Question About Sunday Obligation

[EqualinHim]

Hi,

Long story short, I’m a Protestant. I volunteer aboard a tall ship that frequently takes week-long voyages to different parts of the Chesapeake Bay. I do not know if we have any Catholic crew aboard. If we were to get some Catholic crew members, would they be dispensed from their Sunday obligation if they were on a voyage with us? Attending Mass while on a voyage would big burden to the individual crew member and something that the ship’s Captain might not always be able to accommodate. Our sailing schedule often forces us to sail on Sundays and when we arrive in port we don’t always have the transportation situation because sometimes we dock in small towns without public transit. Often, when we’re in port, we’re limited to whatever amenities that are within walking distance.

So, say, theoretically, if we had a Catholic sailor aboard and the sailing schedule caused them to miss Mass or they were unable to obtain ground transportation to Mass, could they potentially get a dispensation from their Sunday obligation in that case?

As a further note, some of the ports we visit, again, are in small towns, so there might be some situations where a Catholic sailor would not be able to find a parish within a reasonable distance.

Edit:

I am also asking this for myself because I’m interested in going through RCIA. But if I decide not to go through RCIA, at least the information might help other crew members.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Yes, dispensations are *possible *in such cases.

 

[pulsence]

Yup, they could be able to be dispensed from the Sunday Obligation. They should talk to their pastor about getting a dispensation before leaving for the trip to get dispensed for however long the trip might be.

Should a catholic not be able to fullfill their obligation they are recommended to “take part in the Liturgy of the Word … or engage in prayer for an appropriate amount of time personally or in a family [or group]” CCC 2183. So they would be encouraged to bring a bible along with them and spend sometime on Sunday in prayer and reading the readings for Mass that day.

 

[Crusaderbear]

I sailed in the 70’s with the Naval Academy Yawls, it was not difficult to get a dispensation.

 

[Catholic1954]

Hi,

Long story short, I’m a Protestant. I volunteer aboard a tall ship that frequently takes week-long voyages to different parts of the Chesapeake Bay. I do not know if we have any Catholic crew aboard. If we were to get some Catholic crew members, would they be dispensed from their Sunday obligation if they were on a voyage with us? Attending Mass while on a voyage would big burden to the individual crew member and something that the ship’s Captain might not always be able to accommodate. Our sailing schedule often forces us to sail on Sundays and when we arrive in port we don’t always have the transportation situation because sometimes we dock in small towns without public transit. Often, when we’re in port, we’re limited to whatever amenities that are within walking distance.

So, say, theoretically, if we had a Catholic sailor aboard and the sailing schedule caused them to miss Mass or they were unable to obtain ground transportation to Mass, could they potentially get a dispensation from their Sunday obligation in that case?

As a further note, some of the ports we visit, again, are in small towns, so there might be some situations where a Catholic sailor would not be able to find a parish within a reasonable distance.

Edit:

I am also asking this for myself because I’m interested in going through RCIA. But if I decide not to go through RCIA, at least the information might help other crew members.

Do you also sail on Saturday afternoon/evening? One may attend Mass on Saturday night to fulfill the Sunday obligation.

 

[EqualinHim]

Do you also sail on Saturday afternoon/evening? One may attend Mass on Saturday night to fulfill the Sunday obligation.

It depends upon the sailing schedule. A lot of the events/festivals that we participate in are on weekends so we might sail in a few days before, come into port and set up say on a Friday or Thursday, and keep the ship open to the public on the weekend. Theoretically, someone could attend mass if we were in port but we’d still have to deal with ship schedules, and ground transportation while in port.

I personally am rather fond of the idea of sitting on deck during one of my breaks and reading out of my Bible while looking out at the Chesapeake Bay though. I know that it will not take the place of Church. Like I said, I’m a Protestant considering RCIA so I’m not bound by the obligation (yet) but missing church was one of my ‘hang-ups’ when it came to signing on as a sailor in training. We have a maintenance service requirement and often times our ‘working weekends’ or ‘project days’ include Sundays. The working weekends aren’t a big deal though since there are churches with services on Saturday nights. I also try to fulfill my maintenance obligation whenever I’m not working at my paid job during the week. I’m hoping that my first trip will have several ports with churches nearby, be they Protestant or Catholic. I’ve come to enjoy Sunday worship and Bible study quite a bit.

