No Triduum Confession

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mark86
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Mark86

Guest
This isn’t really a question or complaint or anything, it just seems to be the way it is. I often have difficulty being able to get to almost any parish’s confession times due to my work hours. My parish had extended opportunities for confession during Lent, but I couldn’t make it to them because of my work times. I did go to another parish though. Unfortunately when it comes to the Triduum, there’s no opportunities available anywhere. The parish I normally go to confession at isn’t having confessions during these days. (I found that out today after waiting there for 45 minutes… oops!)… The parish I attend isn’t having any more confessions either. I called the parish office to schedule any possible appointment and it just wasn’t possible.

I understand it is a busy time and some things just don’t work out in life. All I can say is I’m just disappointed, disappointed mostly in myself for not being continent enough to avoid mortal sin this week despite every effort the Church has made to be amenable. This will be the second year I won’t be able to take communion during holy week. It hurts. I really wanted this to be “the year.” Oh well.
 
You could contact your pastor or any of the other priests in your parish for individual confession, or the priests in neighboring parishes. You may also contact the diocese and see if they have information on any parishes offering confession during this time or get a list of parishes and check out their websites for confession information.
 
I understand your struggle and feel the same way. I DID manage confession a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday. However that is “normal time” for me and it is also when I take the children. Our parish did not have ANY opportunities during Holy week. With my work schedule it is diffficult to go out of my Archdiocese. In fact, the choices for lent have been very slim this entire lenten season. Last year, most churches in the Archdiocese added confession every Wednesday afternoon/evening during lent. This year, the only “special time” added was Friday night the 27th. Now the pastor for my parish did extend his Saturday times by 15 minutes. He also added some time after morning mass. However, nothing period during Holy week. 😦 I also do not want to complain. I just think that this Sacrament is so often ignored and the work load of the few priests is increasing. I love confession on Good Friday. I just do not think it will be possible this year.
 
I agree. I’m a revert and came back to the Curch after a 20 year absence about 15 years ago. It just so happened during Holy Week and I couldn’t get an appointment even for a Confession. Finally Holy Saturday I was desperate and a neighboring pastor said he’d hear it. I know there are fewer priests and they’re overworked this week, but there are alwYs lost sheep and some that need Confession. I think it would help if they had it before Holy Thursdsys Mass and right before the Good Friday liturgy. With Pope Francis emphasizing confession so much, I was hoping they’d be a little more accommodating.

However, the next week is the Feast of Divine Mercy and many parishes will be holding Confessions.
 
Any monasteries you can drive to when off work?

Your diocese should have contacts online for each priest in the dioceses near you, just text a few asking could they schedule a private confession with you
Mark86 said:
This isn’t really a question or complaint or anything, it just seems to be the way it is. I often have difficulty being able to get to almost any parish’s confession times due to my work hours. My parish had extended opportunities for confession during Lent, but I couldn’t make it to them because of my work times. I did go to another parish though. Unfortunately when it comes to the Triduum, there’s no opportunities available anywhere. The parish I normally go to confession at isn’t having confessions during these days. (I found that out today after waiting there for 45 minutes… oops!)… The parish I attend isn’t having any more confessions either. I called the parish office to schedule any possible appointment and it just wasn’t possible.

I understand it is a busy time and some things just don’t work out in life. All I can say is I’m just disappointed, disappointed mostly in myself for not being continent enough to avoid mortal sin this week despite every effort the Church has made to be amenable. This will be the second year I won’t be able to take communion during holy week. It hurts. I really wanted this to be “the year.” Oh well.
Click to expand...
 
My parish is holding confessions on their regular schedule on Holy Thursday, 5:30-6:15pm, Holy Saturday 10-10:45 and 3-3:45, and a special extended period on Good Friday 12-3pm.

It’s a common fallacy based on ambiguity in the old Missal that all sacraments are forbidden during the Triduum. They’re not.
 
Mark86 said:
This isn’t really a question or complaint or anything, it just seems to be the way it is. I often have difficulty being able to get to almost any parish’s confession times due to my work hours. My parish had extended opportunities for confession during Lent, but I couldn’t make it to them because of my work times. I did go to another parish though. Unfortunately when it comes to the Triduum, there’s no opportunities available anywhere. The parish I normally go to confession at isn’t having confessions during these days. (I found that out today after waiting there for 45 minutes… oops!)… The parish I attend isn’t having any more confessions either. I called the parish office to schedule any possible appointment and it just wasn’t possible.

