Poland, like many European chapels (Belgium, Switzerland) have Mass and Adoration every night. They pray for priests and they are getting them. Why can't North American priests have more Masses? If they'd have them the people would eventually come. I'm sure Polish/Belgian/Swiss people have just as far to travel to Mass and they seem to manage.
That’d be nice, but have you ever driven around Europe or taken their very nice and efficient trains? The answer is no, they generally don’t have as far to travel. Those of us in the US and Canada are used to geographically huge countries. We generally drive much greater distances unless we are lucky enough to live close to a priory, monastery, convent, or headquarters of a priest. Note, I said “drive” because the US public transportation is truly pathetic compared with Europe. There is public transportation available in some major cities like New York, Boston, sort of, some in LA, San Francisco if it happens to go where you want at the right time. In the US, there is a little more between Boston and Florida, Amtrak mainly. You can get to the built up areas of eastern New Jersey from NYC. Long Island has the LIRR, but once east of western Suffolk County, trains are few and far between. And it’s slow, no high speed trains on the LIRR! Beyond the electric lines, those old diesels dare not speed or they’ll derail.
We also have Greyhound Busses. You can meet many unusual people riding them. Then there’s the problem of getting from the train, bus, or airport to the Mass site. Taxi’s, Uber, Lyft are expensive. Sometimes the person picking up the priest will have a two to three hour drive one way. That’s 4-6 hours behind the wheel. In case you haven’t noticed, the price of gas has gotten outrageous! This is assuming you have a vehicle and can drive, or someone to drive you if you don’t!
From 2005 to 2012, I was able to hear Mass twice a week, four Masses on First Fridays and Saturdays. I took full advantage of it even though I had to make sacrifices like sleeping in my car and going to a 14 hour workday on three hour’s sleep. (Much easier to do when you’re in your 40’s and 50’s than pushing 70!) A few people thought I was a bit crazy. A woman once even scolded me for driving the 80 miles in a snow and ice storm, only to find out the Mass had been cancelled. All wasn’t lost because they fed me supper in the refectory with the staff. She asked me why I did it. I told her, “because there will come a time when there will be no Mass or Sacraments.” That turned out to be prophetic.
From what I’ve seen, most of our traditional priests are amazing. They’ll be woken up at 1:00 AM for a dying person, drive three hours, administer Extreme Unction, drive three hours back, say Mass and give a retreat, no break. Many say multiple Sunday Masses having to fly halfway across the country and back. Remember Fr. Carly? In his 90’s and still driving round trips between Akron and Wheeling. May he RIP. He deserves it. If he’s not in Heaven, may his Purgatory be shortened. Many priests made great sacrifices during the scamdemic.
We all need to pray for more vocations and to appreciate the priests we have.
Topic: Just Wondering… (Read 217 times)