Confession only on Saturdays?

[WingsOfEagles]

Technically you are probably right, Martin. But since no one is allowed to first communion without proper instruction, which will include instruction on sin, confession and actually making a confession, I think the Church assumes that if you have been admitted to first communion, you know about grave sins.

I think the age that 1st communion is first made makes this not the actual case. I had no concept of mortal vs. venial sins until I was an adult. I didn’t even know missing Mass was a sin until my late teens/early 20s. My parents brought us pretty regularly, but didn’t hold this belief. I also recall that 1st Communion occurred before 1st Reconciliation for me, so the concept of sin and receiving wasn’t really there. Granted, how many mortal sins does an 8 year old have?

 

[g_ncl]

I also recall that 1st Communion occurred before 1st Reconciliation for me

I have never heard of this happening. (Unless you were also baptised at the age of 8.)

I think the age that 1st communion is first made makes this not the actual case. I had no concept of mortal vs. venial sins until I was an adult.

Again, I did not think this could happen. I am originally from Eastern Europe, where as a child you would have to attend weekly instruction for 1 or 2 years before you are allowed to make first communion, and you would have a public “exam” in front of the class, all parents and anyone else who wants to come (it would be announced in church) to publicly prove before the faithful that you have the necessary knowledge to receive the Lord. (It would take the form of the priest asking questions and children raising their hands if they know the answer and the one chosen by the priest answering.) So you would at least know that a mortal sin is “willingly, knowingly and in grave matter”, and you would be able to list examples of what constitutes grave matter. Of course your understanding of these things would grow as you mature, but phrases like the above would stick in your mind.

I didn’t even know missing Mass was a sin until my late teens/early 20s.

How is that possible? This would be one of the first things you’d be told in religious instruction. It would also be in the Catechism. Which Catechism did you use?

how many mortal sins does an 8 year old have?

Deliberate and wilful disobedience to parents/teachers? Taking something that’s not yours? Lying? Being uncharitable (e.g. to little brother/sister)? These could all be mortal sins depending on the “willingly/knowingly”. The Church allows 8-year-olds to communion because it reckons that people get to the point where they can distinguish between moral good and bad at the age of 7. From this point you are also capable of committing a mortal sin.

 

[Brendan]

Originally Posted by WingsOfEagles View Post
I also recall that 1st Communion occurred before 1st Reconciliation for me

I have never heard of this happening.

The US had Vatican permission to do that during the 70’s and early 80’s. That permission was revoked and the proper order was codified with the 1983 Code of Canon Law.

So, for awhile it was done the way Wings noted in the US.

I for example, received Holy Communion at age 8, but First Confession was done at age 10.

 

[g_ncl]

The US had Vatican permission to do that during the 70’s and early 80’s.

Thank you for your reply. Apologies, I did not know this.

 

[WingsOfEagles]

I have never heard of this happening. (Unless you were also baptised at the age of 8.)

Again, I did not think this could happen. I am originally from Eastern Europe, where as a child you would have to attend weekly instruction for 1 or 2 years before you are allowed to make first communion, and you would have a public “exam” in front of the class, all parents and anyone else who wants to come (it would be announced in church) to publicly prove before the faithful that you have the necessary knowledge to receive the Lord. (It would take the form of the priest asking questions and children raising their hands if they know the answer and the one chosen by the priest answering.) So you would at least know that a mortal sin is “willingly, knowingly and in grave matter”, and you would be able to list examples of what constitutes grave matter. Of course your understanding of these things would grow as you mature, but phrases like the above would stick in your mind.

How is that possible? This would be one of the first things you’d be told in religious instruction. It would also be in the Catechism. Which Catechism did you use?

Deliberate and wilful disobedience to parents/teachers? Taking something that’s not yours? Lying? Being uncharitable (e.g. to little brother/sister)? These could all be mortal sins depending on the “willingly/knowingly”. The Church allows 8-year-olds to communion because it reckons that people get to the point where they can distinguish between moral good and bad at the age of 7. From this point you are also capable of committing a mortal sin.

