Sunday obligation and difficulty getting to Mass

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Gearoidin

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I have a good friend who recently moved to this area. She and her husband (non-Christain) bought a house, about 700ft up, on top of a small mountain in the city. When they bought the house they enquired about the bus service and was told by the estate agent and the city council that there would be a bus route in place by December. However, the local neighbourhood committee rejected the proposed bus route and now plans have been scraped. She doesn’t drive and it is more than a 1 hour walk down to the nearest Catholic church and more than 1 hour 45 minutes to walk up. They have very little money having just bought a house and her husband is unemployed. A taxi would cost about $40 every week and they can’t afford that.
Her husband drives her to work each morning and picks her up in the evening but very often refuses to get up on a Sunday morning to drive her to Mass. There are only 2 Masses at the local church (7am, 9.30am). When she asked her priest he said “Do you best and get here when it is possible for you.” She asked me if this was correct (he is rather liberal).
She has walked some Sundays but finds herself too exhausted on Monday to properly do her job - she is a teacher and already works 6 days a week. They wouldn’t have bought the hosue if there hadn’t been plans for a bus route and now cannot sell it without making a huge loss, something they can’t afford at present.
What is her Sunday obligation in these circumstances?
Gearoidin
 
I have a good friend who recently moved to this area. She and her husband (non-Christain) bought a house, about 700ft up, on top of a small mountain in the city. When they bought the house they enquired about the bus service and was told by the estate agent and the city council that there would be a bus route in place by December. However, the local neighbourhood committee rejected the proposed bus route and now plans have been scraped. She doesn’t drive and it is more than a 1 hour walk down to the nearest Catholic church and more than 1 hour 45 minutes to walk up. They have very little money having just bought a house and her husband is unemployed. A taxi would cost about $40 every week and they can’t afford that.
Her husband drives her to work each morning and picks her up in the evening but very often refuses to get up on a Sunday morning to drive her to Mass. There are only 2 Masses at the local church (7am, 9.30am). When she asked her priest he said “Do you best and get here when it is possible for you.” She asked me if this was correct (he is rather liberal).
She has walked some Sundays but finds herself too exhausted on Monday to properly do her job - she is a teacher and already works 6 days a week. They wouldn’t have bought the hosue if there hadn’t been plans for a bus route and now cannot sell it without making a huge loss, something they can’t afford at present.
What is her Sunday obligation in these circumstances?
Gearoidin
 
I would say her obligation is is to make her situation known to others at her parish.

Seriously.

This gives others the opportunity to be blessed by God for helping her. Surely there are other parishioners who live close enough nearby that they could afford the extra time it takes to give her a ride once or twice a month, if not more often. If it takes her an hour to walk it ought to take a car about a third of that time, even if the roads are difficult.
 
Her priest gave her good advice-- she is not obligated if she CANNOT go to Mass.

She can inquire if there might be other parishioners who would come get her/take her home. If she can find a ride-- great! Would it be possible for YOU to take her?

If she cannot find a ride, her husband will not take her, and she is not up to the walk physically-- well, then she is not committing a sin by being UNABLE to go to Mass.
 
I think the priest told her right as well. Only that in she has availed herself of every opportunity in getting there. Letting folks know at the parish that she needs a ride should produce one. I’m surprised the priest did not help her with this though. Perhaps she might be able to meet a ride 1/2 way. And how does she get to work?
 
Her priest, liberal or not, nailed it on the head. She is to do the best she can. All of us are obliged to do the best we can in regards to Sunday Mass. Where “the best she can” takes her is obviously up to her imagination and creativity, her pocketbook, and the physical circumstances of literally living on a top of a mountain.

Now, if she is too tired to go and can’t afford a taxi, can she make friends with somebody who has a car and can take her to Mass, at least once in a while? If she feels some strong obligation to repay the person for the kindness, perhaps she could make a lunch or dinner for the person, to be enjoyed with her husband on top of the mountain in their new house after Mass.

Is a bicycle do-able in this situation?

Could she build up her strength, sort of get in training to eventually be able to walk the whole way? It will take time, but over the weeks and possibly months, this could be a solution as well.

