'Madonna Will be in Control': Italian Priest Offers Believers Free Parking for Prayers

Sometimes even good Christians can't get out of bed to go to a morning church service, inventing numerous excuses to stay at home. Well, the lack of a parking place won't be bothering some of them anymore.

Vincenzo De Mario, a parish priest of the Madonna Del Passo in Avezzano in the Italian region of Abruzzo, announced a new perk to encourage his fellow believers to pray and offered them a small reward for their piety.

De Mario offered free parking to churchgoers, adding that "for those who do not attend, [it] may be an opportunity to reflect".

Eccolo... così potete cambiare foto... è quello originale 😎 PS. Sono di Avezzano 😂 pic.twitter.com/n2DlhBDbdq

— Antonella Montanari (@MoAntonella) September 20, 2019

​The priest also noted that he personally won't be checking if the "fee" is actually paid by non-parishioners, stating that "the Lord and the Madonna will be in control" of that.