A 'churchbus' to stem the decline in attendance of the faithful at Mass. This is Father's proposal Antonio Rungi, Passionist theologian, archiepiscopal delegate for consecrated life of the diocese of Gaeta and in the past, for many years, engaged in the diocese of Sessa Aurunca, in the province of Caserta.
“The data on the decline in participation in mass by young and old, in addition to the known factors, such as the pandemic, certainly also includes the fact that many people cannot go to church, because they live far from places of worship, very often in the countryside, without personal or family means of transport”, explains the priest on his official Facebook page.
And then she adds: “They do not always find the willingness of their family members to accompany them to the morning, midday or evening celebrations, so many give up and find the solution by following the mass on television. What can be done to meet the needs of so many people who would like to come to church and cannot for the reasons mentioned?
One proposal, along with many others, is to activate a bus or shuttle service for Sunday and holiday mass, run by the parishes themselves and, given that it is a social service, also, possibly, paid for by local authorities”. this is what Father Antonio Rungi proposes, Passionist theologian, archiepiscopal delegate for the consecrated life of the Diocese of Gaeta and engaged in the pastoral and social field at local and interregional level.
"It is about preparing a transportation project for the elderly and for those who do not have transportation so that those who want can attend the most accessible Holy Mass in terms of time in their respective parishes. A shuttle bus between the outskirts and the parish church, since many people justify that they cannot come to Mass because they have no one to accompany them. A service of charity and attention to those who actually find themselves in these needs and which could be called "Parish Mass Bus".
“We hope - concludes Father Rungi - that the parishes that have the possibility can ensure this service after careful investigation and evaluation of the actual needs of the elderly faithful, those with disabilities or those far from inhabited centers. This is something equally useful to do to connect the large centers with the more or less distant sanctuaries not served by public transport.
With the planning of the pastoral year that begins with school activities, this initiative should be taken into consideration and where it can actually be started, this shuttle and bus service should be implemented for people who want to participate in the mass and cannot actually do so”.
Article published on 18 August 2023 - 17:20
