Bad communal penance service idea

[John_Lilburne]

Sorry to sound so dumb… too many words that I have no idea what they mean?..
Is this whole thing something like confession but without actually confession out loud to a Priest but rather, in a service sort of thing as a group (like confession in your head) or is this the thing where they get lots of Priests & everyone still goes into the little room? … still

A penitential service has a group of people. The structure for it is something like:
Song
Greeting by minister
Prayer said by minister
Readings
Minister talks about the readings
Examination of conscience: something being read, people are given time to reflect on it.
Invocations, for example “We have repeatedly broken the promises of our baptism and failed to be your disciples. Look on us, Lord, and have mercy.”
Our Father
Song
Minister says the final prayer and dismisses the people.

It is not a sacrament of penance and need not have a priest as the minister. It has no absolution of sins, like in confession.

Another ceremony is “Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution”. A priest is required. Its structure is:
Song
Greeting
Opening Prayer
Readings
Homily, talk on the readings
Examination of Conscience “the priest, deacon or another minister may help the faithful by brief statements or a kind of litany …”.
General Confession of Sins: “I confess to almighty God …”.
Litany, eg. “Give us the grace of true repentance …”.
Our Father
Prayer by the Priest
Individual confession and absolution “Then the penitents go to the priests designated for individual confession, and confess their sins. …”. At the end the priest says the prayer of absolution “… I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Song, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Proclamation of Praise, singing.
Concluding Prayer of Thanksgiving
Blessing by the priest
Dismissal

Another similar ceremony has General Confession and General Absolution. The person does not tell the priest their individual sins. The priest absolves a group of people with a single prayer. It is only permitted in special circumstances.

 

[slyboots]

1KE said…Some parishes offer these communal penance services during the seasons of Advent and Lent as supplemental confession times since Advent and Lent are penitential seasons. Parishes often invite priest from neighboring parishes to help hear confessions. This is a common occurence in large parishes, and even in our tiny little parish we have communal penance services in Advent and Lent.

We had ours last week. We sang a processional as several priests form the metro area came in. The readings for that day’s mass were read. Father’s homily was short and about repentance. Then he dismissed us to go to line up in various places in the parish to confess to one of the priests. Our organist played meditative music all the rest of the service. I got in line and found myself with Father Levin, an elderly priest and excellent confessor. We sat about 12 ft from where the next person in line was standing. He gave me my penance, absolved me and blessed me on my way. It was just right. I am so glad I went.

 

[contemplative]

But the one described in the opening post sounds like a bomb waiting to go off

I can only imagine the confusion of any young people in attendance. Perhaps next year the feature presentation characters at the advent communal penance service will be Rudolph verses the Abominable Monster.

 

[carol_marie]

Thanks guys! I think I understand now.

 

[palmas85]

The Advent Communal Penance Service will be held today (Sunday, December 17th), in church at 11:30AM. It will be based on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and will feature the 3 Spirits of Advent Past, Present, and Future, and, of course, old Ebenezer Scrooge himself. These 3 Spirits will examine our consciences to see whether we are more like Scrooge or more like Jesus Christ. Our choir will also provide music and singing to accompany this dramatic service. It will conclude with the more traditional Communal Absolution

Certainly communal penance services have reached an all time low. Don’t get me wrong…I love Dickens’ Christmas Carol but somehow I just can’t help this heartache coming on. Give me a couple aspirin and club me in the head. Pray I wake in the morning and forget that I read this in the parish bulletin my DH brought home.

You’ve got to be kidding right:bigyikes: .

Well all is not lost. You still have time to get some relief from this. Call Aliso Viejo, California, talk to Father Fred and see if he can come over with his Barney costume and give everybody a Barney absolution and blessing right after the service is over.

Wait a minute, you guys could make this into a road show of some sort. Imagine, Barney fighting the evils of old Ebineezer. Can’t you imagine the delight on the kids faces when at the end Barney hugs Scrooge and plants a big one right on the kisser .thumbsup:

I smell a holiday hit coming up Quick call Mel Gibson, maybe he’s looking for a new project!!! A Barney Christmas Carol and Communal Penance Rite. It can’t lose:thumbsup:

Thought we had a lost cause there for a second.

 

[axolotl]

Could someone explain to me what you guys are talking about? My parish also has a communal pennance service… I have NO IDEA what that even means?? Am I supposed to go?

What your parish is probably having: you all get together in the church. There’s some Bible reading, prayers, maybe a hymn. All to get you in a reflective and penitential mood. Then you go off to the confessional. You’ll probably have extra priests from neighboring parishes. This is fine.

What contemplative’s church is doing is instead of heading to the confessionals after the “service” the priest will just say you’re all forgiven. This is only supposed to be done in grave circumstances, such as everyone might die before all the confessions could be heard. Soldiers going off to battle, etc.

 

[axolotl]

In a parish I attended in Cleveland, the pastor would fill the place, to the brim and out the door by stating that he could not possibly hear every one of the confession (probably true). He then did an examination of conscience and a general absolution.

People would drive from all over the area to come. It was a loophole used to our advantage. When the priest would always lay it on thick before passing the basket.

I’m not sure but this may be the same thing.

St Mary’s Berea? The new priest has put a stop to it. He’s also having kids make confession befor First Communion, instead of fourth grade. Collections and attendence are down.

 

[scylla]

There are a couple ways that parishes are doing this, some really go off the deep end and just absolve everyone after a short service, which is an abuse as there really is no need to do this if you have a healthy parish with people who actually go to confession. This usually happens in the parishes where sin is poo-poohed.