In the interim, is there a Mass on TV she could watch? While this does not fulfill the obligaiton to attend Mass, for those who cannot, it offers great spiritual benefit.
 
:confused: Why are there two of the same thread? Perhaps they could be merged.
 
if she can’t get to Mass she has no obligation, but this is a question she asks on her own behalf of her own pastor, not one for which she goes 3rd and 4th hand to strangers for an answer
 
Oh, and of course the most obvious solution is that she learn to drive, get a license, and drive herself. As long as she uses “I don’t drive” as a handicap she will have only herself to blame for being trapped in her own home.
 
1ke said:
Oh, and of course the most obvious solution is that she learn to drive, get a license, and drive herself. As long as she uses “I don’t drive” as a handicap she will have only herself to blame for being trapped in her own home.
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We do not know all the circumstances. Perhaps this person has a medical condition that does not allow her to drive.
 
lak611 said:
We do not know all the circumstances. Perhaps this person has a medical condition that does not allow her to drive.
Click to expand...
Yes, she does have a medical condition and due to it was involved in 2 accidents. She quit driving after that.
Thank you all for your answers. I’ll pass them on to her. The church is is in the city centre and actually doesn’t have parking. People who drive park in a paid parking lot nearby. Because of this, actually very few people drive to this church and most of the parishoners live within walking distance or a short train/bus ride.
Once more thank you all for your assistance.
Gearoidin
 
1ke said:
Her priest gave her good advice-- she is not obligated if she CANNOT go to Mass.

She can inquire if there might be other parishioners who would come get her/take her home. If she can find a ride-- great! Would it be possible for YOU to take her?

.
Click to expand...
I don’t drive either:o . I either ride a bicycle or in summer, take the train. Apparently nobody lives along her route. The priest already checked this out.
Gearoidin
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
Is a bicycle do-able in this situation?

Could she build up her strength, sort of get in training to eventually be able to walk the whole way? It will take time, but over the weeks and possibly months, this could be a solution as well.

In the interim, is there a Mass on TV she could watch? While this does not fulfill the obligaiton to attend Mass, for those who cannot, it offers great spiritual benefit.
Click to expand...
No Mass on TV here. But I’ll suggest TV on the Internet. hadn’t thought of this. A bicycle down is great. Pushing it up hill is terribly hard. I did it once when I visited her and will never do it again. Anway from May-November it is far too hot and humid here for this.
Gearoidin
 
700 feet. Do I have an error in the conversions, or do you mean 0.13 of a mile? This is less than 1.5 city blocks - on a steep grade, correct?

For someone who is severely disabled, this would present a challange. I’m sure her Priest understands her physical limits. Prayers!
 
kage_ar said:
700 feet. Do I have an error in the conversions, or do you mean 0.13 of a mile? This is less than 1.5 city blocks - on a steep grade, correct?

For someone who is severely disabled, this would present a challange. I’m sure her Priest understands her physical limits. Prayers!
Click to expand...
The mountain section is actually very, very steep and the road winds a lot. It’s about 3.5 miles (6km) in total to the church. The mountain section is about 5km. I’ve walked from the university to her house and I’m a bit younger than her and found it tough going. From May onwards we will have temperatures of 35 degrees centigrade + ( 95F+) and around 80% humidity.
She isn’t severly disabled but suffers from a condition that makes driving dangerous.
Gearoidin
 
Gearoidin said:
I don’t drive either:o . I either ride a bicycle or in summer, take the train. Apparently nobody lives along her route. The priest already checked this out.
Gearoidin
Click to expand...
Then she needs to be at peace and follow her priest’s advice.
 
Have her follow the advice of her priest. I would also consider other alternative means of transportation. I am at this juncture forced to tell of an experience I had in Guatemala. This was in the mountains, and the indigenous Indians would walk two days one direction to go to mass and a marked day on Sunday. They would them walk two days back and have two days for the turn around. It made me aware of the esteem some hold for the mass and Eucharist to see them go to this extreme. I can only say, God Bless them and keep them in the palm of his hands for eternity.
Deacon Ed B
 
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