So few people going to Confession, why?

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ewohdrol said:
I’m too scared to go. I know it is ridiculous and silly. But I’ve been into church many times with the intention of going but never ended up doing it. I just don’t know what to say.

I’m embarrassed to admit how long it has been.
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I too used to have anxiety over confession and eventually stopped going entirely. You just have to make yourself go and then make yourself go once a month after that. I was so anxious on the day I decided to go back, it was like some people are about public speaking, flying, or going to the dentist (none of which things I have any trouble doing). I got up super early and went to 6 am confession at the downtown Cathedral so I could just get it out of the way and also I was so tired at that hour, since I am not a morning person, that it muffled some of the anxiety due to sheer fatigue. I remember considering drinking a shot of whiskey before going but I think I decided against it because I had to drive there and back.

I would say after I had gone about a dozen times it began to feel more ordinary, but if I’m stressed or didn’t eat or get enough sleep, I will still have anxiety in the confessional. I also tend to cry in confession due to stress, which used to embarrass me, until I realized that many people do that judging by the fact that confessionals often have a box of Kleenex available.
 
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I do think we need to be careful about assuming…we just dont know anothers heart, when they have last been, and when they will next go to confession…I think we need to minitor our own need for confession, pray for others, snd encourage them . I absolutely LOVE confession…its a lifeline for me, a blessing, and I’d love everybody to know what a gift it is…
 
How would an average parishioner know that the priest is available after weekday Mass? How are they supposed to know the priests’ daily schedule?
Maybe it just me, but I feel like by appointment confession is for people who absolutely cannot make it to regular confession hour or for mortal sins only, otherwise someone is going to wonder why not just go to regular confession hour? Beside, the hassle of setting up appointment is too much
 
littlekitten said:
How would an average parishioner know that the priest is available after weekday Mass? How are they supposed to know the priests’ daily schedule?
Maybe it just me, but I feel like by appointment confession is for people who absolutely cannot make it to regular confession hour or for mortal sins only, otherwise someone is going to wonder why not just go to regular confession hour? Beside, the hassle of setting up appointment is too much
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Usually, confession arrangements are printed in the parish bulletin and are posted on the parish website. It will state that confessions are after a certain weekday Mass or by appointment.

I agree with you that making an appointment can be an extra hassle and it’s perhaps more desirable to have the priest just sitting in the confessional at a certain time every week for people to stop in.
But some parishes have a priest who is only around part time and has duties at other parishes too, so he may not have the time to be able to sit every day at one parish for a half hour waiting to see if anyone comes to confession.
 
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My parish has weekly confession hour on Saturday 3pm-4pm and yet some weeks I came and the priest is not there. If the bulletin say confession is available on Saturday 3pm-4pm if you ask the priest beforehand, I would just have to find another parish when I need to go to confession. If Sat 3-4 is a good time for the priest if I have to ask him beforehand, then what is a good time to ask him if he available this Sat?
 
I’m sorry you have trouble with your priest not being there. At the parishes I go to, the priest is always there when scheduled, except in one case there was a wedding going on in the church so confession was cancelled on that day.
 
He is probably out sick, on vacation, has a sudden conflict, etc… But as an average parishioner, I would have no idea. That’s why having a fixed time (or more fixed times) where the priest is always sit there waiting is better
 
I’ve heard almost 200 confessions this week. Not sure about this supposed paucity of penitents. Maybe the people in my locale are more sinful.
 
It’s mostly that we’re just offering a ton of confessions this week.
 
I wish all parishes were like yours! Here it is offered only twice a week, and the lines are so long that many people were going to Confession in another parish. Then that parish cut down their number of times for Confession. Very frustrating! You had to hold your breath and hope that the Father got to you before it was time to close up shop and have Mass.
 
Father, is it true that a priest cannot refuse to hear your confession if you ask him? I read this somewhere once and thought it was so wonderful. But it doesn’t work that way in practice. I gave my parish a week’s notice when I was going in for serious surgery, leaving a message for our pastor. He didn’t come. I asked at the hospital. No one came. This is a serious problem when we can’t receive the sacraments. Can you give me any tips on how to get a response in the future?
 
MaryFrances said:
Father, is it true that a priest cannot refuse to hear your confession if you ask him?
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Not exactly. According to Canon Law, the faithful have a right to the sacraments provided they are properly disposed, not impeded by law, and ask for them in an opportune manner. So the scrupulous person who knocks on my door at 3 AM due to a late night panic attack would be rightfully turned away.
MaryFrances said:
leaving a message for our pastor. He didn’t come. I asked at the hospital. No one came.
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This is very sad. Sick visits should be a high priority for a parish priest. It’s possible that if it wasn’t an emergency it got put off, but even still, at the very least contact should be made. I would probably send a polite message to your pastor and just tell him you would have appreciated a visit when you were in the hospital. Maybe it’ll be the nudge he needs to make that more of a priority.
 
Socrates92 said:
10?!?!? How?
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Our parish has around 14,000 parishioners and we have around 80% Mass attendance. To accommodate everyone we have 10 Masses every Sunday (first one is at 5.30 am and last one at 8.30 pm).
Also on days of obligation apart from Sundays the Sunday Mass schedule is used (so 10 Masses on these days too).
 
Thank you for answering. I don’t have the nerve to write him a note, but that’s my problem. I hope that late-night panic attack was only an illustration and not from personal experience!
 
edward_george1 said:
I’ve heard almost 200 confessions this week. Not sure about this supposed paucity of penitents. Maybe the people in my locale are more sinful.
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Yeah, like I said I know not to go to any of the 3 large penance services being offered within a 10-mile radius this week (and I’m sure there are at least 3-4 more at other churches in the neighborhood that I don’t attend as often) because the parking lots are going to be like a giant fairgrounds festival with everybody trying to go to confession, and the lines will be over an hour long even though they’ll have about 8 to 12 priests at each service.
 
thistle said:
Our parish has around 14,000 parishioners and we have around 80% Mass attendance.
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That’s mindblowing. We have parishes around here with like 3000 families and 5000 famlies and about 6 Masses per weekend at each parish counting Saturday night vigil. But your parish is even bigger and more busy.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
That’s mindblowing. We have parishes around here with like 3000 families and 5000 famlies and about 6 Masses per weekend at each parish counting Saturday night vigil. But your parish is even bigger and more busy.
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Most parishes here are big.
Also apart from my parish Church I can get to another 6 Churches within 10 mins drive from my house.
 
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