When is it okay to miss Sunday Mass?

[Desiree_Marie]

Dear Catholic Answers,

My husband and I are involved in several “one time” training events that go over the course of a weekend. Attendance is mandatory for everyone with no exceptions. It goes from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 both Saturday and Sunday. The training is out of town in a large city, so it isn’t easy to drive around looking for a Church, in city traffic.
My husband and I are devout Catholics, so we don’t want to do the wrong thing about missing Mass on Sunday. It seems like different priests say different things. What is the truth according to Church teaching? Our seminar trainer feels like if he makes an exception for us to go to Mass then he will have to make exceptions for others so he has asked us not to leave.

Thanks,
Dez

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

One is excused from Sunday Mass is one is ill or if one must work or for some other reason one just cannot get to Mass. You situation sounds reasonable.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.