'Mercy Bus' draws hundreds of lapsed English Catholics back to active faith

[_Abyssinia]

A “Mercy Bus” offering opportunities for Confession has drawn several hundred people back to the active practice of the faith in the Diocese of Salford, England.

The Mercy Bus, an initiative for the Year of Mercy, parks in a neighborhood of Manchester, or one of the nearby towns, each Saturday. Volunteers offer shoppers gifts of miraculous medals. Priests are available to talk or to hear Confessions. Father Frankie Mulgrew, one of the priests involved in the project, said that the response has “outpassed expectations.”

More than 400 people visited the Mercy Bus during the first two weeks of the program, and priests reported that they had heard many confessions of people who had not been active Catholics, in some cases “for decades.”

catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=27620

 

[Padres1969]

catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=27620

Bringing confession to those that don’t go to confession. It’s a novel idea. If I had to guess why many Catholics don’t go to confession now I’d guess it’s due to many churches (in my experience) only having regular confession available at times like mid afternoon on Saturday. Not the most ideal time to have to run to church for people these days. I’ve often wondered why more Catholic churches don’t offer confession on Sundays particularly before mass. I’d wager more people would attend confession if it were more accessible in that way. But absent that, bringing priests to them during the day on other days of the week is a pretty interesting stop gap.

 

[ChristianDude]

I like this.

 

[Jeanne_S]

Bringing confession to those that don’t go to confession. It’s a novel idea. If I had to guess why many Catholics don’t go to confession now I’d guess it’s due to many churches (in my experience) only having regular confession available at times like mid afternoon on Saturday. Not the most ideal time to have to run to church for people these days. I’ve often wondered why more Catholic churches don’t offer confession on Sundays particularly before mass. I’d wager more people would attend confession if it were more accessible in that way. But absent that, bringing priests to them during the day on other days of the week is a pretty interesting stop gap.

Where I live here in Denver area,one can go to reconciliation,pretty much any day of the week,including Sunday.We have many parishes within a close distance of each other,which makes receiving this Sacrament very user friendly.

 

[LoveMercyGrace]

such a wonderful idea! other posters say reconciliation is available more openly, more hours.

We should all pray the gatekeepers, whoever they are, wherever they are, open the gates!

:angel1: