Went to confession and nobody was home

[Mijoy2]

Alot of the replies were encouraging. From the replies is would seem that when confession is made more readily available more people take advantage.

I wonder if the archdiocese overlooks this sort of thing? From the replies it appears there is a great diversity between how parishes conduct themselves in this matter.

Today, I search for a North Shore of Boston parish that has a weekday, daytime confession time.

Anybody know of such a parish?

 

[maryjk]

I could be of my rocker here, but could it be that no one was there because Confession times have changed?

In our parish, mass times and Confession times changed. This was due to at one time having two priests, down to having one.

It was announced at church, but if someone wasn’t there, they would have missed it. Although it was also printed what seemed like everywhere.

At this time, we have only two times for confession, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Our neighboring parish has one time, Saturday morning. I know that at our parish, there is a line.

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

I used to go to a particul church for Confession. It was on Saturday mornings. One time I showed up and there was no one in the confessional. My buddy and his daughter were with me so there were 3 of us looking to receive the Sacrament. We looked around for a priest and found on in another part of the church. He told us that they were only doing Confession once a month and today was not that day. :ehh:

He turned us away. :nope:

So we went to Confession and someone was home - but he wouldn’t open the door and let us in.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Just an opinion mind you, but it appears that when the Sacrament is reduced to one hour per week or less, at fairly inopportune times, few people willt take advantage of it. Couple that with the apparently prevailing view that few if any people would knowingly commit a sin that would cut them off from God and you have the situation where no one needs to confess because no one commits mortal sins. All very modern, man centered and non judgemental.

In the past several years though some churches have started instituting confessions prior to mass. In at least two Churches here in San Diego, confession is offered prior to every Mass:thumbsup: , every day, and people are encouraged to go…

Guess what?

They have lines of people waiting every day to confess.

The Father at one of the Churches said he had always felt that most people have an interior need and desire to confess and if given the urging and opportunity to do so, they will.

I agree. Making confession more available will encourage people to go. Our old priest, rest his soul, used to sit in the confessional before Mass with the door open, waiting for people to come in. That was after he knelt on the hard floor, never taking a kneeler, before the Blessed Sacrament, praying the rosary. Holiness in priests encourages holiness in us.

 

[contemplative]

I agree. Making confession more available will encourage people to go.

Yours is a maybe yes or maybe no answer. The place I go to for confession is available 7 days a week…pretty amazing. I’ve never seen a line of people waiting to break down the door to get in.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Yours is a maybe yes or maybe no answer. The place I go to for confession is available 7 days a week…pretty amazing. I’ve never seen a line of people waiting to break down the door to get in.

But does your priest educate about the importance of the sacrament? That makes a huge difference, when confessions are encouraged and people are educated about the graces of frequent confession. Just look at St. John Vianney. He spent up to 18 hours a day in the confessional. What a great saint!

 

[contemplative]

But does your priest educate about the importance of the sacrament? That makes a huge difference, when confessions are encouraged and people are educated about the graces of frequent confession. Just look at St. John Vianney. He spent up to 18 hours a day in the confessional. What a great saint!

Now that’ll make a difference…education coupled with availability. I hate to say it but I wonder sometimes just how many priests actually believe in this sacrament. Perhaps there are many priests that need to be educated and believe.

 

[hilde_the_dog]

Mijoy2

Did you call the rectory and ask if it was still on and double check the location. I did this for confession not at my parish and it turned out the priest was running late and the confessional was two movable chairs and a moveable screen—which I had never seen before. And if more people would call the rectory to let know of an interest maybe they would have it moreoften.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Now that’ll make a difference…education coupled with availability. I hate to say it but I wonder sometimes just how many priests actually believe in this sacrament. Perhaps there are many priests that need to be educated and believe.

Too true! Now who is going to educate the priests, if the seminaries are not doing their job?

 

[palmas85]

Padre Pio, of blessed memory would sit in his confessional up to 18 hours a day hearing confessions so that more people could receive the Holy Eucharist. He did this and celebrated the Mass and took care of his other duties as well… Now I’m sure he wasn’t in the confessional 18 hours every day, but the example he set, I feel should be recognized and emulated.

