So frustrated - is confession not important?

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MaryHelene

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Our parish is large, I know - but 40 minutes of available confession time a week? Confession is at 4 PM on Saturdays, with Vigil Mass beginning at 5 PM - so Father needs to be out of the confessional by 4:40.

Today, I arrived at 4:10, prepared for confession (which is hard for me - I get really nervous.) To make a long story short, there were about 15 people ahead of me, and Father didn’t have time to hear all the confessions, so he came out and said, “Folks, I’m sorry but I need to begin Mass. Go ahead and accept communion and I will hang out after Mass to hear the rest of the confessions.” There were 6 or 7 of us left hanging.

The problem is, several of us there for Confession were not planning to stay for Vigil Mass (I go to Mass with my family on Sunday mornings, and I was alone today.) So, I went home to my husband and kids and did not have my confession heard. No communion tomorrow, which is not the end of the world, I realize - but ugh. There is no confession on Holy Saturday, so no communion on Easter either.

You’d think during Lent they’d either arrange to have a second priest available to hear confessions, or schedule additional times. It seems like this is not a priority at all - and for him to tell us to go ahead and take communion anyway and see him after Mass?? Is that acceptable?
 
The problem is, with priest shortages, where do you get a 2nd priest to help hear confessions? What about all the stories we hear of empty churches on Sat during confessions? I don’t know about your parish, but sometimes at mine there can be a huge line, or no one at all. This time of year, with Easter next Sunday, it’s not a surprise to have a lot of folks there for saturday confessions.

There’s nothing stopping you from making an appointment sometime during the week to go to confession. My priest is good about even hearing confessions at his home after hours. Make an appointment during the week and go, it sucks having to miss communion tomorrow, but at least you’ll get it in and not have to wait 2 weeks.

And really, if you know that the time is limited, and there may be a demand before Easter, it’s not unrealistic to expect you might not get in today. You can always talk to your priest about the limited Saturday times and see what he has to say. But just because you missed today doesn’t mean you are out of options for confession.

Good luck!
 
Yeah, that’s frustrating. 😦 Isn’t it at all possible to just talk to the priest after Sunday mass tomorrow, or just set up an appointment with a priest within the next couple of days? Priests are very busy people, but it has been my experience that they will do everything they can to help souls back to Christ. 😃 I’d call and ask. 🙂
 
I certainly do not know you but it seems to me that you are a good person…free from serious sin. I wouldn’t worry about Easter communion. Don’t be overly scrupulous. You are good. We are forgiven our sins that are not mortal at mass.
 
Pardon my stupidity if this is wrong, but doesn’t it say somewhere that you can receive communion so long as you intend to go to confession in the very near time frame thereafter?
 
MaryHelene said:
To make a long story short, there were about 15 people ahead of me, and Father didn’t have time to hear all the confessions, so he came out and said, “Folks, I’m sorry but I need to begin Mass. Go ahead and accept communion and I will hang out after Mass to hear the rest of the confessions.” There were 6 or 7 of us left hanging.

The problem is, several of us there for Confession were not planning to stay for Vigil Mass (I go to Mass with my family on Sunday mornings, and I was alone today.)
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This happened to me once. I called dh and asked him if he minded my staying for Mass and confession afterwards. He didn’t mind.
 
KCT said:
This happened to me once. I called dh and asked him if he minded my staying for Mass and confession afterwards. He didn’t mind.
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My husband was not expecting me to be gone for two + hours. Our children are very young.
 
MaryHelene said:
My husband was not expecting me to be gone for two + hours. Our children are very young.
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…and God knows this and loves you…dont worry about it. Confession is not mandatory unless there is serious mortal sin.
 
Lines were long today at my parish too. I see this as a good thing in the long run and while it is frustrating not to be able to take advantage of the sacrament, for me it is incentive to go more often so that I don’t get caught out like the OP.

-Tim-
 
One can also make an appointment. Or go to ones Cathedral or local Monastery or Shrine. Often such have daily confessions.

All depends on where one is and how many Priests are available etc.

My Parish has had them not only on Saturday bu an additional hour each week of Lent and and additional 30 minutes on Friday and a Parish Penance Service and will have for Holy Week an hour a day for 4 of the days.
 
MaryHelene said:
Our parish is large, I know - but 40 minutes of available confession time a week? Confession is at 4 PM on Saturdays, with Vigil Mass beginning at 5 PM - so Father needs to be out of the confessional by 4:40.

Today, I arrived at 4:10, prepared for confession (which is hard for me - I get really nervous.) To make a long story short, there were about 15 people ahead of me, and Father didn’t have time to hear all the confessions, so he came out and said, “Folks, I’m sorry but I need to begin Mass. Go ahead and accept communion and I will hang out after Mass to hear the rest of the confessions.” There were 6 or 7 of us left hanging.

The problem is, several of us there for Confession were not planning to stay for Vigil Mass (I go to Mass with my family on Sunday mornings, and I was alone today.) So, I went home to my husband and kids and did not have my confession heard. No communion tomorrow, which is not the end of the world, I realize - but ugh. There is no confession on Holy Saturday, so no communion on Easter either.

You’d think during Lent they’d either arrange to have a second priest available to hear confessions, or schedule additional times. It seems like this is not a priority at all - and for him to tell us to go ahead and take communion anyway and see him after Mass?? Is that acceptable?
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Acceptable, with an act of perfect contrition, per canon law.

CIC Can. 916
A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.
 
Anna_Claire said:
I certainly do not know you but it seems to me that you are a good person…free from serious sin. I wouldn’t worry about Easter communion. Don’t be overly scrupulous. You are good. We are forgiven our sins that are not mortal at mass.
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Please do not presume to know the condition of another’s soul! :eek: You can see a “good” person and he/she can still have committed mortal sin. Are you seriously advising another person to receive Jesus in a state of known sin??

