Catholic school stopped offering Reconciliation to kids?

[tombai]

Our Catholic elementary school has stopped offering reconciliation service (confession) for the kids during school. However they still have daily prayer and Mass on Friday–the Parish church is on the school campus.

Shouldn’t the school and church be having reconciliation service for the kids? If not, then why not?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

I wonder if the operative words are “during school.” Is Reconciliation offered before the weekly Mass?

 

[CB_Catholic]

Our Catholic elementary school has stopped offering reconciliation service (confession) for the kids during school. However they still have daily prayer and Mass on Friday–the Parish church is on the school campus.

Shouldn’t the school and church be having reconciliation service for the kids? If not, then why not?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Not usually during school hours. Ours does not. However, they do arrange for Reconciliation for First Communicants. Otherwise they go when it is offered for the parish, unless it’s a retreat or something.

Even when I was a kid in the 50’s Confession was not held during school hours for the children. We all lined up on Saturday morning with the rest of the congregation.

 

[808Catholic]

Our Catholic elementary school has stopped offering reconciliation service (confession) for the kids during school. However they still have daily prayer and Mass on Friday–the Parish church is on the school campus.

Shouldn’t the school and church be having reconciliation service for the kids? If not, then why not?

Thanks for your thoughts.

I’ve observed a disturbing trend in some of the Catholic schools in our Diocese. Though they are clearly historically Catholic, some choose to “market” their school as “private” and downplay the Catholic. Not sure the thinking behind this but the end result is the secularization of some of our Catholic schools so it’s not that surprising you’ve noted Reconciliation being dropped from the regular school day. Separation of education and church so to speak.

 

[Nelka]

When I was at a Catholic senior school in England they would sometimes have a priest visit who would hear confessions and say Mass but always during lunch time.

A holy day of obligation would be a Mass for the school instead of assembly.

 

[coachdennis]

Perhaps a good place to start is to ask for an explanation and reason by the school officials and/or the parish officials.

Always good to ask the source of the decision.

 

[Faith1960]

Not usually during school hours. Ours does not. However, they do arrange for Reconciliation for First Communicants. Otherwise they go when it is offered for the parish, unless it’s a retreat or something.

Even when I was a kid in the 50’s Confession was not held during school hours for the children. We all lined up on Saturday morning with the rest of the congregation.

When I was in school, it was during school hours.

 

[Luz_Maria]

Confessions were offered once a month during school to the grammar school children when I went to school. However, I could not speak the language well enough to go. . . . If it is a Catholic school, in my opinion, it should “act” Catholic. The faith of those children who were not Catholic was respected (they went to the church, but not to Confession, sitting with those Catholic children not going to Confession). The children understood all that. The love of neighbor was instilled so that out of that love, there was respect. The non-Catholic parents who brought their children to that school knew that their children would receive religious instructions with everyone else. We were all together and the only time there was a slight “difference” was at the monthly Confessions – but the children paid no attention to it. There was no school on Holy Days of Obligation.

If I see that the Catholic school is either not behaving “Catholic” or teaching Catholicism, then I would place my child/ren in any other denominational school that stands for its faith and would accept my child/ren and support that school. Then enroll my child/ren in religious ed for the Sacraments. However, I would keep an eye on their faith formation to make sure everything is Kosher .

Happy New Year! May
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LRD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!
Numbers 6:24-26

 

[Sunbreak]

I don’t see any reason why the school has to be responsible for offering Reconciliation. If the parish offers it, the parents are responsible for taking their children. Children are in school to learn, not to confess.

 

[Phemie]

Not usually during school hours. Ours does not. However, they do arrange for Reconciliation for First Communicants. Otherwise they go when it is offered for the parish, unless it’s a retreat or something.

Even when I was a kid in the 50’s Confession was not held during school hours for the children. We all lined up on Saturday morning with the rest of the congregation.

When I was a kid in the 60s we were, for a few years, taken to confessions during school hours - monthly as I recall. That didn’t last beyond grade 4 or 5, then I recall going with my parents to whichever parish they went to on Saturday afternoon – usually combined Confession with a shopping trip to the nearby town.

 

[babochka]

I don’t see any reason why the school has to be responsible for offering Reconciliation. If the parish offers it, the parents are responsible for taking their children. Children are in school to learn, not to confess.

