Availability of Confessor

[Suudy]

Reading the Ask and Apologist forum, there is recently posted a response by Fr Serpa.

See: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=186971

What I find interesting is his encouragment to “[c]all the priest. Ring his doorbell.” No doubt Fr Serpa is open and available for confession, but in my experience no other priest is. In fact, all the priest at my local parish seems put-out when I try to make appointments outside of normal Sat afternoon.

How many people feel that their parish priest would be open and receptive on a walk-in basis for confessoin?

 

[Sr_Sally]

I have had one priest turn me away, but with suggestions of other parishes that were holding scheduled confession at that time. I admit I knew it was a bad time when I asked. In every other circumstance, the priests at my parish have heard my confession right then, or scheduled something very quickly.

 

[Joannm]

Reading the Ask and Apologist forum, there is recently posted a response by Fr Serpa.

See: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=186971

What I find interesting is his encouragment to “[c]all the priest. Ring his doorbell.” No doubt Fr Serpa is open and available for confession, but in my experience no other priest is. In fact, all the priest at my local parish seems put-out when I try to make appointments outside of normal Sat afternoon.

How many people feel that their parish priest would be open and receptive on a walk-in basis for confessoin?

We have people walk into the office and request confession. Most of the time a priest is available and heeds the request. If one is not immediatly available we leave a message for the priest on duty and usually when he comes back he will call the person back and schedule an appointment for the same day. I usually go to confession by appointment, but then again my confessor is a good friend of mine.

 

[Philothea53]

I still sting at one particular time when I REALLY needed to talk to a Priest. It was something more than that which one would talk about in the confessional. I was told he could see me maybe sometime week after next and that I should call his office phone and leave a voice mail reminder. He said he would call me back when he could see me. I walked away in tears.

Our Priests are never to be found - not in their office, not at the Rectory, only at Mass time and then only the Priest offering Mass. Two of them at least stand in front of the Church to shake hands after Mass - the other doesn’t even do that. But once hand shaking is done - they are outta there!

I am a volunteer weekend receptionist and hear about this Priest or the other being at this or that Parish in another town outside of our own Parish boundaries. I can not understand why they can be available for other Parishes but not their own. (I’ve checked and these are not Parishes without Priests of their own so that can’t be used as a reason.)

 

[ArAnMike]

Next time ask (with charity) the priest to read Matthew 20:27-28

[27] and whoever would be first among you must be your slave;
[28] even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

 

[Joannm]

I still sting at one particular time when I REALLY needed to talk to a Priest. It was something more than that which one would talk about in the confessional. I was told he could see me maybe sometime week after next and that I should call his office phone and leave a voice mail reminder. He said he would call me back when he could see me. I walked away in tears.

Our Priests are never to be found - not in their office, not at the Rectory, only at Mass time and then only the Priest offering Mass. Two of them at least stand in front of the Church to shake hands after Mass - the other doesn’t even do that. But once hand shaking is done - they are outta there!

I am a volunteer weekend receptionist and hear about this Priest or the other being at this or that Parish in another town outside of our own Parish boundaries. I can not understand why they can be available for other Parishes but not their own. (I’ve checked and these are not Parishes without Priests of their own so that can’t be used as a reason.)

Sometimes if a preist in a particular is ill or recovering from surgery or simple needs a day off, priests from neighboring parishes are called upon to help out. I know that our priests go to other parishes to help out when schools are holding penance services for the kids and need extra priests to hear confessions. Also he may have been requested for a funeral in another parish, or is there for a deanery meeting. We are lucky that we have one full time priest and two part time student priests and sometimes visitors so someone is usually available if not immediatly within a few hours. If it is a real emergency they usually can be paged.

 

[Philothea53]

Sometimes if a preist in a particular is ill or recovering from surgery or simple needs a day off, priests from neighboring parishes are called upon to help out. I know that our priests go to other parishes to help out when schools are holding penance services for the kids and need extra priests to hear confessions. Also he may have been requested for a funeral in another parish, or is there for a deanery meeting. We are lucky that we have one full time priest and two part time student priests and sometimes visitors so someone is usually available if not immediatly within a few hours. If it is a real emergency they usually can be paged.

Sure, I recognize the need to share, but all the time? Literally, our Priests are never around. They actually live in a condo around the corner from the Church and might come breezing in, cell phone to ear, to check messages or pick up mail, but then they are outta there!

