Confession before mass or only on Saturday night

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credoinchristum

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Is there the ability in your parish to make a good confession prier to receiving Christ in the Blessed Sacrament? I think there should be confession before mass so that every one who is intending to receive communion can do so in a state of grace.

However that’s just my thought what’s yours?
 
I agree. My parish only has confession on Sat. evenings before the 5:15 Mass, and “by appointment” (meaning you have to schedule it through the parish office, not just ask Father if he has a minute before Mass). Confessions start at 4 and end at 5, and if there’s only one priest hearing confessions that day (it’s a large parish and we are blessed with more than one priest) many people get turned away at 5 pm who had been standing in line for half an hour or more (I’ve been one of those people, I must say it’s the worst feeling in the world.) I think esp. in larger parishes there should be more than one set time for confessions to be heard, maybe after one of the daily masses during the week or something. Or maybe I’m just greedy :o
 
I didn’t answer the poll because I couldn’t find my answer. At our parish we have confessions on Saturdays and after all masses on the Sunday before the first Friday of each month.
 
I answered yes - before Mass - although that is really incomplete. In my parish we have confessions before each Mass, as well as 8:30 - 4:00 Monday - Friday or (if you can’t get any of those) by appointment. The appointment, if you speak with the priest, can be “as soon as you can get here - I’ll be waiting” or “Tomorrow after 5:00” if you talk to the secretary. You might say our pastor is “big on Confessions”.

John
 
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credoinchristum:
Is there the ability in your parish to make a good confession prier to receiving Christ in the Blessed Sacrament? I think there should be confession before mass so that every one who is intending to receive communion can do so in a state of grace.
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OK, how many average Catholics know they should be free of mortal sin before receiving Communion? Most don’t go to confession twice a year, let alone before Mass. —KCT
 
I could not answer the poll. We have confessions normally scheduled from 5PM to 5:30 PM just before the start of the 5:30 Saturday Vigil Mass. Since we have only one priest, the Mass will not start until he is finished. Any other time must be by appointment.

Prior to Christmas and Easter, our Pastor has scehduled more times. I do think we need more opportunities, and not by using appointments [which entail coming to Rectory and all that.], but our Pastor is burdened by many crosses.
 
I forgot something.

Is there not a restriction on when confessions can be heard on Sunday? When I was in the Navy, our chaplain scheduled confessions prior to the two Sunday Masses, but have only seen this at Missions and at Shrines since then.

Also, what is restriction on Confession during Holy Week? Used to have confessions right up to Holy Saturday morning many years ago. Now, no confessions are scheduled after Wednesday of Holy Week.
 
We have reconciliation Monday- Saturday before morning mass and from 4-5 before Saturday vigil mass. Our priest is also available for reconciliation by appointment.
 
The last couple of times I’ve gone to Confession, the line was longer than the time allotted before Mass. So even though I’d been in line for 45 minutes, Father quit hearing confessions by the time the two people in front of me in line got to have theirs heard. Meaning, of course, I didn’t get my confession heard!! 😦 :mad: 😦 :eek:

And this happened at both prior to the Mass said in English on Saturday nights and the Mass said in Spanish on Sunday nights.

At least, at my parish people are actually going to Confession.

Other parishes in my town, having the same hour before Saturday night Mass available, have maybe one or two people even go to Confession.

The priests at those parishes are so much into putting out that God is so infinitely forgiving that it seems that folks don’t have a sense of sin.

😦

Meantime, I have to be sure to get there right at 4pm (either Sat or Sun) so I can get my confession heard before Father has to stop hearing confessions at 5pm to set up for 5:30pm Mass.
 
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KCT:
OK, how many average Catholics know they should be free of mortal sin before receiving Communion? Most don’t go to confession twice a year, let alone before Mass. —KCT
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Hmmm… we MUST be free of mortal sin before receiving Communion. Not “should.”

😦
 
peace be with you! my parish is amazing! we have confessions every single day, before, during and after each of our daily Masses. we have 4 Masses daily; morning, noon, 2 night Masses at the same time (one in english, one in spanish in our old church building). we have confessions on Saturdays as well. the funny thing is that we have confession so often at every Mass and unless I get to Mass 20 minutes or so early, i likely can’t get in before Communion time so you have to get there early.
 
My parish has confession just before the vigil Mass on Saturday 4:00-4:45ish. for a 5:00 Mass

The church near where I work has a noon Mass that I frequently attend. They officially have confession before noon Mass on Fridays, but Fr. Carl is usually in the confessional just before any of those Masses.
 
