Confession readily available

[annejohno]

my friend and i have noticed that neither her priest nor mine are in the confessional when they say they will be there before Mass, or they are just there right before Mass and any person confessing must rush. We hear complaints about the lack of people going to confessions anymore, but in order to go you must call father up and schedule a private confession and that is just too embarrassing for many people - when they have to lose their anonymity. I think there are more people wanting to go to confession, but father isn’t there.

 

[jpjd]

My guess is that experience has shown him that when he shows up at the stated time, no one comes. So a busy priest may let his other duties overflow into “confession time” (seemingly) without consequence.

However, to be fair to parishoners, if the confession schedule says confessions start at 4:00pm on Saturday, then confessions should start at 4:00pm on Saturday. If the priest doesn’t arrive until 4:30 on a regular basis, then the confession schedule should be changed to 4:30.

You have a valid concern and I think you should bring this up to him (and if not to him, then to the church secretary or parish council, to bring it up to him). He needs to know that the situation needs to be addressed.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

annejohno:

my friend and i have noticed that neither her priest nor mine are in the confessional when they say they will be there before Mass, or they are just there right before Mass and any person confessing must rush. We hear complaints about the lack of people going to confessions anymore, but in order to go you must call father up and schedule a private confession and that is just too embarrassing for many people - when they have to lose their anonymity. I think there are more people wanting to go to confession, but father isn’t there.

Then it’s time to write the Bishop if telling the priest this has not changed anything.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

You can write your bishop a letter, and get others to write a letter. In our diocese, this resulted in the bishop mandating a minimum “in the box” confession availability in the parishes of 90 minutes a week, spread out how the priest and people need it. And the bishop sent out diocese staff to make sure there was complaince.

Our priest was already well beyond the 90 minute mark, and he’s our only priest.

But did you try to talk with Father first? Maybe he’s one of those guys who loses track of time. If my husband was a priest, he’d get lured into “Blind Swordsman” on Saturday afternoon, and forget where he was.

Also, you do not have to go to confession at your home parish. You can go anyplace. So, if there’s another Catholic parish nearby and that parish does better on confession than yours, feel free to avail yourself.