I don’t get this argument. Would you also argue that Catholic school children shouldn’t be attending Mass during the school day? Children are (or should be) in Catholic school so that their learning occurs in an environment in which their religious formation is foremost in the mission of the school. Facilitating prayer and the reception of the sacraments is most certainly within this mission.

I’ve never heard of a school having a penance service for the students, but I think it sounds like a nice idea. I wish more Catholic schools would consider it, especially since many of their parents might not ever go to confession, which might impede the children from getting to the church at the regular times.

 

[Phemie]

I don’t get this argument. Would you also argue that Catholic school children shouldn’t be attending Mass during the school day? Children are (or should be) in Catholic school so that their learning occurs in an environment in which their religious formation is foremost in the mission of the school. Facilitating prayer and the reception of the sacraments is most certainly within this mission.

I’ve never heard of a school having a penance service for the students, but I think it sounds like a nice idea. I wish more Catholic schools would consider it, especially since many of their parents might not ever go to confession, which might impede the children from getting to the church at the regular times.

We never had school Masses, many of us simply attended the regular morning Mass (particularly during Lent and Advent) and then went on to school which was two doors down from the church. Confession may have been scheduled specifically for us but we were taken to the church for it, the priest didn’t come to us.

It should be said that we weren’t specifically a Catholic school. There were two schools at opposite ends of our small village and where you lived determined which one you attended. In ours the students were predominantly French and Catholic; in the other they were predominantly English and non-Catholic. It appears that the County simply let the community decide how each would be run (with a common core curriculum). Our principal was usually a religious Sister, as was one of the other teachers. 6 teachers, teaching 9 grade levels in two different languages (my grade 1 teacher taught grade 1 French, grade 1 English and grade 2 English in the same classroom). The curriculum included Catechism and sacramental preparation which the non-Catholics were not required to take – they were free to do other work during that period.

 

[commenter]

I don’t see any reason why the school has to be responsible for offering Reconciliation. If the parish offers it, the parents are responsible for taking their children. Children are in school to learn, not to confess.

Catholic schools, along with parents and parishes, are responsible for helping form the children. Religion was never intended to be isolated from education. The arrangement of pretending religion does not exist, in public schools is bizarre and unnatural, but sadly many Catholic schools are using public school as their role model.
**
Students “learn” in the sacrament of confession**! When I was in school confession was offered the day before First Friday. When my kids were in school, the parish, which then had 2 priests, didn’t offer it but said it’s better for kids to go with the parents, at the Advent and Lent penance services. But very few children were seen at those services, and anyway, Confession or Reconcilliation is not a family activity. Parents pressed the issue, and finally the school offered it twice a year, during school hours.

My preference is that the sacrament be referred to as Confession. The term “reconciliation” was well intended. But in a culture that has suppressed the whole concept of personal sin, the act of confession and repentance needs to be highlighted.

 

[tombai]

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. I will inquire locally about why reconciliation was dropped, good advice.

I also apologize that I was not clear enough in my original posting: I am referring to the special reconciliation services held before Christmas and Easter, not the regular availability of confession during school hours. I THINK this school used to have a reconciliation service incorporated into their Friday Mass the week before Christmas and Easter, but has discontinued Christmas/Easter reconciliation service at the school, in favor of the parish wide reconciliation service later at night.

Judging by your responses, I expect that it is common to see Catholic schools that do and that do not offer Reconciliation during the school mass. I do not know whether other area parochial schools have Christmas/Easter reconciliation for their students, or for how long this school/parish has not been having reconciliation during school.

This Christmas, a Reconciliation service was offered on one night in this Parish, and on another night of the week in the adjacent Parish, so there were opportunities to attend Reconciliation outside of school. It was nice however having reconciliation service in school for the kids, as attending the parish wide reconciliation on a school night can be difficult–particularly for the younger kids who have homework and early bedtimes. (The teachers did not provide a break in homework on the night of the parish-wide reconciliation service)

Happy New Year Blessings to all.

 

[babochka]

We never had school Masses, many of us simply attended the regular morning Mass (particularly during Lent and Advent) and then went on to school which was two doors down from the church. Confession may have been scheduled specifically for us but we were taken to the church for it, the priest didn’t come to us.

