Cancelled confessions?

[dulcissima]

40-50 people in line for confession?

I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but statements like this make me a little suspicious, especially if this is an American parish.

Jim

I went to confession last week. There when about 20 people in line when the priest arrived, which was 10 minutes before the scheduled time. A second priest arrived at the scheduled time. If neither had shown up until 10 minutes after the scheduled time, I am sure that there would have been a line of 40 to 50 people, and that is in Southern California.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

This parish has over 4,000 families in it.

It is huge. Plus, it is the week before Easter, so all the Catholics who never confess but once a year, and wait till the last minute, were there.

Yeah so? I grew up and lived in an active Parish with 4000 families. We never had 40-50 people waiting in line for confession, even before Vatican II.

Like I said, I’m skeptical, but that doesn’t make it improbable.
If so, I’m glad to hear about it.

Jim

 

[puzzleannie]

30–40 in line for confession on Saturday afternoon is standard here, at most parishes in the Valley, they start lining up at 3 for 4:00, and if it looks like a crowd and he is home (he has responsibilities elsewhere, too), the priest will come over early, but he still has to come back after 5:00 Mass. a popular shrine and pilgrimage site offers confessions an hour before each Mass, and at busy seasons and Semana Santa is big, 4-5 priests will be on duty. This and right before Christmas are their big times.

 

[jmcrae]

40-50 people in line for confession?

This is quite normal at my parish, even during the summer time.

We had more than 300 present for our Service of Reconciliation with private Confessions, this past week.

I was so glad to hear that Confessions are being scheduled twice a day throughout Holy Week this week, with an hour of Confessions additionally being available during the hour before the Easter Vigil.

PS: Our parish is actually quite tiny - I think we have about 1500 regular Mass attenders in total.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

We had all 4 confessionals going this weekend. In addition, there are two penance services with individual confessions at my parish this week. I checked a couple of other parishes and they are all having penance services and/or confessions this week.

Here is the schedule at one excellent parish in Detroit :

•   			Thursday, April 5: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m; 3:30 p.m. to  					4:30 p.m.

•   			Friday, April 6: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m; 3:30 p.m. to 4:30  					p.m.; 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

•   			Saturday, April 7: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m; 3:30 p.m. to  					4:30 p.m.

 

[m134e5]

Just trying to get a feel for things.

In two of the local parishes that I visited today, confessions were cancelled this week, next week and the week after. (April 14th)

I also recall last Advent confessions were cancelled for 4-5 weeks in many of the local parishes.

Is this becoming common in other places? I will not get to see my priest until tomorrow, but I know he doubles his time in the confessional the week before Easter, not gets rid of it all together.

This is unacceptable. Politely ask the pastor why this is being done. At this time of year, people tend to think about faith more. There should be MORE opportunities for confession- so that those who may have been away from the Church have more opportunities to come back.

 

[BobP123]

This is unacceptable. Politely ask the pastor why this is being done. At this time of year, people tend to think about faith more. There should be MORE opportunities for confession- so that those who may have been away from the Church have more opportunities to come back.

Not to mention every Catholic still being required to make his/her Easter duty.

Confession with communion also present many opportunities for indulgences, even plenary ones, as well. Why wouldn’t a priest offer confessions for his parishioners or anyone else for that matter?

 

[lak611]

Not to mention every Catholic still being required to make his/her Easter duty.

Confession with communion also present many opportunities for indulgences, even plenary ones, as well. Why wouldn’t a priest offer confessions for his parishioners or anyone else for that matter?

Cancelling the confession on April 14 would mean that unless there was confession on April 21 (or some time during the week before or after April 15, Divine Mercy Sunday) that there would be no way to gain the plenary indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday. Plenary Indulgences require confession and communion (on that day or a week before or after) along with prayers for the Pope’s intentions.

 

[dylanschrader]

Not a problem … as long as no one commits any sins for 4-5 weeks … and also everyone went to confession right before those 4-5 weeks began … and also everyone received enough grace outside of the Sacrament of Penance to avoid sin for those 4-5 weeks.

Good luck!