I understand it is a busy time and some things just don’t work out in life. All I can say is I’m just disappointed, disappointed mostly in myself for not being continent enough to avoid mortal sin this week despite every effort the Church has made to be amenable. This will be the second year I won’t be able to take communion during holy week. It hurts. I really wanted this to be “the year.” Oh well.
Click to expand...
Have you committed mortal sin since your last confession, have you not confessed within the last year, or do you just desire to go because it is quite appropriate to do during Lent?

If its the later, you have no fears…if its the second one, I feel you pain, but you’ve had months to get it taken care of…only if its that you are not in a state of grace because of mortal sin would I be overly concerned about it…I bet you would be hard pressed to find a priest who would refuse you, if you sought him out, no matter how busy the season.

Peace and all good!
 
Elizium23 said:
My parish is holding confessions on their regular schedule on Holy Thursday, 5:30-6:15pm, Holy Saturday 10-10:45 and 3-3:45, and a special extended period on Good Friday 12-3pm.

It’s a common fallacy based on ambiguity in the old Missal that all sacraments are forbidden during the Triduum. They’re not.
Click to expand...
How fortunate you are and how enlightened your parish is. Is this true of most of the parishes in your area? What diocease do you live in? What city?

Linus2nd
 
Most parishes I’m familiar with have communal penance services Monday of Tuesday of Holy Week.
 
Vasallus said:
Most parishes I’m familiar with have communal penance services Monday of Tuesday of Holy Week.
Click to expand...
My parish has no “communal penance” services at all. My pastor says that they engender poor confession habits in people, who should be accustomed to going once every 4-6 weeks, not twice a year.
 
Elizium23 said:
My parish has no “communal penance” services at all. My pastor says that they engender poor confession habits in people, who should be accustomed to going once every 4-6 weeks, not twice a year.
Click to expand...
Your pastor is free to run his parish any way he sees fit. My opinion is that some Confession is better than no Confession.
 
Go see a Priest.

Confessions need not be at scheduled times.

And when there is mortal sin involved - there is no question of a Priest hearing your confession…just go see him.

In my Parish we also have confession on Good Friday.

Cathedrals have confession often…as do Shrines…

Such though is referring to scheduled confession.

Confessions need not be at scheduled times.

If we should fall into sin let us remember Jesus of Nazareth: The Lamb and the Good Shepherd (and let us think of such even daily…)

“Jesus is called the Lamb: He is the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Someone might think: but how can a lamb, which is so weak, a weak little lamb, how can it take away so many sins, so much wickedness? With Love. With his meekness. Jesus never ceased being a lamb: meek, good, full of love, close to the little ones, close to the poor. He was there, among the people, healing everyone, teaching, praying. Jesus, so weak, like a lamb. However, he had the strength to take all our sins upon himself, all of them. “But, Father, you don’t know my life: I have a sin that…, I can’t even carry it with a truck…”. Many times, when we examine our conscience, we find some there that are truly bad! But he carries them. He came for this: to forgive, to make peace in the world, but first in the heart. Perhaps each one of us feels troubled in his heart, perhaps he experiences darkness in his heart, perhaps he feels a little sad over a fault… He has come to take away all of this, He gives us peace, he forgives everything. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away sin”: he takes away sin, it’s root and all! This is salvation Jesus brings about by his love and his meekness. And in listening to what John the Baptist says, who bears witness to Jesus as the Saviour, our confidence in Jesus should grow. Many times we trust a doctor: it is good, because the doctor is there to cure us; we trust in a person: brothers and sisters can help us. It is good to have this human trust among ourselves. But we forget about trust in the Lord: this is the key to success in life. Trust in the Lord, let us trust in the Lord! “Lord, look at my life: I’m in the dark, I have this struggle, I have this sin…”; everything we have: “Look at this: I trust in you!”. And this is a risk we must take: to trust in Him, and He never disappoints.”

~Pope Francis

vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/homilies/2014/documents/papa-francesco_20140119_omelia-parrocchia-sacro-cuore-gesu_en.html

"Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” who goes in search of lost sheep, who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7; Jn 10:2-4, 11-18). He is the way, the right path that leads us to life (cf. Jn 14:6), the light that illuminates the dark valley and overcomes all our fears (cf. Jn 1:9; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46).

He is the generous host who welcomes us and rescues us from our enemies, preparing for us the table of his body and his blood (cf. Mt 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25); Lk 22:19-20) and the definitive table of the messianic banquet in Heaven (cf. Lk 14:15ff; Rev 3:20; 19:9). He is the Royal Shepherd, king in docility and in forgiveness, enthroned on the glorious wood of the cross (cf. Jn 3:13-15; 12:32; 17:4-5)."

~Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20111005_en.html
 
Neofight said:
If its the later, you have no fears…if its the second one, I feel you pain, but you’ve had months to get it taken care of…only if its that you are not in a state of grace because of mortal sin would I be overly concerned about it…I bet you would be hard pressed to find a priest who would refuse you, if you sought him out, no matter how busy the season.!
Click to expand...
I’m not sure how else I would “seek out” a priest other than what I normally do. I do know what it means to have to schedule individual confessions during off hours or impromptu meet with a priest after mass, because I do these things all the time. The problem is, there isn’t even any off-hour confessions this week and no times I can impromptu meet.

Yes I have called my priest directly but he wasn’t available. Yes I have checked the other parish bulletins for this week and none are holding times for confession. No, I haven’t tried to individually contact every other parish priest within a reasonable geographical radius to try to get a taker… that’s about all I could do at this point it seems, but that seems to me to be a bit much. I don’t know.

My last confession was a week ago, so it’s not an issue of “putting it off to the last minute.” I tend to have to go every couple days due to mortal sin (yes, I have a problem with addiction). It’s simply a case of there not being any opportunities this week like there usually would be… otherwise I would be taking advantage of them any way I can, as I usually have to do.
 
I really feel for you as I had the same problem, and yes I was in mortal sin because I hadn’t Confessed for 20 years! My advice is go to tonight’s Mass or Good Friday devotions and nab the priest after and tell him of your situation. Lots of times there’s people at the rectories like secretaries that seem to monitor the calls. That way, I think you may have a better chance. If you can, get there a little earlier and tell the priest. I’ll keep you in my prayers!
 
I don’t think asking other parishes if their priests are available for confession would be excessive. It is an important sacrament. I can understand the need to go more regularly than other people. I do too due to the habits of sin I have picked up. Confession is a necessary sacrament to help defeat sin. I don’t think any priest would be mad at you for asking. They might have a lot on their plates and have no time but if that is the case they should be able to direct you to someone else or take some time to listen to you.
 
Mark86 said:
I tend to have to go every couple days due to mortal sin (yes, I have a problem with addiction). It’s simply a case of there not being any opportunities this week like there usually would be… otherwise I would be taking advantage of them any way I can, as I usually have to do.
Click to expand...
A few points:

(1) Not being able to receive Communion is painful, and I’m sincerely very sorry that there are difficulties that are present in your life. I also want to applaud you for being courageous enough to do the right thing anyway. Blessed be God for the graces He’s given you to strengthen you, and to go to Confession frequently. Blessed be God that, in your sin, He continues to give you the gift of faith.

(2) Perhaps it’s so that you committed certain sins because you reminded yourself that you can simply go to Confession, as you normally do; perhaps that fact was the turning point during your temptations; and perhaps this is a major weakness in your attempts to, by God’s grace, resist all of this.

Many options for Confession can, in a sense, reduce our attempts to not sin because it offends God. When we *want *to sin, when we greatly desire it, when we only resist because we know we shouldn’t and when there’s an easy way out for us, then temptations are so much more effective.

Perhaps it would be good to meditate, during this period, on what it would be like if you rarely had the Rite of Penance available, and how this sort of thing would affect you during your temptations. Also, perhaps it would be good to examine whether this sin is, deep down inside, something more important to indulge in than not offending God, since we know He will forgive us in Confession anyway.

Saying no to these temptations is only ever effective if we say yes to something else.

(3) I would really recommend you pray this Novena to the Holy Souls in Purgatory: ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/Purgatory.htm.

Forgive me, but I’m going to assume the nature of your addiction deals with sins against chastity, since that is so rampant. If so, and if certain materials have consistently been viewed, you undoubtedly need healing of your brain from the effects, since those materials literally cause our brains to be “wired” in a way that interprets certain data towards unchaste ends.

We therefore need healing, or else temptations will always be endlessly more potent; and I have found that praying to the Holy Souls is incredibly, incredibly helpful. Try praying the novena for healing of your mind and for the grace of chastity.
 
Other options would be to contact different religious orders in your area. Their priests would probably be willing to hear your confession. Try to see if there are nursing homes for old priests in your area. That might help as well.
 
Here in Kerry Ireland they had confessions yesterday after the Veneration of the Cross, ie in the cathedral, from 4 pm until 6 pm… there were eight priests there for the Liturgy etc.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top