There is a difference between being scrupulous and truly being in a state of sin!
 
MaryHelene said:
Our parish is large, I know - but 40 minutes of available confession time a week? Confession is at 4 PM on Saturdays, with Vigil Mass beginning at 5 PM - so Father needs to be out of the confessional by 4:40.

Today, I arrived at 4:10, prepared for confession (which is hard for me - I get really nervous.) To make a long story short, there were about 15 people ahead of me, and Father didn’t have time to hear all the confessions, so he came out and said, “Folks, I’m sorry but I need to begin Mass. Go ahead and accept communion and I will hang out after Mass to hear the rest of the confessions.” There were 6 or 7 of us left hanging.

The problem is, several of us there for Confession were not planning to stay for Vigil Mass (I go to Mass with my family on Sunday mornings, and I was alone today.) So, I went home to my husband and kids and did not have my confession heard. No communion tomorrow, which is not the end of the world, I realize - but ugh. There is no confession on Holy Saturday, so no communion on Easter either.

You’d think during Lent they’d either arrange to have a second priest available to hear confessions, or schedule additional times. It seems like this is not a priority at all - and for him to tell us to go ahead and take communion anyway and see him after Mass?? Is that acceptable?
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Is there another parish within driving distance? Barring that possibility, I would definitely make an appointment for a private confession. I hope you can get this taken care of.

As for the priest telling you all to go ahead and take communion, I don’t know if not having enough time to hear confessions qualifies under “grave reasons” to receive communion without absolution, but myself, I wouldn’t want to risk it. It doesn’t sound as if he gave a general absolution really. What if someone had a very serious mortal sin??
 
PeterJohn said:
Are not all mortal sins serious?
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For clarification, there are only two categories venial and mortal (grave). Mortal is called serious in the eastern Catholic canon law.Considering sin from the point of view of its matter, the ideas of death, of radical rupture with God, the supreme good, of deviation from the path that leads to God or interruption of the journey toward him (which are all ways of defining mortal sin) are linked with the idea of the gravity of sin’s objective content. Hence, in the church’s doctrine and pastoral action, grave sin is in practice identified with mortal sin.
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_02121984_reconciliatio-et-paenitentia_en.html
 
Bookcat said:
One can also make an appointment. **Or go to ones Cathedral or local Monastery or Shrine. ** Often such have daily confessions.

All depends on where one is and how many Priests are available etc.

My Parish has had them not only on Saturday bu an additional hour each week of Lent and and additional 30 minutes on Friday and a Parish Penance Service and will have for Holy Week an hour a day for 4 of the days.
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If your Cathedral is within reasonable distance, then I recommend that option. Many Cathedrals have confession twice a day (lunchtime and evening) most days of the week. The times will be published on-line. If you find your diocesan Mass Times schedule you will also be able to find the confession times at nearby parishes. Expect these confessions to have queues, especially during Holy Week, so it’s a good idea to be 10, or even 20, minutes early.

My Friday lunchtime confession at our Cathedral this week had about four times the usual number of penitents, and about 20 missed out, even though Father went overtime by 15 minutes.
 
Vico said:
Acceptable, with an act of perfect contrition, per canon law.

CIC Can. 916
A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a** grave reason** and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.
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Note one needs a grave reason etc etc.

Catechism:

1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself."218 **Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

**

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.htm#VI
 
Vico said:
For clarification, there are only two categories venial and mortal (grave). Mortal is called serious in the eastern Catholic canon law.Considering sin from the point of view of its matter, the ideas of death, of radical rupture with God, the supreme good, of deviation from the path that leads to God or interruption of the journey toward him (which are all ways of defining mortal sin) are linked with the idea of the gravity of sin’s objective content. Hence, in the church’s doctrine and pastoral action, grave sin is in practice identified with mortal sin.
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_02121984_reconciliatio-et-paenitentia_en.html
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Right and in the West too. Mortal sin = grave sin = serious sin. The terms are used interchangibly in the Church.
 
Vico said:
Acceptable, with an act of perfect contrition, per canon law.

CIC Can. 916
A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a** grave reason** and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.
Click to expand...
Note one needs a grave reason etc etc. Such is by way of an exception to the norm of course.

Catechism:

1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself."218 **Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

**

scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.htm#VI
 
MaryHelene said:
Our parish is large, I know - but 40 minutes of available confession time a week? Confession is at 4 PM on Saturdays, with Vigil Mass beginning at 5 PM - so Father needs to be out of the confessional by 4:40.

Today, I arrived at 4:10, prepared for confession (which is hard for me - I get really nervous.) To make a long story short, there were about 15 people ahead of me, and Father didn’t have time to hear all the confessions, so he came out and said, “Folks, I’m sorry but I need to begin Mass. Go ahead and accept communion and I will hang out after Mass to hear the rest of the confessions.” There were 6 or 7 of us left hanging.

The problem is, several of us there for Confession were not planning to stay for Vigil Mass (I go to Mass with my family on Sunday mornings, and I was alone today.) So, I went home to my husband and kids and did not have my confession heard. No communion tomorrow, which is not the end of the world, I realize - but ugh. There is no confession on Holy Saturday, so no communion on Easter either.

You’d think during Lent they’d either arrange to have a second priest available to hear confessions, or schedule additional times. It seems like this is not a priority at all - and for him to tell us to go ahead and take communion anyway and see him after Mass?? Is that acceptable?
Click to expand...
I understand your frustration but most priests are very happy to schedule a confession if the time arranged won’t work, or doesn’t work (due to time constraints) for you. Call the preist and schedule your confession. You’d be suprised how willing they are. My prayers.

mlz
 
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