Celebrating 95Th Birthday On A Friday In Lent

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

+JMJ

My family is wondering what to do about this. My Auntie Hattie is turning 95 on April 1st (a Friday in Lent) and we are celebrating with her at a European restaurant. I think everyone wants to know if they can have meat (I guess the only options are chicken, pork, or duck) to celebrate or if we need an official dispensation or if something else is in order. Thanks!

[Jaime]

[quote name='FutureNunJMJ' timestamp='1300567169' post='2221774']
+JMJ

My family is wondering what to do about this. My Auntie Hattie is turning 95 on April 1st (a Friday in Lent) and we are celebrating with her at a European restaurant. I think everyone wants to know if they can have meat (I guess the only options are chicken, pork, or duck) to celebrate or if we need an official dispensation or if something else is in order. Thanks!
[/quote]

When I have been in the same situation, I have asked my pastor for dispensation. Often, he'll give it to me and ask me to refrain on a different day (which hardly feels like dispensation but I'm not going to argue with him!)

What I did not know until recent years is that the pastor of your church can give dispensation but not the associate pastor. I had thought it was all priests before. I was corrected.

[cappie]

Just to add to the very good answer, the dispensation can be granted by the parish priest not merely to individual persons but also e.g. to families be they in the parish or away from it, and of visitors to the parish. (called peregrini)