Polish Church Charges Prayers for Parking

A parish in Skórzewo, a town near Poznań in Poland, has found an unconventional fix for the heavy demand on its newly renovated parking lot. Because the lot in the town center draws drivers well beyond the congregation, the parish has started charging a symbolic fee, payable in prayer, according to Katholisch.de.

An hour of parking costs one Our Father. Two hours will run you an Our Father and a Hail Mary. Parking for up to four hours calls for a Marian litany offered for the parish's intentions, while a full day requires a Rosary said for all road users, drivers and pedestrians alike.

Even a quick stop comes with its own small toll: a brief prayer, perhaps for drivers or for road safety, will cover it. The parish has no intention of policing the arrangement or handing out fines, however. It is simply trusting drivers to pay up in good conscience.

As the Catholic news agency KAI reports, the signs posted at the entrance make that point with a wry warning of their own: there are no fines here, but your conscience is always watching.

(mja)