Getting Fr Out of the Sacristy to Hear Confession

[JReducation]

We don’t have a priest at our friary, so we have to walk to the local parish, which is about 3 miles. It is run by another group of Franciscans, but they have a nice arrangement. You may want to bring it up with Father when you ae casually talking about confession. First read this to see if it you think that it will even work in your parish.

At this parish they have seven friars. Three are ordained priests and two are allowed to work in the parish along with three other friars who are not priests. In all five work in the parish. The other priest is a high school principal and the other non clerical friar is a theologian at the seminary.

They have confessions every Sat from 4:00 to 5:00 and mass at 5:00. As soon as mass starts confessions have to come to a stop. The laity knows this. But the two priests are not enough to hear confessions and celebrate the 5:00 mass and be at the community recreation at 5:15. So there are two retired secular priests who live in the neighborhood. They are awesome. They really miss parish life, but they are too old to run a parish.

The parish will “rent” them every weekend. This way the seven masses that they have in the parish are split between the two ordained friars who are allowed to work in the parish and the two secular priests who come to help out for a small stipend. I know that they can use the money, because secular priests get a retirement check and social security and they’re on their own. The Church does not provide for them when they retire, because they are not consecrated men. They are secular men who are priests. We usually refer to them as diocesan, FSSP, SSPX, Maryknoll or Vincentians. These are the most common secular communties. Anyway this arragement is really great for the retired priest. I believe that better than the money they enjoy coming over to the parish to help and the people love them.

I am assuming that your parish is a secular parish, not a religious one. Am I wrong? In this case, it may be a good idea if the pastor check out if there are retired priests living in the area who want to come to help with confessions and masses. Usually, people begin to walk into a church for mass and see others lined up for confession and it begins to trigger their conscience. I have never found that it bothers me one iota if people see me on the confession line. At least I’m there.

When the Franciscans (not my branch of the order) took over this parish they did not have regular confessions because people didn’t show up. When the friars arrived they announced that they would have two friars available every Saturday. I was not there, but I understand that it took some flair from the superior of the house, who is a lay brother. He had a large banner hung over the driveway and it said: CONFESSIONS ONLY IN THE FIRST ROW OF PARKING LOT. If you were not going to confession you had a further parking spot, unless you had a handicapped sticker. I never saw it, but I saw the pictures.

The two friars would sit in the confessional with doors open and a little music box. It was hard to miss them. The don’t need it any longer. Now people arrive early and there are two lines for confession.

Anyway, I thought I would share this with you and you may like some of these ideas and share them with Father or come up with some of your own. Let me know. I’ll pray for you.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[LilyM]

I remember those days - having to interrupt the priest while he is socializing in the sacristy in order to ask him to hear my confession. It was good for humility to have all those present turn and stare at me.

Now I go to the Traditional Mass. The priest is in the confessional before every Mass. There is always time for confession. And when one is saying Mass, the other sits in the confessional up until it is time for Communion. Then he leaves the confessional, aids in the distribution of Holy Communion, and returns to the confessional.

I love my church!

So do I, confessions are held before every Mass and during many as well … and it’s not a Traditional Mass church neither.

And two other neighbouring parishes also have confessions before each Mass except on Sundays, a third excepts Sundays and Mondays. And NONE of them are Traditional Mass churches either

 

[Lorrie]

So do I, confessions are held before every Mass and during many as well … and it’s not a Traditional Mass church neither.

This is my parish as well. The priest will hear confessions for 30 minutes before every Mass (weekend and daily Masses) and the lines are pretty long even during the week.

 

[melinda_s]

in our parish luckily our pastor is always in the confessional for the schedueled time wether anyone is there for confession or not he often takes a catholic newspaper in just in case no one comes

 

[JReducation]

in our parish luckily our pastor is always in the confessional for the schedueled time wether anyone is there for confession or not he often takes a catholic newspaper in just in case no one comes

You reminded me of an awesome priest that I know. He’s one of the best men in he world and an excellent confessor. He always carries a Marvel Comic in his back pocket. Since it’s very hot down here, he can often been seen sitting in the confessional with the door open reading his Marvel until someone comes. He’s a riot.

