At the very least it will convince more people that deliberately missing Mass on Sunday is not a grave sin.
PopeWatch: Me Too
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
I find it interesting that we have a three week dispensation from attending Mass but they’ve already cancelled five weeks of Masses including Easter.
We have ties to a “Movement Church.”*
.
I stopped by to drop something off. The door was open, the staff waved at me, and I was able to visit the Nave to listen to the recorded worship music (my eldest son calls it “Jesus Rock”) for a few minutes.
.
Then, prayer book in hand, I went downtown to the Roman Catholic Church. The main door was locked. As was a side door. Sigh. I will try again today and go to the parish office first.
.
I know my own parish in the next town over, which is a very small mission parish, is locked because it is in a sketchy part of town. We have had some break ins. Staff is not usually on site. I am thinking I will call Father to see if he will have the main church (an hour away) unlocked this weekend for private prayer, as I do not think our Byz Rite Bishop has forbidden that kind of gathering.
.
*A “movement church” as I call it are non-mainline Protestant churches (Episcopal, Methodist, etc) that usually play Hillsong or Elevation Worship, Mass Anthem, etc. They have worship bands and are very “into the Holy Spirit.” The one in our town hosts our local Right to Life chapter.
I feel badly about not being able to go to Sunday Mass.
We must employ other prayerful means to Keep Holy The Sabbath Day. Family prayer hour; watch TV Mass; pray the Rosary, read the OT, Epistle, Gospel for that Sunday; etc.
Another issue: our parish expenses don’t go away. If you can, get weekly offerings to the Rectory while this enforced ban on Masses persists.
We started the Divine Mercy Novena a little early this year.
I may go to the Russian Orthodox church in West Chester for Mass. We won’t be able to receive the Eucharist but we can at least worship with a community.