Then there is the confession services where they gather as many priests as possible and then set up confessionals all around and get lines set up for confession. Before this they usually have an examination of concience time. This is very good as many people these days, being poorly catechised have been led astray by the “spirit of vatican II” which helped people believe that confession is not necessary. This resulted in nonsense like what I described above.
We need to get people back to confession, and sometimes these large gatherings is what is needed to jump start them.

Once you have your parish with a more faithful and active priest then more people go to confession and eventually you don’t need to hold these types of things except for the cafeteria catholics, and not for the main body of the Church.

This will be probably many years before that is common again as we have to recover from the damage of the last 20-30 years, with an authentic interpretation of Vatican II.

In Christ
Scylla

 

[netmilsmom]

St Mary’s Berea? The new priest has put a stop to it. He’s also having kids make confession befor First Communion, instead of fourth grade. Collections and attendence are down.

Oooooo, you’re good!
I loved Fr. Garrity (God Rest his soul) more than words can say but I will tell you, the man pushed the envelope more than I care to imagine.

However, I do have to say that their 9am mass was really traditional. The one thing the good father knew was how to keep everyone happy. (maybe not holy but happy)
The traditional Catholic mass was the 9 and the innovative was the 10:30. (understand I left Cleveland 10 years ago)

The parish picnic always began with mass and traditional prayers. None of the “Jesus come into our Hearts”. Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be like Catholics should. And their St. Patrick’s Day party was the best in the world!

My sister is still there. Collections and attendance are DOWN? One would think that if they wanted less restrictions they would head over to St. Adalbert’s or St. Mary’s of the Falls. Can’t get much “happier” than those! Things go back and forth in that area. When I was young it was an exodus to St. Mary’s from St. A’s. I’m sure it will all work out.
In the end, I think that they’ll get leaner and stronger. That’s what I hear about St. Bart’s.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Palmas85 beat me to the idea of matching up Scrooge and Barney.

While I don’t want to be judgemental of their inner beliefs, I think actions such as these convey a loud message of the celebrant’s belief - minimum faith and maximum ego. God and the Church just don’t know how to create an effective liturgy. It is a call for supercelebrant to save the day.

When I worked for the government we occassionally infuriated the shop by putting the Spec MIL-TDP-4-1 on an order [Make it like the d… Print for once]. I think the Church documents should be Speced DIL-TBL-4-1 [Do it like the Blessed Liturgy for once].

 

[H_Opey]

Oh… my.

I shouldn’t be surprised, this is the New Springtime after all…

Is our “New Springtime” from nut trees or a grape vine tho?

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

…He’s also having kids make confession befor First Communion, instead of fourth grade…

Not to be entirely off-topic, but children are supposed to be offered the opportunity to confess before their First Communion. It’s the other way, making first reconciliation in fourth grade, that’s wrong. If the priest is doing that, he’s got it right.

That said, as long as Barney does not attend the first penance service…Ya know, this may bring attendance up. Barney could even go into the confessional or reconciliation room and “confess”. Afterwards, when they hand out cookies and punch and first confession certificates,each kid could pose with Barney for a photo op for the baby book. Now, if it was fourth graders making first reconciliation, they’d have to have Scrooge for the age-appropriate content.

 

[contemplative]

Barney could even go into the confessional or reconciliation room and “confess”.

Do you really think he could pull his big purple butt all the way into the little confessional? I have noticed that more and more confessionals are super-sized these days…not like those closet sized confessionals we used to slip ourselves into.

 

[palmas85]

Do you really think he could pull his big purple butt all the way into the little confessional? I have noticed that more and more confessionals are super-sized these days…not like those closet sized confessionals we used to slip ourselves into.

Uncharitable uncharitable

Barney most certainly does not have a big purple butt.:tsktsk: .

He has a large, but not unattractive, or even dangerously large, multicolored, although mainly purple, posterior region.

We must remain PC at all times don’t you think??

I trust that you recognize this serious breach of good manners and will henceforth refrain from such scurrilous statements about our reptilian, or are they birds now, I can’t remember,. , friends the dinosaurs.

 

[contemplative]

Barney most certainly does not have a big purple butt.:tsktsk: .

…sorry…

 

[mystified]

I just came from a penetincial service in a neighboring parish…the closest church is not having anyI confessions this week. It was reverent, with a priest presenting an opening with appropriate readings. We recited the Our Father and the Confitior, and then 16 priests were strategically placed near the altar and in the transepts for individual confessions that were available in either English or Spanish.

 

[Holland]

Communal absolution? Didn’t see the mention of that. Is that even permitted?

Yes I know of one Parish in the Diocese of Cleveland that has been doing it for years. The priest has the permission of the Bishop to do it.

 

[katy]

I just came from a penetincial service in a neighboring parish…the closest church is not having any
No confessions at all? How sad, and how inconsiderate. Isn’t this one of the things basic to the priesthood?**

 

[baltobetsy]

No confessions at all? How sad, and how inconsiderate. Isn’t this one of the things basic to the priesthood?

There were 16 priests hearing confessions - look at the post again.

Betsy

 

[shirleytowers]

That a Catholic parish would chose a Dickens short story as a theme for a penance service is incredible. They have the whole bible to pick from and they chose DICKENS?

Maybe next year they can have a different theme, say a “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” motif? The priests could dress a residents of Whoville. They could put antlers on a dog and put it by the door, and someone could dress in a Grinch costume and greet parishoners as they enter. Yeah,. that’s the ticket.