banking and school? Does the fact of no Mass on Veterans Day suggest this interpretation?
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Ask your priest yourself. You may be assuming way too much about the situation. We don’t have daily mass every day of the week, sometimes our priest has other obligations (such as meetings with our bishop) or says mass at other locations. There could be any number of reasons why there wasn’t a daily mass at your parish on Veteran’s Day. But I’d give him the benefit of the doubt until he tells you otherwise.
 
There has been daily Mass throughout the past. Its just odd that when the office is closed on Veterans Day, and no Mass scheduled, its apparent that it was a day off for holiday.
 
RoyNeary2001 said:
There has been daily Mass throughout the past. Its just odd that when the office is closed on Veterans Day, and no Mass scheduled, its apparent that it was a day off for holiday.
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It’s also quite possible that the priest said Mass, but with all the rest of the staff off, it simply wasn’t feasible to open the church building to the public. After all, the poor folks work every Sunday to make sure the building is heated, lit, set up, cleaned, etc.
 
Or the priest could have been invited to say Mass for fallen soldiers somewhere else.
 
we only have 1 priest and he sometimes has other meetings or has to travel to a funeral for example. if he is at the rectory he always says Mass.
 
There are so many factors here. If you’re near a military installation or your priest is affiliated with the community he may have been working at an ecumenical service. He could have taken that time on Veteran’s Day to go to the local VA to help the priest on duty give absolution to other veterans…or may be a regular volunteer there and felt that was where God was calling him to be. Is it possible your priest himself is a veteran?

I work with veterans on a daily basis and I can’t tell you what AMAZING support we get from faith communities in general. I couldn’t do my job without the fantastic and extraordinary acts of “everyday people” and even more so of the clergy. I am grateful every single day for the selfless donations of time, money, and gifts that make it possible for me, and others like myself, to do our jobs.

I wouldn’t assume just because you didn’t have Mass on Veteran’s Day this year that it was a slight towards your parish. Most likely, that time was being spent in another way of honoring our brave men and women who have served this country.
 
RoyNeary2001 said:
This past week the local parish office was closed for Veterans Day. The real suprise on the schedule was that there was not a daily Mass offered. This seemed to imply that there was a day off from the Mass, as though the priest was like a mail carrier who deserved a day off too. Has anyone encountered this strange juxatoposition? Does it seem like the Mass is just another service like banking and school? Does the fact of no Mass on Veterans Day suggest this interpretation?
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was it the day of the week he normally takes off? did he have another Mass scheduled such as a funeral or wedding? is there always a daily Mass on that day of the week? do you know for absolute fact there was not a reason, another commitment or some other explanation than the one you leap to?
 
RoyNeary2001 said:
This past week the local parish office was closed for Veterans Day. The real suprise on the schedule was that there was not a daily Mass offered. This seemed to imply that there was a day off from the Mass, as though the priest was like a mail carrier who deserved a day off too. Has anyone encountered this strange juxatoposition? Does it seem like the Mass is just another service like banking and school? Does the fact of no Mass on Veterans Day suggest this interpretation?
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Maybe he was ill?
 
Even if the priest did decide to take the day off, what is the issue? A priest is not a 9-5 job. He has to be available 24/7/365. As long as he was available for emegencies, what is the problem?
 
Well, I wouldn’t automatically assume that it was meant as a slight to your parish. Like others have said, he may have been participating in an ecumenical service or something else may have come up.
 
Its best to just ask the priest since, as many have pointed out, there’s a million and one possible reasons that there was no Mass on that day.
 
Elizium23 said:
Veterans Day is traditionally for living war veterans, while Memorial Day is when we commemorate the fallen soldiers.
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Oh, right. Its the other way around here in Canada. That same day we have Remembrance Day and in May we have Victoria Day instead which has nothing to do with the soliders
 
This frequently happens at our church. The office is closed for secular holidays, and often there is no Mass. It was a welcome change of plans when we did have Mass on Columbus Day a few weeks ago. That is a holiday only for banks and the post office here. The week of Thanksgiving, the only daily Mass will be on Thursday.

I can’t really fault our priest, though. He is not as young as he once was, and he also has another job with the diocese. Hasn’t taken a vacation in a couple of years. So if a day off now and then - I think Fridays is his “day off” and he always hears confessions and says Mass on Friday morning - then so be it. He goes above and beyond in other ways - with adult Bible studies and the like.

Fortunately it is not too hard to find another daily Mass at another parish most of those days.
 
Elizium23 said:
Veterans Day is traditionally for living war veterans, while Memorial Day is when we commemorate the fallen soldiers.
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Memorial Day is to commemorate any person that has died while serving the nation, not just military.

Veterans Day commemorates both the fallen soldier and those still living. They lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier every Veterans Day and many cemetaries have programs on Veterans Day as well. Ours always plays “taps” and places a wreath at the front of the entrance.
 
HAnne said:
There are so many factors here. If you’re near a military installation or your priest is affiliated with the community he may have been working at an ecumenical service. He could have taken that time on Veteran’s Day to go to the local VA to help the priest on duty give absolution to other veterans…or may be a regular volunteer there and felt that was where God was calling him to be. Is it possible your priest himself is a veteran?

I work with veterans on a daily basis and I can’t tell you what AMAZING support we get from faith communities in general. I couldn’t do my job without the fantastic and extraordinary acts of “everyday people” and even more so of the clergy. I am grateful every single day for the selfless donations of time, money, and gifts that make it possible for me, and others like myself, to do our jobs.

I wouldn’t assume just because you didn’t have Mass on Veteran’s Day this year that it was a slight towards your parish. Most likely, that time was being spent in another way of honoring our brave men and women who have served this country.
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I lament the lack of service from this parish over the years. Just reinforces perception that this parish lost alot of coins in the secular sofa.
 
puzzleannie said:
was it the day of the week he normally takes off? did he have another Mass scheduled such as a funeral or wedding? is there always a daily Mass on that day of the week? do you know for absolute fact there was not a reason, another commitment or some other explanation than the one you leap to?
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The calender had to be made up before the month started, which made me think it was taken as a day off because of the secular holiday. How could Mass at noon each day be cancelled?
 
StTommyMore said:
Even if the priest did decide to take the day off, what is the issue? A priest is not a 9-5 job. He has to be available 24/7/365. As long as he was available for emegencies, what is the problem?
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The Church is not a bank.
 
NewEnglandPries said:
Its best to just ask the priest since, as many have pointed out, there’s a million and one possible reasons that there was no Mass on that day.
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I have not much trust in this parish. I had to learn about the Mass elsewhere.
 
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