Catholic schools in this area are affiliated with a parish and on the grounds of the parish. The children attend a regular parish Mass, not a special school Mass. It just happens after the regular school day has begun and they attend as a class/school.

High Schools are generally not affiliated with a parish. In my high school (1980’s), we had school Masses periodically, especially on Holy Days. The school chaplain offered Mass in the chapel a couple of times per week, before school as well. He was also available for confession, but I don’t think he had regularly scheduled confession hours. You just had to track him, or the other priest on campus, and ask.

My pastor currently teaches theology at a Catholic High School. He offers Mass twice a week in the school chapel and word has gotten around that you can ask him for confession, too, so he keeps busy during his prep period. A different priest comes in for school-wide Masses.

It should be said that we weren’t specifically a Catholic school. There were two schools at opposite ends of our small village and where you lived determined which one you attended. In ours the students were predominantly French and Catholic; in the other they were predominantly English and non-Catholic. It appears that the County simply let the community decide how each would be run (with a common core curriculum). Our principal was usually a religious Sister, as was one of the other teachers. 6 teachers, teaching 9 grade levels in two different languages (my grade 1 teacher taught grade 1 French, grade 1 English and grade 2 English in the same classroom). The curriculum included Catechism and sacramental preparation which the non-Catholics were not required to take – they were free to do other work during that period.

It is fascinating to learn how differently things work in Canada. Do you still have a similar system, or has it changed since you were in school?

 

[OraLabora]

It is fascinating to learn how differently things work in Canada. Do you still have a similar system, or has it changed since you were in school?

When I was a kid in Quebec, schools were divided along confessional lines, Catholic and Protestant. Ontario was a bit different: Separate (Catholic) and Public (everyone else).

At my school, the parish church was across the street, and any Mass or confessions during the school day were held there. Sometimes we’d also cross the street for special parish events.

Ontario still has the same system but Quebec de-cofessionalized it’s schools in 1997 by constitutional amendment. Quebec school boards are now organized by language, not religion.

Newfoundland and Labrador also deconfessionalized it’s schools. Education is under provincial jurisdiction. Not all provinces had confessional schools. Those that did when joining the federation had that right constitutionally guaranteed, which is why Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador required a constitutional amendment to deconfessionalize their systems.

 

[808Catholic]

I don’t see any reason why the school has to be responsible for offering Reconciliation. If the parish offers it, the parents are responsible for taking their children. Children are in school to learn, not to confess.

There’s a reason that the Catholic Church created school systems in the first place (long ago!): to educate the children and faith is a big part of education. The secular world will try to separate “education” from God and the results are obviously not good. If a “Catholic” school wishes to abandon/ignore the Catholic faith and catechism, that’s their decision but they should move off Catholic property as well and stop using any connotation of Catholicism.

 

[MissRose73]

When my mother and aunt were growing up and went to Catholic schools til they were around 12 or 13 before moving to another part of town and had to attend public schools, there was no confession before the daily school Mass. They had to go on Saturdays and line up like everyone else if they needed to go. When I went to the recent penance with individual confession, I did not see many kids and teens there at all unless they went to a different church’s service or chose to do the private only.

 

[I_trust]

I also apologize that I was not clear enough in my original posting: I am referring to the special reconciliation services held before Christmas and Easter, not the regular availability of confession during school hours. I THINK this school used to have a reconciliation service incorporated into their Friday Mass the week before Christmas and Easter, but has discontinued Christmas/Easter reconciliation service at the school, in favor of the parish wide reconciliation service later at night. .

If they had been performing a reconciliation rite with general absolution they were violating the clear directives of the Vatican. Since you say the reconciliation service occurred during the mass, I can’t imagine individual confessions were heard.

I was under the impression that this Liturgical abuse had stopped. It is not only illicit but in cases of mortal sin, invalid

 

[babochka]

My preference is that the sacrament be referred to as Confession. The term “reconciliation” was well intended. But in a culture that has suppressed the whole concept of personal sin, the act of confession and repentance needs to be highlighted.

I get your point, but I disagree. I almost always call it “Confession”, as do most Catholics colloquially, but the Church calls it Penance or Reconciliation. I really think the term “Reconciliation” is the best term for it, because it does not describe what we do in the sacrament, but what the Church does. We repent, we confess, the Church reconciles us to God and to the Church.