Do a lot of people show up at the penance services at your parish (if yours has any)?

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ssa_trad_cath said:
My parish has Penitential Services, usually one in Advent and one in Lent, usually with one or at most two priests in attendance. There are usually several hundred people at each, from other parishes as well as my own. At the end of the service one of two things happen. Either:

a) We all go up to the priest, tell him “one sin” and then receive absolution, or

b) He gives us General Absolution, in which we all kneel in the pews, the priest extends his hands over us and says the Absolution for everybody at the same time. The prayer he says over us is: “God, the father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church may God now give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you of your sine in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Usually when he gives us Absolution as in (b), there is no individual confession, none of us tells our sins to the priest individually. when we have the other form that I desribe in (a), we all go up in line as though we’re going up to receive Holy Communion, and don’t tell all our sins, we just tell the priest one of them.
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General Absolution is highly illicit in that type of circumstance, and even when it’s given you are still supposed to go confess any mortal sin in a private confession – something that was never mentioned back when we routinely received general absolution for more than a decade in the 90s and early 2000.
 
Phemie said:
Oh, my. My parish of 1500 parishioners sees about 20 at a Penitential Service. It was much higher when General Absolution was offered, but that stopped 10 years ago. Since then the attendance at these services has dropped drastically.
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We have about 5,200 families and our church holds about 1,600. Based on past services, the church is about 2/3 full. We have 12 priests come to hear confessions.

Peace

Tim
 
I remember one at my parish years ago, and there were maybe 40 people. It was a dreary, rainy Advent night, so that probably discouraged some.

I went with my husband a couple of years ago to an “Opportunity for Confession” ( they dont call them penance services here). There were about 6 priests, and they were there for at least 2 hours. Probably 200 or more penitents.

Our own priest has - the last few years - set aside an hour one evening during Lent and Advent to hear confessions - just him, no other priests… The times we have been, business has been steady, but not overwhelming. Maybe 15 or 20 people. I suppose he would stay as long as there are people waiting.

He faithfully hears confessions 4 mornings a week at 6:15 am and every Saturday for 30 minurtes. Rarely is there a wait. When I asked if he had time after Mass one morning to hear mine (cannot get there before), he easily agreed.

But I digress…
 
I am not sure what you would consider “a lot.” We have Reconciliation Services twice a year and they are always well attended. I live in one of the most “unchurched” states in the country so I consider 50 or so people a lot. We all come together for prayer and most, if not all, receive the sacrament individually.🙂
 
In my parish mostly 10 people show up. Its sad. We also have vespers, adoration, and stations through out Lent and only 6 or 8 people show up to any of them.
 
I just wish there would be more emphasis from the pulpit and in bulletins about the necessity of confession. I prefer private without a service, but grew up on the communal ones, and rarely went to private confession.
 
Our parish had a penance service as part of the Lenten mission. The church was slightly less full than it is for Sunday Mass (which is SRO, our new building is being built). We had five priests present (two priests from our parish, the visiting priest who was giving the mission and two other priests from nearby parishes).

There wasn’t anything communal after individual confessions (but there were refreshments in the parish center), so you could leave after your confession/penance was finished.
 
I attend penance services when they’re offered at our church, and in our area. I also go privately to receive reconciliation every month or two. The church near my office has hours for reconciliation 3 or 4 times/week at lunch time and that works very well for my schedule.
 
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