Being in a small parish (65 families), the Mystery of Holy Repentance is heard on Mondays between 6 & 6;45 PM, just before our Evening Prayer. Now Father also is having Confession AFTER the Divine Liturgy. I thought about it and it makes sense. If committing mortal sin, you can’t receive the Eucharist, so having Confession after Mass, then you have to wait a whole week to receive it again. (Most people at my church don’t go to Daily Liturgy).
Then if it is an real important, Father will have Confession by appointment, because Father is quite busy too.

BTW: If some of the terms sound strange, I’m Byzantine.

Go with God!
Edwin
 
My current parish has confession from 5:30 - 5:55pm on Saturdays and CLAIMS to also have confession from 6:30 - 6:55pm but every time I ever went there during that time, the confessional was always empty.

My old parish had confessions from 3-5pm on Saturdays and from 7:30 - 8am on weekdays.
 
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dominicsavio:
peace be with you! my parish is amazing! we have confessions every single day, before, during and after each of our daily Masses. we have 4 Masses daily; morning, noon, 2 night Masses at the same time (one in english, one in spanish in our old church building). we have confessions on Saturdays as well. the funny thing is that we have confession so often at every Mass and unless I get to Mass 20 minutes or so early, i likely can’t get in before Communion time so you have to get there early.
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Wow I wish my parish was like that!!!
I know a priest who I can call when I need to confess in a non-scheduled time but I wish it were scheduled more than an hour a week.
 
My parish used to have confession for 45 minutes on Saturday and 45 minutes on days prior to holy days and on holy days. Since we now have a different priest, we only have confession for 15 minutes prior to Mass Saturday night. I guess the priest thinks that people in our parish don’t need confession or he just doesn’t want to do it.

Blondeone
 
My Parish has a Priest available to hear confessions Monday thru Friday from 11:40 AM to the beginning of the 12:10 PM Mass. Confessions are also heard on Saturday from 4:00 - 4:45 PM (just before 5:00 PM Mass) and from 7:00 PM until all are heard. Confessions are not heard before the four Sunday Masses. People should remember that Priests have other responsibilities within their Parish boundaries. My Parish, a Cathedral Church, has one Bishop, one retired Bishop and two Priests available. The Parish has within its boundaries one hospital, one homeless shelter, one soup kitchen, six nursing homes and one prison. Also, the sitting Bishop has responsibilities throughout the Diocese, not just at the Church. I have heard the Priests offer to hear confessions immediately following the 5:00 PM Saturday Mass if people remain in line. That Mass has also begun as late as 5:10 PM because the Priest heard confessions well past 4:45. So we should remember to arrive at the Church for confession as near to the posted beginning time as possible. I often arive 10-15 minutes beforehand if I feel a really strong need to confess. And remember - if you see a lot of people behind you in line - be bold (state your sins without making excuses or beating around the bush), be brief (see be bold) and begone (say your Act of Contrition, accept your Penance, say “Thank you, Father” and leave).
 
**I belong to one of the largest parishes in the Cincinnati area. We have a pastor and an assistant priest. **

**Confessions are scheduled only on Saturdays, for one half hour before Mass. I find it very difficult to go at that time. I would prefer to have confessions before Mass…That little half hour can’t be enough for a parish of 3,000 families… **
Besides, our Reconciliation Room is not sound proof, and confessions can be heard by others, if they listen. This is a real problem for me. I don’t think a lot of people are aware of it, though.
 
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dominicsavio:
peace be with you! my parish is amazing! we have confessions every single day, before, during and after each of our daily Masses. we have 4 Masses daily; morning, noon, 2 night Masses at the same time (one in english, one in spanish in our old church building). we have confessions on Saturdays as well. the funny thing is that we have confession so often at every Mass and unless I get to Mass 20 minutes or so early, i likely can’t get in before Communion time so you have to get there early.
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Amazing…As I have stated in another post, our very large parish offers confession for exactly one half hour each week. Of course, you can make appointments, but most people do not want to do this.
 
My parish has two daily Masses, and four on Sunday. Before every Mass confession is available and there is always someone in line. I think people come from across the diocese to avail themselves of confession there. I don’t think the renewal will come before we take confession out of the proverbial closet and put it front in center of the sacramental life of the Church. Once a week confession for 30 to 45 minutes for the average parish is just plain insufficient. Deemphasizing this beautiful sacrament has deemphasized the truth of sin in Catholic parish life. If people see that confession does not seem to be a priority they will assign it to just things done before VII. This has been a true tragedy that now everyone seems to go to receive communion (despite what state they might be in) and very few avail themselves of confession.

If confession is always available before Mass other people will see the example of those waiting in line to confess their sins. This will help to reinforce their own need to go to confession.

It is so strange in this therapeutic society where people will plop down $50 dollars or more an hour for a psychiatrist or will go on national TV to talk about sinful things they have done, but are afraid to go inside the confessional to admit them.

Bishops and parish priests need to really work to ensure that once again confession is easily available. To quote a move “if you build it they will come.”
 
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