Penance Services

[LindaCamp]

are penance services common or only in Big churches? I would like to go to one. Are they offered only at Easter season? If anyone can help me out, thanks!~

 

[DebChris]

Communal penance services are generally offered during Lent and Advent in most churches, both large and small. They may also be offered during group retreats throughout the year.

 

[Phemie]

I wish they were offered more often. I think it would get people going to confession more often. Once a month or every two months would be great.

In my parish there is no regular confession time offered, you have to go tap Fr. on the shoulder before Mass (if he comes in more than 5 minutes ahead of time) or call to schedule which is not something everyone wants to do. The only scheduled confessions we have are the Advent and Lent Penitential services.

 

[YoungTradCath]

What on earth is a penance service?

 

[Phemie]

What on earth is a penance service?

Form two of the Rite of Penance.

Usually goes something like this

• Introductory Rites
• Hymn
• Greeting
• Opening Prayer
• Liturgy of the Word
• Readings
• Homily
• Examination of Conscience
• Liturgy of Reconciliation
• General Confession of Sins (as in "I confess to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters…)
• Individual Confession & Absolution
• Proclamation of God’s Mercy
• Concluding Prayer of Thanksgiving
• Concluding Rite
• Blessing
• Dismissal

 

[Dorothy]

Our parish has that twice a year, and they invite six other priests besides our three, and they are posted in different areas of the church.

 

[YoungTradCath]

Form two of the Rite of Penance.

Usually goes something like this

• Introductory Rites
• Hymn
• Greeting
• Opening Prayer
• Liturgy of the Word
• Readings
• Homily
• Examination of Conscience
• Liturgy of Reconciliation
• General Confession of Sins (as in "I confess to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters…)
• Individual Confession & Absolution
• Proclamation of God’s Mercy
• Concluding Prayer of Thanksgiving
• Concluding Rite
• Blessing
• Dismissal

Oooooh. Phew, I thought this was like one of those “general absolution” things. I’m glad to know that there are private confessions.

 

[SMHW]

are penance services common or only in Big churches? I would like to go to one. Are they offered only at Easter season? If anyone can help me out, thanks!~

As others have mentioned they tend to be held during Advent and during Lent.

They typically involve a group effort by several parishes so that there will be enough priests for individual confessions. (The services will be held at all of the parishes over a course of a few days/weeks and the priests help out at their neighboring parishes.)

As such, such services are likely more common in urban and suburban areas where there are sufficient parishes and priests.

 

[Corki]

One large parish near me has this every Saturday morning. It is much as outlined by Phemie above except that each person leaves after their individual Confession. There is no concluding portion.

 

[asia53]

We’ve stopped having Penance Services at our parish. Even though, Father invites 2 to 3 priests from surrounding parishes, offers several opportunities, increased times for confession—we have people who will wait for a general absolution.

Father M’s first year at our parish was interesting. He refused to give general absolutions. You bet, his next homilies were about the specific circumstances for general absolutions: danger of death, grave necessity.

 

[mburn16]

are general absolutions, outside of those specific circumstances for with they are INTENDED, still valid?

I unintentionally found myself one of the objects of a general absolution very recently - didn’t occur to me that it might have been valid.

 

[SMHW]

We’ve stopped having Penance Services at our parish. Even though, Father invites 2 to 3 priests from surrounding parishes, offers several opportunities, increased times for confession—we have people who will wait for a general absolution.

Father M’s first year at our parish was interesting. He refused to give general absolutions. You bet, his next homilies were about the specific circumstances for general absolutions: danger of death, grave necessity.

I’m confused?

So your parish stopped having Penance services because parishioners would hang around at the end expecting a general absolution?

 

[YoungTradCath]

are general absolutions, outside of those specific circumstances for with they are INTENDED, still valid?

I unintentionally found myself one of the objects of a general absolution very recently - didn’t occur to me that it might have been valid.

I want to say they’re still valid, but extremely illicit. Someone else shed some light?

 

[Dorothy]

I want to say they’re still valid, but extremely illicit. Someone else shed some light?

papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6pastor.htm

 

[asia53]

I’m confused?

So your parish stopped having Penance services because parishioners would hang around at the end expecting a general absolution?

Yep. I’m not talking about 10-20 people, more like, 75-100 people. Then, the all time topper, they gave Father a hard time about general absolution.

During Advent, we have increased opportunites to confess: several days in the week, increased time, and several times during the day.

During Lent, we have parish missions. Four days with an excellent speaker on a good topic–several priests for confession, increased time, and many, many opportunities to confess.

 

[Corki]

papalencyclicals.net/Paul06/p6pastor.htm

It says “not lawful” which would mean illicit but possibly still valid. However, general absolution, even in truly grave cases, always requires an intention to go to individual Confession as soon as possible. If someone attended a Communion service and received general absolution but did not have the proper intent to go to individual Confession as soon as possible, that would cast doubt on the validity of his/her Confession.

It would be valid (but illicit) as to form but not as to intention. A valid Sacrament needs both.

 

[John_Lilburne]

The liturgical book “Rite of Penance” describes a number of ceremonies. One of these is called “Penitential Services” and it does not include the sacrament of confession/reconciliation/penance. Some extracts from Rite of Penance on this ceremony:

“36. Penitential Services are gatherings of the people of God to hear God’s word as an invitation to conversion …”
“after the introductory rites (song, greeting, and opening prayer) one or more biblical readings be chosen with songs, psalms, or periods of silence inserted between them. In the homily …”
37. Care must be taken to ensure that the faithful do not confuse these celebrations with the celebration of the sacrament of penance. …
Penitential services, moreover, are very useful in places where no priest is available to give sacramental absolution." (The Rites Volume One, Liturgical Press, 1990, ISBN: 0-8146-6015-0, pages 541-542).

Other names for ceremonies in this book, used in the chapter headings, are:
Rite of Reconciliation of Individual Penitents.
Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution.
Rite for Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution.

I am fairly sure that the term “Penance Service” is not used.

 

[LindaCamp]

the term is used where I live.

 

[Aramis]

are general absolutions, outside of those specific circumstances for with they are INTENDED, still valid?

I unintentionally found myself one of the objects of a general absolution very recently - didn’t occur to me that it might have been valid.

They are valid, but not licit. And one still needs to confess the sins absolved prior to one’s next being absolved.

 

[Joannm]

They are valid, but not licit. And one still needs to confess the sins absolved prior to one’s next being absolved.

That is true. Even in grave situations that may be life threatening (sinking ship) if the person comes out alive they are still obligated to go confess any mortal sins at the earliest convenience. It’s not like baptism where the slate is just washed clean.