 

[neweggs]

I feel hurt if I don,t attended Church on Sunday,unless I,am sick And can,t go.I go to be with Jesus in church,but people should not skip Mass because they are on A cruise.

 

[OraLabora]

Necessary travel that makes it impossible to attend Mass is it’s own exemption and doesn’t require a dispensation in the same manner that being ill or taking care of the sick and elderly do not require a dispensation. The question here is whether the travel is “necessary” or not. If we take a vacation, we are not obligated to vacation only in places or circumstances where Mass is easily available. We are allowed to visit places where Mass is not available within reasonable distance, or transit to and from our place of vacation on a Sunday via public transport which may make Mass attendance impossible.

This is an area for prudential judgement, but clearly anyone in doubt should consult with their pastor.

 

[PJM]

Hi,

Long story short, I’m a Protestant. I volunteer aboard a tall ship that frequently takes week-long voyages to different parts of the Chesapeake Bay. I do not know if we have any Catholic crew aboard. If we were to get some Catholic crew members, would they be dispensed from their Sunday obligation if they were on a voyage with us? Attending Mass while on a voyage would big burden to the individual crew member and something that the ship’s Captain might not always be able to accommodate. Our sailing schedule often forces us to sail on Sundays and when we arrive in port we don’t always have the transportation situation because sometimes we dock in small towns without public transit. Often, when we’re in port, we’re limited to whatever amenities that are within walking distance.

I’m NOT a theologian so what I am about to share is MY [personal understanding of RCC teachings|

IF as I am reading your question the voyage is for personal pleasure and NOT directly WORK-requirement; then such would NOT be excused. … On the Other hand if it is a employment mandate, then it would be. Both cases should be discussed with a Catholic Priest.

So, say, theoretically, if we had a Catholic sailor aboard and the sailing schedule caused them to miss Mass or they were unable to obtain ground transportation to Mass, could they potentially get a dispensation from their Sunday obligation in that case?

NO, not to my understanding of Church Teachings.

As a further note, some of the ports we visit, again, are in small towns, so there might be some situations where a Catholic sailor would not be able to find a parish within a reasonable distance.

SEE MY reply to your st point: “Keep holy the Sabbath day” is GOD"S commandment and even the Church cannot dispense it without a VALID reason [not an excuse]… A fun trip is NOT a valid reason.

Edit:

I am also asking this for myself because I’m interested in going through RCIA. But if I decide not to go through RCIA, at least the information might help other crew members.

My friend Jesus Christ desired and founded ONLY One True Church [Mt 16:18] and One set of faith beliefs dating back some 2,000 years. Christ teaches that ALL are to enter through the narrow gate [singular] and that it will BE HARD. [Require personal sacrifice]; BUT life is short; ETERNITY is FOREVER!

Pray about your decision my friend!

GBY

Patrick
:

 

[poche]

The Sunday obligation is about ordinary life. If you are in a situation in which it would be impossible to attend mass then you would not be obligated. I have an ancestor who kept a diary. In his diary he would go to mass almost every Sunday and day of obligation. Once in a while when it was impossible for him to attend mass he would read form his mass book.

 

[steve_b]

Hi,

Long story short, I’m a Protestant. I volunteer aboard a tall ship that frequently takes week-long voyages to different parts of the Chesapeake Bay. I do not know if we have any Catholic crew aboard. If we were to get some Catholic crew members, would they be dispensed from their Sunday obligation if they were on a voyage with us? Attending Mass while on a voyage would big burden to the individual crew member and something that the ship’s Captain might not always be able to accommodate. Our sailing schedule often forces us to sail on Sundays and when we arrive in port we don’t always have the transportation situation because sometimes we dock in small towns without public transit. Often, when we’re in port, we’re limited to whatever amenities that are within walking distance.

So, say, theoretically, if we had a Catholic sailor aboard and the sailing schedule caused them to miss Mass or they were unable to obtain ground transportation to Mass, could they potentially get a dispensation from their Sunday obligation in that case?

As a further note, some of the ports we visit, again, are in small towns, so there might be some situations where a Catholic sailor would not be able to find a parish within a reasonable distance.

Edit:

I am also asking this for myself because I’m interested in going through RCIA. But if I decide not to go through RCIA, at least the information might help other crew members.

