Need a little support for confession

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whizkid43

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Hi Folks,

This is a really dumb one but I need some help.

I’ve been away from the Church for a long time and have returned.I need to get to confession but am completely and totally stressed out about it.

I finally made it back to church this past Sunday and read the bulletin, the local parish only has reconcilliation for 30 minutes each week. I’d lilely burn through that easily myself after such a long absence.

I called the parish and the local priest is on vacation (with a replacement for thje next 10 days). While this all sounds simple I’m practically hyperventilating…

I know there are shrines near me that have reconciliiation on the Saturdays. Would it be totally inappropriate to go to those after many many many years away from the Church? I’m need to make a plan before I chicken out again.

I want to come home but this is totally stressing me out…

Thanks in advance.
 
Why don’t you make an appointment with the priest who is filling in for the pastor? Do you not feel comfortable with him?

I, personally, would not go to confession without making arrangements with someone because of the time you were away. Not because you are such a big sinner but so that the priest can counsel you, if necessary.

Try to relax and not get too worked up over this. Priests do not usually scream at people anymore.

My brother “came home” a couple of years ago and he is so happy about it. I know you will be also.

Good luck and God bless!
 
make an appointment with the priest. Tell him you need to make a good confession, that you have been away for many years. Then pray, pray to the Holy Spirit, he will give you strength. Your not the first person who hasn’t been to confession in a long time, nor will you be the last. It’s O.K. we promise, God is waiting for you, the saints in heaven are rejoicing for you. God Bless.
 
whizkid43 said:
Hi Folks,

I know there are shrines near me that have reconciliiation on the Saturdays. Would it be totally inappropriate to go to those after many many many years away from the Church? I’m need to make a plan before I chicken out again.

I .
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great idea

or you can make an appointment with the substitute priest, if for no other reason than to take some pressure off

welcome home
 
I know the feeling, having not darkened the door of a confessional for 12 years prior to my reversion.

Best make an appointment first, no matter which priest you end up seeing. It does help the priest to know that it’ll be your first confession in a while. Not only will it help them, but if you make an appointment you’re less likely to chicken out yourself as well.
 
:mad:
whizkid43 said:
Hi Folks,

This is a really dumb one but I need some help.

I’ve been away from the Church for a long time and have returned.I need to get to confession but am completely and totally stressed out about it.

I finally made it back to church this past Sunday and read the bulletin, the local parish only has reconcilliation for 30 minutes each week. I’d lilely burn through that easily myself after such a long absence.

I called the parish and the local priest is on vacation (with a replacement for thje next 10 days). While this all sounds simple I’m practically hyperventilating…

I know there are shrines near me that have reconciliiation on the Saturdays. Would it be totally inappropriate to go to those after many many many years away from the Church? I’m need to make a plan before I chicken out again.

I want to come home but this is totally stressing me out…

Thanks in advance.
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Hi WhizKid43 - I’m in MA too and my priest is on vacation until later this month (sorry, when I read that it just seemed like a weird concidence. Anyway, like other posters have said.by al means call your parish back and see if you can get an appt with the substitute priest or perhaps you can even go to a different parish for this one confession.

Welcome Home! 👍
 
Just remember, this sacrament is one of mercy and forgiveness, not of judgment or condemnation 👍
 
Genesis315 said:
Just remember, this sacrament is one of mercy and forgiveness, not of judgment or condemnation 👍
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Thanks for the support folks. If you read my response in another thread it’ll kind of make sense.

I was told I was kicked out of the Church in the eight grade and never knew the Catholic Church forgave anything… It was only very recently that I even realized it was an option…

Anyway, long story and I prefer to look toward the future. I’m happy I have the option to come home…
 
When a friend of mine had a mean priest chastise her about her abortion and going to hell in confession, I swore I would never go through that. But he isn’t all priests. Fr,.Groechel and Mother Angelica apoligized at times for any mean religious that turned anyone away. Don’t let fear keep you from going.
When EWTN and John Paul ll helped me back home a few Easters ago, it was wonderful. I kept leaving my old church, didn’t feel comfortable walked out of confession line twice, but found a devout church nearby and went there Good Friday. The priest was wonderful and I went back a week later to thank him. The grace I received, slowly over the next week was tremendous! The thirst for knowledge, Christ, mass, etc. It took 2 years to start to fade, but I still ignore any dryness and know God loves me. A woman I talked too that also came home after many years said the angels were dancing in heaven with joy when I came from and it made me cry.
Please go, whether you see one priest, another, or go to another state! Just go…you wont regret it.

a ps here…If God didn’t send me to this wonderful Dominican church I was going to go to NYC to either St. Patrick’s or Fr. Groechel’s order, anything, just not to have the devil make me chicken out again. Just knowing “you won” will feel good too.
 