Looks like someone already answered for you, but yes, I’m American and it’s the order it was done. Oddly, I must have been in a behind the times parish (out in the boonies) as my 1st Communion would have been in 1995…I’m guessing it was a priest who didn’t want to change his ways. I’m a cradle Catholic, baptized at 3 months. Sadly, I think you will find many of us Americans do not go through a strict program. What Catechism did we use? I don’t think it was a Catechism, but probably a watered down book for kids. It was a 1 year preparation. Most/if not all of the preparation was done with one of our mothers who volunteered to help with Sunday School. I assure you the topic of mortal vs. venial sin was not a very big one. Again the example of murder came up, but other than that our sin discussion would have been a year later after 1st Communion.

A public exam of your Catechism in the USA is virtually unheard of.

 

[tafan]

When I was growing up, 10-15 years ago, the church my family and I attended offered confession before mass on Sunday mornings. I don’t know if that was the exception or if that was common in the U.S. But now I’ve noticed that nearly all churches around me, which there are several because I’m in the Dallas area, only offer confession before the Saturday vigil mass.

My question is is there a reason that weekly confession is held Saturdays over Sundays? I would think more of the people would attend confession if it was on Sundays, as many people work Saturdays or have plans on Saturday nights.

I understand that I could set up an appointment with a priest, but the fact is I’d be more likely to make more confessions if they were held on Sundays before mass…

Thanks

It is a problem. it is Slowly getting better. As my pastor told me once, " if you want people to go to confession more often, you have to be in the confessional." Common sense, I know, but most dont get it.
Anyway, a few of the parishes in the Dallas area are getting much better at making confession more generally available:

St Thomas Aquinas, Tuesday 8:45 to 9:30 am, Thurs. 5-6 PMsaturdy 2:45-3:45
St Patricks : Saturdau 3:00-4:00 pm Thursday 5:00-6:00pm
St Marks (Plano): Wed 6:60pm, Fri 4:30pm,Saturday3:30pm
Good Shepherd (Galand) : M-F 6-7pm, Saturday 4:30pm
St Anne’s (Copell) Saturday after 8am mass, Tuesday 7,
Mary Immaculate (Farmers Branch) Wed 6pm, sat 8:30
St Michael (McKinney) Thursday 6, Sat 3
Santa Clara, - Before each Weekend scheduled mass (and I had heard they went to daily confessions, but could not verify on their website).

I agree, not that many, but an improvement over the last few years.

 

[MissRose73]

Many churches in my diocese only offer Saturday confessions. Some do every Saturday, others only a few a month. Very few offer other days with the exception of Lent where it seems to be more offered to prepare for Easter, and I have checked various websites of those churches in my vicinity to see times available. I know Saturdays are popular days for both weddings and funerals, with funerals generally in the morning & weddings in early afternoon.

I do not feel comfortable calling for an appointment for Confession. I’d much rather stand in line with others and take my turn that way instead.

I’ve gone to a parish that offers EF on Sunday afternoons only, and Confession is offered for about 30 minutes, and about 15 minutes before Mass starts, the priest goes to vest for Mass as this parish hosts various priests for the EF Mass. Another parish that is EF only offers Confession for the same time frames, and the last time I was there about 5-10 people lined up, and all were heard with time to spare for the priest to prepare & vest for Mass.

 

[TCostello]

Our parish offers Confession 30 minutes prior to every Mass offered every day of the week with two Masses celebrated Mon. through Fri., one Mass Saturday morning and two Masses each Sunday. Now, we do have two priests in our parish and we are members of the Traditional Latin Mass (EF). Prior to moving to this parish, all the other Churches we went to only every offered Mass on Saturdays as the OP mentions. I always felt that Confession should be offered on Sundays prior to Mass that way our soul can be spotless when we receive Holy Communion on Sunday. Now, we have this option and it is beautiful.

You can always request a Sunday Confession time from your Pastor and maybe if enough people feel the way you do, he may consider it if he has the another priest to assist.

 

[The_Curt_Jester]

The old pastor at my parish offered confessions before Sunday Mass for 30 minutes. There were three Sunday Masses. Quite often he was the only priest around the whole day. So is it possible for a priest to do this? Sure is. Do many of them offer confessions this much? Hardly.

Want to reserve time for people to get items blessed? After Mass. How about stipends? Drop them off at the office. Want to talk with the priest? After Mass again, or buy him dinner or something.

There are far too many excuses why confession isn’t being offered more frequently.