For purposes of information

consider 1st why mass attendance is required #25 ]

then consider

osv.com/OSVNewsweekly/Story/TabId/2672/ArtMID/13567/ArticleID/18502/Dispensation-from-Sunday-Obligation.aspx

ewtn.com/expert/answers/sunday_mass.htm

A dispensation, is for a serious reason for a particular case. It’s not meant as a permanent dispensation, or some loose understanding that can fit in any case. If one has a job that forces work on every Saturday and Sunday where no chance of meeting one’s obligation to go to mass can be met, then I personally, given how important this issue is, would look for other employment. But that’s me.

I hope you follow your interest in RCIA

 

[Rosebud77]

This gets raised often and is answered differently every time. Usually yes holidays are fine if in place or circumstances like this as are those who are eg in medical /care work that rules out weekend Mass.

There is provision.

 

[neweggs]

Necessary travel that makes it impossible to attend Mass is it’s own exemption and doesn’t require a dispensation in the same manner that being ill or taking care of the sick and elderly do not require a dispensation. The question here is whether the travel is “necessary” or not. If we take a vacation, we are not obligated to vacation only in places or circumstances where Mass is easily available. We are allowed to visit places where Mass is not available within reasonable distance, or transit to and from our place of vacation on a Sunday via public transport which may make Mass attendance impossible.

This is an area for prudential judgement, but clearly anyone in doubt should consult with their pastor.

It has been said Keep Holy The Lord,s day. It,s one one the Commandments,and also it is said Love they God with all your Heart mine,and Body weather on a cruse ,or on land…God Loves us and will do anything for his Children,who show Love to God. AMEN

 

[PJM]

The Sunday obligation is about ordinary life. If you are in a situation in which it would be impossible to attend mass then you would not be obligated. I have an ancestor who kept a diary. In his diary he would go to mass almost every Sunday and day of obligation. Once in a while when it was impossible for him to attend mass he would read form his mass book.

This ONLY true if and when We DON"T intentionally cause the “impossibility”

 

[porthos11]

I’m NOT a theologian so what I am about to share is MY [personal understanding of RCC teachings|

IF as I am reading your question the voyage is for personal pleasure and NOT directly WORK-requirement; then such would NOT be excused. … On the Other hand if it is a employment mandate, then it would be. Both cases should be discussed with a Catholic Priest.

NO, not to my understanding of Church Teachings.

SEE MY reply to your st point: “Keep holy the Sabbath day” is GOD"S commandment and even the Church cannot dispense it without a VALID reason [not an excuse]… A fun trip is NOT a valid reason.

My friend Jesus Christ desired and founded ONLY One True Church [Mt 16:18] and One set of faith beliefs dating back some 2,000 years. Christ teaches that ALL are to enter through the narrow gate [singular] and that it will BE HARD. [Require personal sacrifice]; BUT life is short; ETERNITY is FOREVER!

Pray about your decision my friend!

GBY

Patrick
:

Uhmmm…no.

OraLabora gives the correct answer.

Nobody is prohibited from taking a cruise or camping trip, even if it is foreseen that Mass will not be available. Dispensations ARE given for such situations, and even then, the obligation does not bind when Mass is impossible, and even if this impossibility was “created” because of the choice of cruise. It would be a problem to intentionally plan a trip in order to miss Mass, but cruises and other vacations are available to Catholics for the proper rest of their mind and body, and if one joins a particular cruise because of itinerary, schedule, location, cost, etc, one is certainly free to pick it, even if Mass is unavailable.

 

[jas84173]

You guys are like the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ day. So many rules to follow, what is it St. Peter who said that in Acts? Thus they wrote a simple letter for how Gentile Christians should live; and now 2,000 years later you need a dispensation to miss Mass. How ridiculous. God isn’t sitting up in heaven keeping tabs on who missed Mass and such. We all should want to go to Mass. I do every day if I can; but I have to tell you these rules the Church yokes us with are impossible to follow. Every single one of us fail and sin probably daily according to the Church. Sure the rules are there to make us strive to better our lives but to sit here and say if we do this we need to do this to make it okay etc, is just unbelievable, comical almost. Go out to sea. You’ll probably sin out there as well. We all would. Go to confession when you get back if it is weighing on you. It’s as simple as that. God people on this site acting like everything needs a procedure. Most priests wouldn’t even act so crazy about these rules.