Now that the Holy See has approved the Liturgy of the Hours on iPod, I think that we will see an increase in secular priests with their iPod phone in the confessional praying the office as they wait.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[JimG]

In our parish there are confessions 30 minutes before the daily afternoon Mass plus one hour on Saturday. If there is a long line, and often there is, the priest will try to come out earlier than 30 minutes prior to Mass.

To paraphrase a line, if the priest is in the confessional, they will come.

 

[FrDavid96]

…
Now that the Holy See has approved the Liturgy of the Hours on iPod, I think that we will see an increase in secular priests with their iPod phone in the confessional praying the office as they wait.
…

I think that one is worthy of a thread in itself! First I heard of it.

 

[JReducation]

I think that one is worthy of a thread in itself! First I heard of it.

I’ll ask my confessor. He uses it. You have to subscribe to it. WARNING: I did not like it, because I prefer a real book.

Fraternally,

\Br. JR, OSF

;

 

[LilyM]

I’ll ask my confessor. He uses it. You have to subscribe to it. WARNING: I did not like it, because I prefer a real book.

Fraternally,

\Br. JR, OSF

I found a podcast Liturgy of the Hours somewhere and tried it for a little while - being Australian it was frustrating, because of course it was done according to the American texts etc etc. If an Aussie version came out I’d probably give it a try.

;

 

[bpbasilphx]

I need to go to Confession today and Fr is always in the sacristy chatting with the readers and altar servers prior to mass. I need to go back there and in front of everyone ask him to come to the confessional to hear my confession. I know I’ll be teased.

---

**Where did you get the idea that you would be teased? Do you think you’re the only one in the world, much less the parish, to come to the priest in the sacristy and ask to have a confession heard?

What if they DID tease you? Would that take a dollar out of your pocket, or shorten your life by an hour?

However, the idea that you mean enough to the people standing around for them to tease you is actually a form of pride.

Grow up! **

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

I need to go to Confession today and Fr is always in the sacristy chatting with the readers and altar servers prior to mass. I need to go back there and in front of everyone ask him to come to the confessional to hear my confession. I know I’ll be teased.

How would you approach this???

Yes, the priest should be in the confessional during the scheduled time. If however, he’s not and you know where he is, just go and ask him. There’s no reason to feel embarassed. I’m not exactly sure why you’d be teased or who would be teasing you. Anyone who would do such a thing, the problem is with them not you.

Too many people on these boards seem to be spoiling for a fight. Lecturing the priest will get you nowhere and will probably just leave bad blood between the two of you. The guy sounds like he’s probably just a little quirky, not the worst thing in the world. yes, he should already be there, but he’s not. Just ask him for confession and he’ll hear it, sounds simple enough to me.

 

[JimG]

Actually, I don’t know of many people who would go looking for the priest if he was not in the confessional at the scheduled time. They would assume he had been delayed by some unforseen circumstance.

 

[Lepanto]

I need to go to Confession today and Fr is always in the sacristy chatting with the readers and altar servers prior to mass. I need to go back there and in front of everyone ask him to come to the confessional to hear my confession. I know I’ll be teased.

How would you approach this???

So much for the penitent’s right to anonymity.

 

[EasterJoy]

So much for the penitent’s right to anonymity.

Why? Let’s face it: everybody can see everybody sitting in line for confession on any given Saturday in any parish with “anonymous” confessionals. If the priest is two minutes late, he can walk by and see the whole line. If somebody wants real anonymity, they have to go to a parish where nobody knows them.

