This morning I read an article on Catholic Stand: The 18-Minute Mass.
Though I can’t get behind every statment or suggestion in this article, author Kevin Aldrich makes a good point: it’s not that hard to set things up so that the option of daily Mass is open to more Catholics.
It’s something I’d love to see happen around here.
My parish used to have an 11:45 Mass. People from several neighboring parishes (and others from farther afield who worked in the area) would come to this Mass during their lunch breaks.
When the parish merged, we switched to a 9-AM daily Mass time slot–like nearly every other parish in the area.
8 AM – at 2 different parishes
9 AM – at 5 different parishes
We have a total of 7 parishes in a 5-mile radius and everyone’s praying at the exact same time.
Why not spread it out–and publicize it? Why not have Parish A schedule an early-morning Mass (6:30 or 7?) Why not have Parish B take a noon time slot? Why not have Parish C celebrate an evening Mass?
Allowing more options for daily-Mass time slots, it stands to reason, will allow more people the opportunity to attend daily Mass. If neighboring parishes worked together to spread out the Mass times and to get the word out, attendance should increase.
It’s like that line from Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.”