How often do you go to Confession?

[moira]

I go every few months. And now, not to get off topic, how do you get teenagers to go who don’t seem to care at all and refuse to go with you?

 

[Titus]

moira- as a teenager myself, i suggest that the best strategy is not to get angry or try to force them. talk about what it is like, what the benefits are etc. if they dont want to go, maybe the Church is not for them?

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Christy Beth:

I’m a convert, and make an effort to go monthly. When I was going through RCIA, I had thought about going weekly. The day of our “first confession” I was telling someone this. The priest overheard and said that NO ONE needs to go that often.

Gee, with my confessor’s OK, I go every other week. Monthly, I accumulated too much, needed a written list…and it wasn’t a scrupe list, either. Every week is too much for me.

I think it depends on the person, and how often it is celebrated in one’s parish or one’s area. We are really fortunate in our parish (which is why I am loathe to leave it). We have three scheduled times during the week. Other parishes in the area offer it at least twice a week. There is a big church in Chicago’s Loop that offers it 11 1/2 hours a day, all those priests have nothing better to do than wait on sinners. Wonderful!

And to get teenagers to go- It’s a good idea to have the pastor schedule them their own time and place, even their own pennance service (with individual confesison, of course). Otherwise, try the old :lunch and then we’re going to confession" deal.

 

[dumspirospero]

Anywhere from 1-4 weeks…depending on necessity. I always want to make sure I am in a state of Grace before I am to receive the Most Holy Communion.

 

[catsrus]

As often as I need to go. Which is usually every 6-7 weeks or more often sometimes. Don’t want to forget anything.

 

[socalcarmelite]

For a while I went once a week. But often I did not have too much to say. I find that if I wait more than 3 weeks, I may forget a few things I want to mention. So I think two weeks is good, and then on an as needed basis.

 

[hilde_the_dog]

I have made it a point to go to confession before I read on Sunday. I was of the opinion that if I stood in front of the Church and read the Bible I had aleast have a clean a slate a possible. And that works out to about once a month. When I joined the Church two years ago it was less frequent but over time I really began to enjoy confession esp the time of reflection before, the confession itself, and the act of pennance.

 

[mosher]

I go bi-weekly (not bi-monthly like I said in the other poll) but when I was in the Seminary it was about two or three times a week.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Since March, again with my confessor’s approval, I’ve stepped up to weekly. Again, not a scrupe list (I can deconstruct a sin faster than Derrida a line of type).