 

[porthos11]

You guys are like the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ day. So many rules to follow, what is it St. Peter who said that in Acts? Thus they wrote a simple letter for how Gentile Christians should live; and now 2,000 years later you need a dispensation to miss Mass. How ridiculous. God isn’t sitting up in heaven keeping tabs on who missed Mass and such. We all should want to go to Mass. I do every day if I can; but I have to tell you these rules the Church yokes us with are impossible to follow. Every single one of us fail and sin probably daily according to the Church. Sure the rules are there to make us strive to better our lives but to sit here and say if we do this we need to do this to make it okay etc, is just unbelievable, comical almost. Go out to sea. You’ll probably sin out there as well. We all would. Go to confession when you get back if it is weighing on you. It’s as simple as that. God people on this site acting like everything needs a procedure. Most priests wouldn’t even act so crazy about these rules.

“Them guys” do not represent the mind of the Church. The Church is actually much kinder in both terms of letter and spirit of the law.

It is still gravely sinful to intentionally miss Mass on obligation; don’t get me wrong. But is also true that in case of impossibility, no obligation binds. There is nothing in Catholic teaching that says we cannot plan for a morally good or neutral activity even if it’s foreseen that Mass will be impossible.

The more burdensome “interpretations” you read on these boards are more likely than not the wrong ones.

 

[Peebo]

Hi,

Long story short, I’m a Protestant. I volunteer aboard a tall ship that frequently takes week-long voyages to different parts of the Chesapeake Bay. I do not know if we have any Catholic crew aboard. If we were to get some Catholic crew members, would they be dispensed from their Sunday obligation if they were on a voyage with us? Attending Mass while on a voyage would big burden to the individual crew member and something that the ship’s Captain might not always be able to accommodate. Our sailing schedule often forces us to sail on Sundays and when we arrive in port we don’t always have the transportation situation because sometimes we dock in small towns without public transit. Often, when we’re in port, we’re limited to whatever amenities that are within walking distance.

So, say, theoretically, if we had a Catholic sailor aboard and the sailing schedule caused them to miss Mass or they were unable to obtain ground transportation to Mass, could they potentially get a dispensation from their Sunday obligation in that case?

As a further note, some of the ports we visit, again, are in small towns, so there might be some situations where a Catholic sailor would not be able to find a parish within a reasonable distance.

Edit:

I am also asking this for myself because I’m interested in going through RCIA. But if I decide not to go through RCIA, at least the information might help other crew members.

Well…to be perfectly frank with you…only a minority of Catholics attend mass regularly…so the chances of you getting one who is truly committed to his or her Sunday obligation is probably not that big a problem…as far as that goes…good luck with your RCIA…converts often make the most committed Catholics…

 

[steve_b]

You guys are like the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ day. So many rules to follow, what is it St. Peter who said that in Acts? Thus they wrote a simple letter for how Gentile Christians should live; and now 2,000 years later you need a dispensation to miss Mass. How ridiculous. God isn’t sitting up in heaven keeping tabs on who missed Mass and such. We all should want to go to Mass. I do every day if I can; but I have to tell you these rules the Church yokes us with are impossible to follow.

After you read this, tell me who created “the rule” being given, in “Hebrews”

#25

jas:

Every single one of us fail and sin probably daily according to the Church. Sure the rules are there to make us strive to better our lives but to sit here and say if we do this we need to do this to make it okay etc, is just unbelievable, comical almost. Go out to sea. You’ll probably sin out there as well. We all would. Go to confession when you get back if it is weighing on you. It’s as simple as that. God people on this site acting like everything needs a procedure. Most priests wouldn’t even act so crazy about these rules.

With respect to what you said,

How would you unpack the following, in light of explaining this to someone who might not know this passage is sitting there in scripture?

1Jn 5: 16 If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God*(“1jn5 RSVCE - Faith Conquers the World - Every one - Bible Gateway”)] will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal."*

 

[jas84173]

After you read this, tell me who created “the rule” being given, in “Hebrews”

#25

With respect to what you said,

How would you unpack the following, in light of explaining this to someone who might not know this passage is sitting there in scripture?

1Jn 5: 16 If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God*(“1jn5 RSVCE - Faith Conquers the World - Every one - Bible Gateway”)*] will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal."

‘It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”
Acts 15:28‭-‬29