How long has it taken for you to book an appointment with your priest for confession?

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melvfe

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Hi all, :pray:t3:

I am thinking of going for confession, but I wonder whether to book an appointment or just to go for the scheduled timings? 🤨

The second option is definitely preferable for me as I wouldn’t need to go through the trouble of fixing an appointment with a priest, but I have some things to discuss with the priest, and I don’t want to hog the queue at the expense of the other parishioners’ souls. 🙂

As for the first option, I had really unpleasant experiences (with another priest of course!) of waiting for 2 to 3 months for the priest to get back to me, after I had sent several texts and even called the church secretary to get him. And then, after the priest finally got back to me, I had to wait for one to two more months before he would give me zero or one day’s notice to meet up. I could not see other priests due to external circumstances. 😒 😠

I’m worried that the new priest would take ages before he agrees to meet me for confession. 😟
 
Some people have their preferred methods of making appointments and answer quicker that way. Some feel it’s more efficient by phone, my usual confessor prefers emails. He answers within the day. He knows what times of the week are most convenient for both of us by now, so he’ll usually propose the nearest one which works for him.
melvfe said:
I’m worried that the new priest would take ages before he agrees to meet me for confession. 😟
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Maybe, next time you see your priest, tell him you’d like to schedule an appointment and how he’d prefer to go about that – on the spot, later by phone or by email, via the parish secretary… ?
 
Thank you so much!

I know the previous priest’s preferred mode of communication (calls/texts), but I think he was being weird. On the one hand, it seemed that he was trying to ignore me for months on end, yet on the other hand, he told me not to see any other priests for confession? 🤔 🤔 🤔 Anyway, I’m not going back to him for confession cos he made me feel physically uncomfortable.

But yes, I will ask the new priest on his preferred communication method. Thanks for the advice!
 
I envy you for having the choice. In our whole Archdiocese it’s by appointment only, except for 8.30 am on Saturday in the Cathedral and at the SSPX chapel where its available for an hour before Mass and two hours afterwards.
 
Well you also have two choices like me 🙂 @Maximian
 
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melvfe said:
but I have some things to discuss with the priest, and I don’t want to hog the queue at the expense of the other parishioners’ souls. 🙂
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You can do both! Most priests will tell you that all they want to know in confession is ‘kind and number’ anyway. Confession is not the time for spiritual direction. But what you can do then is wait until confession is over and speak to him afterwards to set up an appointment.
 
Wow, I’ve never considered this. Thank you so much for your tip!
 
I’m the one who books the appointments for the priest. Except for the times when all Diocese priests are gone on retreat or when a priest is on his annual vacation, the average is 3 business days. It is not uncommon to be able to schedule for the next day.
 
Thanks! I think it depends on the availability and schedule of the priests as well 🙂 Some priests are busier than others, and that’s perfectly fine for me! 😃

But what’s not fine is if the priest tells me that I can only see him for confession, and if he makes me physically uncomfortable. 😦
 
melvfe said:
But what’s not fine is if the priest tells me that I can only see him for confession, and if he makes me physically uncomfortable. 😦
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No I can understand that. Just a thought, though - do you perhaps suffer from scruples, as the usual advice is to stay with one confessor ? Can that be the case?
 
Hi, since this topic is about confession. I would like to encourage you to also attend, confess and accept communion in the feast day of The Divine Mercy. Its truly beneficial for all.
 
Thanks everyone for your comments! The priest has gotten back to me, and I’ll see him for confession later during this month.
 
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