 

[kage_ar]

Do the math - there are only 168 hours in a week. Figure up what a Priest does, time to say Mass and teach and visit the sick and administer the Parish and meet with this board and that committe, give him time to eat and sleep and for his prayer and spiritual reflection - and you will see that there are very very VERY few spare minutes in his day. Then, divide those up between the number of people in the Parish…

 

[Suudy]

Do the math - there are only 168 hours in a week. Figure up what a Priest does, time to say Mass and teach and visit the sick and administer the Parish and meet with this board and that committe, give him time to eat and sleep and for his prayer and spiritual reflection - and you will see that there are very very VERY few spare minutes in his day. Then, divide those up between the number of people in the Parish…

I certainly do understand all of these issues. And all of this work is important. But how do we reconcile this with Fr Serpa’s suggestion to “[c]all the priest. Ring his doorbell?”

 

[dessert]

I find it difficult too so that is why I am on line here, getting good advice and wisdom from you all.

Hope I am contributing some too.

We have a cluster parishes now so I think we are advised to ask any of them and they are all busy much to do.

I get some good advice from the senior members of the parish but make sure they are the ones that have been in the faith a long time, they have seen it all and lived through much.

Some traditions they have hung on to don’t sweat the small stuff, I even have talked with my friend at Church and she said you know you are going down the same path I did 10 years ago so i said be sure to tell me when the next boulder is coming at me, she said she would.

I would like to confess more often so am considering just going to any priest, there are many in our area about a dozen.

D.

 

[kage_ar]

I certainly do understand all of these issues. And all of this work is important. But how do we reconcile this with Fr Serpa’s suggestion to “[c]all the priest. Ring his doorbell?”

I cannot fathom a Priest refusing to hear confession, if you rang his doorbell in the middle of the night a Priest will hear your Confession.

 

[lak611]

Reading the Ask and Apologist forum, there is recently posted a response by Fr Serpa.

See: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=186971

What I find interesting is his encouragment to “[c]all the priest. Ring his doorbell.” No doubt Fr Serpa is open and available for confession, but in my experience no other priest is. In fact, all the priest at my local parish seems put-out when I try to make appointments outside of normal Sat afternoon.

How many people feel that their parish priest would be open and receptive on a walk-in basis for confessoin?

My priest is receptive. I showed up after Mass was over during the week and asked Father if he would hear my confession. He finished changing in the Sacristy, then heard my confession in the aisle of the church (by then everybody had left).

 

[uwwhitewater84]

Last week, I scheduled an appointment to make a confession with the local priest as I could not make it to the scheduled confession time. He was very welcoming and happy to see me.

Also, I’m new to that church and we probably sat at chatted for about 45 minutes after confession.

 

[bear06]

Reading the Ask and Apologist forum, there is recently posted a response by Fr Serpa.

See: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=186971

What I find interesting is his encouragment to “[c]all the priest. Ring his doorbell.” No doubt Fr Serpa is open and available for confession, but in my experience no other priest is. In fact, all the priest at my local parish seems put-out when I try to make appointments outside of normal Sat afternoon.

How many people feel that their parish priest would be open and receptive on a walk-in basis for confessoin?

Actually, the church I attend would be quite welcoming. There are at least 3 churches in my area which I prefer not to attend that I’m sure would also welcome a walk in. There are those that don’t like to be put out but I think that the majority of them would receive someone who asked them to hear their confession.

 

[LilyM]

Actually, the church I attend would be quite welcoming. There are at least 3 churches in my area which I prefer not to attend that I’m sure would also welcome a walk in. There are those that don’t like to be put out but I think that the majority of them would receive someone who asked them to hear their confession.

Same with the churches around here - a couple of 'em don’t have much scheduled confession time but make clear that confession is also available ‘by appointment’ - and are true to their word.

I saw one priest huddled in a corner of the church with a parishioner 10 minutes before Palm Sunday Mass - which he was scheduled to say - with his stole on. He was almost certainly hearing their confession. Now THAT is a priest with his priorities in order!

 

[Marysann]

When I worked for our parish as the RE assistant, our office was in the church. On occasion someone would come in looking for a priest to here his (it was usually a man!) confession. I knew that they must not be from our parish or they would have known where the parish office was. I would call the rectory, a priest would be there in a flash. Our priests said that it made their day to help someone who really needed to go to confession!

 

[Anne1964]

We have a one priest parish, but our Msgr. is always willing to hear confessions. In fact, when he is away for a few days he often extends the regular confession hours during the week when he returns.

 

[Titus]

I don’t have a CCL quote but I’m pretty sure that confession is the #1 priority of a priest in terms of ordering his time. That is to say he may never cancel confession for another activity.

 

[LilyM]

I don’t have a CCL quote but I’m pretty sure that confession is the #1 priority of a priest in terms of ordering his time. That is to say he may never cancel confession for another activity.

Of course - not even Mass. What good parent with five kids hungry for their dinner would feed them but neglect the sixth who’s sitting there bleeding to death?