Who would be so stupid as to betray any disapproval of confession in front of a priest? Our pastor is always so pleased whenever anyone asks to go to confession, I can’t imagine what kind of words he’d have for anybody who made fun of it. I think it would be a penance for them to sit through the choice words and the look they’d get, I can say that much! They’d deserve it, too.

 

[JReducation]

Once again, I encourage everyone to take a stept back. We’re not discussing a major infraction on the part of the priest or penitent. It’s a simple matter.

I do agree that every penitent has the right to anonymity. On the other hand, anonymity can rarely be protected unless you go to another parish. I’m remembering the confessional kneelers that we had in novitiate. The priest was on one side and you walked past him to the other side of the screen. The only protection you got was that Father didn’t see your red face.

I believe that it is reasonable to provide for as much anonymity as is humanly possible. But it is never a 100% guarrantee.

We should really rejoice when God gives us the actual grace to seek out confession and the knowledge that there is a priest to absolve us, even if he’s in the sacristy. Let’s not make a big issue about it.

Let’s face it, are all of us where we should be all the time? Parents are not. Students and teachers are not. Don’t we always say this about police officers when we need them?

In this case, the people seem to know where to find him when they need him. It’s like many other places. I taught at the seminary. The seminarians did not have regularly scheduled confession times. When they wanted to confess, they would walk up to a priest on the faculty and asked for confession. They always knew where to find a priest. That’s the most important part.

Sometimes we just have to roll our eyes and keep moving. Life has too much to offer and enjoy that is good and holy. Never pass it up on things that are not conduscive to happiness or holiness to focus on the rought spots. Just stay away from the pot holes.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[NewEnglandPriest]

So much for the penitent’s right to anonymity.

Not sure what you mean. Usually even the old style confessionals are located in church. My parish’s are in the back, but still part of the church. Anyone and their mother can see you enter or leave the confessional.

 

[JimG]

Not sure what you mean. Usually even the old style confessionals are located in church. My parish’s are in the back, but still part of the church. Anyone and their mother can see you enter or leave the confessional.

I think the poster referred to priest/confessor anonymity. That’s the purpose of confessionals. In theory a priest could notice who is waiting in line for confession on his way to the confessional, but in the confessional, he can’t know for sure who is behind the screen.

When our priests come out to enter the confessional and there are people waiting, they do not even look at the people, but proceed straight to the confessional.

 

[YADA]

What are the scheduled times for confession at your parish?

The OP plus most of the other responders act like the priest would be in the confessional upto the moment that Mass begins …

I agree that the priest should be available during posted confession times but at our parish the posted time includes an “end” … as in confessions are from 2:30 to 4:30 on Saturdays … they end one half hour before Mass to allow Father to prepare for Mass [even to chat with those who are serving at the Altar, Ushering, etc].

Now I can imagine that if Father has been available from 2:30 and it is getting close to 4:30 with no penitents arriving - he might leave early … IMHO - it would be bad form to think one could enter the church at 4:20 - last minute so to speak - and find trhe confessional line empty and Father waiting your hurried - late arrival.

When I need to go to confession [and I do - sad to say] I show up at the beginning of the time or shortly after. I do not expect to show up and then expect Father to delay the celebration of Mass for me - keeping Jesus and my fellow Christians waiting. What would you do if you showed up 5 minutes before the end of he scheduled time and there were 2 people in front of you who had been there since the start?

If I needed to go to confession and can’t get to the posted times, I make an appointment - I doublt that my priest would not make himself available … or I go to a nearby parish at their scheduled time … we have a parish within 15 miles that offers confessions everyday @ 11:00 AM - with / multiple priests - it is not necessary to wait until it is preparation time [20 - 30 minutes before the beginning of Mass] to realize you absolutely have to go to confession Is it?

 

[JimG]

You are right, that confessions have both a posted beginning and ending time. For daily confessions before Mass, the ending time is 5:25. Mass begins at 5:30. If it’s close to time to prepare for Mass, Fr. simply asks the last penitent to advise the others in line that no more confessions will be heard.