You could ask your priest for a dispensation when you travel.Some of my husbands extended family have moved recently and we are planning to spend some weekends with them. However they don’t live near Catholic Churches and I am not sure what to do to be honest. I don’t see how I am going to be able to spend half the Sunday travelling to a mass when we are only there for a weekend and I am worried about causing trouble. Has anyone else been in this situation?
It’s only permitted to miss if you are very ill, have zero transportation or rely on others for rides. (like if she were a teen or something).I would think that you would be ok to miss mass, seeing as how it’s a certain ways away from where you are but I would consult with your priest about getting a dispensation/his opinion.
There are other reasons to miss Mass as well.It’s only permitted to miss if you are very ill, have zero transportation or rely on others for rides. (like if she were a teen or something).
The priest can give her a dispensation. He’s the one she needs to consult.
TrueThere are other reasons to miss Mass as well.
I wouldn’t even bother to wait for/ask for a dispensation in those cases. It’s simply prudential judgement to not risk your own life or that of others by being on the road in bad weather. Of course the definition of “bad” varies from place to place. A storm that dumps 6 inches of snow in Quebec where I live won’t have the same impact as it would say in Atlanta. We’re used to winter driving and all our cars are equipped with snow tires by law, in winter. But a mega storm like we had in March (which was on a weekday though), which dumped 30 inches in less than two days, is another matter, and for me anyway, ice is always a no-go.True
The priest gave us dispensation to miss mass when road conditions become dangerous due to winter or ice storms, when roads are closed due to the danger.
Oh, that explains why the priest told me I needed to get a dispensation one week looked at me funny when I asked him for one the following week! Different circumstances…I wouldn’t even bother to wait for/ask for a dispensation in those cases. It’s simply prudential judgement to not risk your own life or that of others by being on the road in bad weather. Of course the definition of “bad” varies from place to place. A storm that dumps 6 inches of snow in Quebec where I live won’t have the same impact as it would say in Atlanta. We’re used to winter driving and all our cars are equipped with snow tires by law, in winter. But a mega storm like we had in March (which was on a weekday though), which dumped 30 inches in less than two days, is another matter, and for me anyway, ice is always a no-go.
That said regarding travel, you don’t need a dispensation to travel to an area where Mass isn’t available or if in transit in places (like airports, train stations) where Mass isn’t available. Again prudential judgement is required. We must do our best to recognize the special character of Sunday as a day devoted to God; when traveling I do that with the Liturgy of the Hours which I pray every day.
**Circumstances for a dispensation are those where you can reasonably attend Mass, but have some other event or reason to miss it. **One example in my case was when I was in a fundraiser bike ride for a cancer charity. It was a two day ride (Saturday and Sunday) from Montreal to Quebec City, about 145 km per day (90 miles). I asked for and received a dispensation to participate.