No Confessions on Ash Wednesday?

[tradcathboy]

So today I was looking around online to see times for Ash Wednesday Mass.
One of the main downtown churches which I sometimes stop by for Mass isn’t offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation that day but 5 Masses which probably will only last 20mins (the priest says the Mass so fast you blink and its over).

Of all day’s during Lent why not Ash Wednesday? Does this make any sense to you guys?

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

It does if he’s saying 5 Masses that day. We have Confessions every day and our FSSP priests spend hours hearing confession because of the line ups.

That said, under normal circumstances, there should be confessions heard. IMHO, there need to be more times for confessions throughout the entire year.

 

[coachdennis]

If you are upset by this, contact the priest in this parish directly and express your displeasure or confusion.

If he is alone that day, this may account for it. But you will never know unless you ask him directly.

 

[edward_george]

How do you know the Masses will only last 20 minutes? And consider too what others have said–the priest may be alone that day, and even if he’s not he might be offering at least two or three of those Masses. Priests are people too, and only have so much energy to work with each day. If you really want to go to confession, and can’t make it Ash Wednesday at that parish, either go to a different parish or go on a different day–this is far enough out that you should be able to make plans to do so. And pray for that priest; having worked in a parish I can tell you that having five Masses in a weekend, let alone a single day, can be exhausting. Pray for that priest and that many more men answer the call to the priesthood.

-ACEGC

 

[Joannm]

On Ash Wednesday there are usually extra Masses and/or prayer services at which ashes are distributed. I can see how mass plus distribution of ashes takes only 20 minutes. Usually Ash Wednesday masses are very crowded. If the parish has a school the priests might go there to distribute ashes or have to go help out at a neighboring school. Then there are nursing homes and hospitals where people might want ashes. I work in a parish and I can tell you Ash Wednesday is very busy for the priests.

 

[jmcrae]

So today I was looking around online to see times for Ash Wednesday Mass.
One of the main downtown churches which I sometimes stop by for Mass isn’t offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation that day but 5 Masses which probably will only last 20mins (the priest says the Mass so fast you blink and its over).

Of all day’s during Lent why not Ash Wednesday? Does this make any sense to you guys?

I don’t think there is any rule against it (we have Confessions on Ash Wednesday in our parish) but it might be an issue of what is practical for the priest.

Depending on how many schools he serves, he will likely be out at the schools all day doing Ash Wednesday school liturgies and distributing ashes to the students and teachers, in addition to five Masses in the parish, alongside his ordinarydaily appointments and phone calls.

Keep in mind that he’s also fasting, just like the rest of us - he might be looking at what his energy level will probably be like, as well.

 

[twopekinguys]

So today I was looking around online to see times for Ash Wednesday Mass.
One of the main downtown churches which I sometimes stop by for Mass isn’t offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation that day but 5 Masses which probably will only last 20mins (the priest says the Mass so fast you blink and its over).

Of all day’s during Lent why not Ash Wednesday? Does this make any sense to you guys?

Since you mentioned this church is “downtown”, I am assuming that these masses will be attended primarily by people working “downtown”.

Many people get used to a particular confessor, such as in their home parish.

Also, many of these people may be just lucky enough to hit one of these Masses during shift change or lunch, and not have the extra time.

We have a parish like that in downtown Peoria, they have lots of Masses, during the week, attended by people working downtown, but very few confessions.

 

[YoungTradCath]

Ash Wednesday is an excellent day to offer confessions.

 

[10thCrusader]

It does if he’s saying 5 Masses that day. We have Confessions every day and our FSSP priests spend hours hearing confession because of the line ups.

That said, under normal circumstances, there should be confessions heard. IMHO, there need to be more times for confessions throughout the entire year.

It’s the same with the FSSP priests here too. Apparently, they not only have an apostolate for the TLM, but they seem to have one for hearing confession. People come from all over to confess to them. They even have people walking off the street to make their confession. They’re like the sons of St. John Vianney.

 

[LilyM]

Ash Wednesday is an excellent day to offer confessions.

Because it is one of the busiest? That, though, is the exact same reason why priests will have much less time and energy available to offer it on that day than most other days.

Same logic behind offering confessions on Sundays.

 

[IrishAm]

In old school tradition (and, by “old school,” I mean, oh, maybe beginning with the early Middle Ages) it is my custom to go to confession on Jeudi gras, the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. From a Saint Joseph Catholic Manual dated 1956: "The word Shrovetide means, literally, confession time. It is derived from the word shrive, to absolve, to grant or receive absolution. Shrovetide now denotes usually the three days preceding Ash Wednesday . . . " It quotes Theodolphus, Bishop of Orleans in the 9th century, directing everyone to confession in the week before Ash Wednesday. I gather some religious orders around the world still maintain this custom.

 

[EasterJoy]

Yes, of all days, the day on which the parish is offering five Masses seems like the day when they may not offer confessions. Having said that, this does not mean that none of the priests would agree to hear a confession that you went to the trouble to schedule ahead of time. Have you asked? If they can’t do it that day for anything but the urgent cases, perhaps they’ll have other times to suggest.

 

[Saints_Alive]

I think if I was in need of confession, I wouldn’t be waiting two weeks to go.