Hi, whizkid43. Glad to hear you made it back, & welcome home. After your previous post I had to try & find your other post where you explained what happened to you as a kid. What an awful thing for a kid to go through! How would a young kid know anything about who sponsors a walk & what that organization supports. It is really shocking & wrong on many levels. It’s also not a sin to unknowingly support an organization that does evil. Even if you had sinned, to publicly humiliate you & tell you that you’d never get in to heaven is also incorrect & no way to treat a child.

The nuns at my grade school were wonderful, & something like this sounds really unusual. Please know it’s not typical of Catholic nuns, or correct.

The other posters are correct about confession, also. I think it’s common to feel really nervous or uncomfortable, but please force yourself to do it. It feels great after! It can actually be healing, & the graces you receive help you afterwards. Think of it as a way to meet Jesus & have Him heal you. It’s true that the priests (& Jesus) have heard everything, so don’t worry! Frankly, so few people go to confession these days, I think the priests are just happy to have you there and are so kind. Pray for Jesus to help you make a good confesion, & good luck!
 
hi folks,

just wanted to update, still haven’t made it but i’m trying.
  • my parish priest went on vacation (he returns on monday, 2/25).
  • the fill in priest was unavailable due to illness and was admitted to the hospital.
  • planned on call this past fri to at least get the ball rolling for this week and my cell phone was stolen on thur nite (i’m at work during rectory office hours and can’t use work phones for personal use…)
  • interestingly enough just after starting this thread (and thanks to the encouragement of you folks) I was ready and called the rectory to make an appt the next day i drove into work and spun out on the road, not once, not twice but three times. it was icey but still that was unusual.
there appears to be a real road block here; i’m determined to get there but this is really strange.
 
The same thing happened to me…although not the spin-out, but other road blocks. This wonderful priest told me later, when I went back to thank him the following week, that the devil tries VERY hard to keep you from coming, throwing dispair and all kinds of things in your path. Actually that thought kept me going the time I did go and stay…clutching my rosary beads the whole time. Good luck to you…update when you can. After all that, you might even hear the angels singing. : )
 
Not to be pushy, but I hope you were able to make your appt. Update when you can!🙂
 
debraran said:
Not to be pushy, but I hope you were able to make your appt. Update when you can!🙂
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LOL, you’re not being pushy…

I called first thing Monday AM, the parish priest was still not back from vacation, I was told he wouldn’t be available until Wed. I called Wed PM and finally got a hold of him. All I said was I used to attend Church I want to return"… I have an appt tonite after the 6:30 PM mass.

We’ll see what happens… I’m petrified, this is NOT going to be pretty…

I will request a little leniency for persistence,:rolleyes:
 
Whizkid my wife some time back whent to confession for the first time in a couple of years, the priest wondered why it took her so long long and said that they are not ogers (sp) or monsters
 
i recently made a confession after thirty years…it helped that i had previously “talked” to Father about my Catholic history.
i think a confession by appointment is a very good idea!
You won’t regret it!
God Bless and Welcome Home!!
 
I was over 20 years myself…I remember the priest (we were in the chuch)saying nicely, but firmly, “look at the cross…he didn’t do that for nothing…don’t EVER be afraid to come to him again!”
He was right. I said a decade of the rosary for you tonight…hope you feel great afterwords. It took a while for it to sink in for me. All week though I started to thirst for more things. I hope the best for you too. Good Luck and welcome home from me too.
 
well, I’m back, I made it. It hasn’t sunk in. it was 30 years and not very pretty but i made it…

I have a plan to get my 13 yo daughter caught up with sacraments as well…

I can go to communion now… It’s been a long time, I’ll be at the 1st mass on Sunday morning:D
 
I’m so happy for you…it is surreal in a way. Let the graces sink in, keep praying and stay tough. My 15 year olds are making their confirmation this year and I think, (through the hormones) my zeal rubbed off a bit. No one in my family can be a sponsor, since they all broke away, re-married, etc. but it’s okay. I realize prayer and faith is a personal thing and I don’t let it diminish my joy…we all meet God alone. I pray for them though, it’s never too late to come home.
I am so glad that weight is off your shoulders and the devil is SO angry.😉 Thanks for sharing and letting me remember my relief also after many failed attempts. God Bless you and your family.
 
whizkid43 said:
well, I’m back, I made it. It hasn’t sunk in. it was 30 years and not very pretty but i made it…

I have a plan to get my 13 yo daughter caught up with sacraments as well…

I can go to communion now… It’s been a long time, I’ll be at the 1st mass on Sunday morning:D
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WOOHOOOO!!!

:extrahappy: :whacky: :dancing: :juggle: :dancing: :whacky: :extrahappy:
 
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