Padre Pio was a priest totally dedicated to the saving of souls and the greater glory of God. What a rarity that would be today.

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Lack of penitents is sometimes (not always), indicative of something else: Quality of sermons.

If the sermons are banal and do not focus on the hard issues we all deal with through human fallen nature, then people will not see a need to go to confession.

Sermons should preach the fullness of the faith. There are some retreat masters who would go to a parish where confession is almost nil, give their talk, then need many priests to help with all of the people who suddenly find a need to go to confession. This is the job of the priest. He often reaps what he sows, and as a fisherman he will not catch any fish if he doesn’t even cast the line.

Rather, when he casts the net of admonition, some will walk out (pride), and others will simply look inward and head to the confessional.

 

[decn2b]

not some, not most, but virtually all (save a few) catholics.

Save a few? Is that Pun intended??

 

[decn2b]

Homilies are not means to knowledge of the faith. It is acceptance and desire on our part. To learn our faith requires US as individuals to answer our built in longing for God who reveals his salvation through the church.

God always calls us…it is up to us to answer and no sermon can make us do this. It is the price of free will i guess but the dividends can be out of this world.

 

[THutch04]

I know that when I’ve gone during the scheduled Confessions at school, I’ve always been able to get in. However, at more than a couple of parishes I’ve seen, they have scheduled Confession times, but they never actually expect anyone to go.

I feel very fortunate that I have option of going to Confession frequently.

 

[Mijoy2]

Save a few? Is that Pun intended??

No, it was not intended, but ironic isn’t it?

Update: I went to the Saturday afternoon confession and there were four people there during the time I was there (so maybe even more throughout the full 45 minutes). This made me feel better.

I didn’t bring up the previous Wednesday night. Didn’t seem to be the right place or time. Besides, I like to concentrate on the matter at hand. Wonderful feeling to hear the words of absolution. Even though I probably sin before getting out of the parking lot.

 

[GloriaDeiPatris]

I’ve found the same problem in my parish, also in Calgary. (In fact, that’s how I got to this website! ) I’m just returning to Catholicism after…er…thirty-odd years, and had no prior experience with confession. It took me more than one attempt to confess the first time. I haven’t been for months now.

I eventually figured out, by sheer effort of my puny little brain, that the magic formula of confession is that there is a booth in a set place in the church, that the priest should be in his side from 4-4:45 on Saturdays, and that you just wait for the light to go off, and the door to open, you take your place, and do your thing. Unfortunately, in my church, the missing ingredient is the priest.

You know, I’ve embarrassed myself so many times over the years that I’ve nearly eliminated that as an issue. Nevertheless, I find it difficult to email or phone my priest for an “appointment” to confess. (Particularly when messages are not returned!)

Part of the reason I returned to Catholicism is that it requires obedience to God. With all due respect to other denominations, my (relatively significant) exposure to Protestantism has shown me that you can largely choose a sect that suits your beliefs, thus circumventing the need for substantial changes in lifestyle. I have committed my life to God and to following His will, and pray regularly that He will bless me with the grace and strength to do just that. I must, therefore, in obedience to Him and His church, treat the sacraments as holy and vital. Period.

I recognize that Father is busy - as are we all. Nevertheless, a priest gives his life to God in a way that we laymen do not. I used to wait in a church basement regularly to open a meeting that no-one would come to attend. I waited at least half an hour for people to show up, or not, and I did not live across the road from that church (as many priests do) nor did I have to be there an hour later, anyway.

Call me obstinate and intransigent, but I don’t think our clergy should (apparently) take the approach to their vocation that many people in our modern, secular world do. During the golden age of Catholicism, the church was always open, from dawn to dusk. Now, the door is locked outside of Mass and other appointed times? I’m not saying we should chain our priests to the altar, but I don’t think our faith should be practised by appointment, within whatever cubbyholes can be eked out of the parish schedule.

Now, I’m stubborn and thick-headed, so I’ll find a way to fulfill my duty…but in a manner and place where I can do so without fighting undue embarrassment or frustration just to open the process.

There is a movement afoot to unseat the priest in my parish for exactly this reason: that the sacraments are not readily available. I didn’t join that movement, but should I ever be in the presence of the bishop of Calgary, I will certainly share a polite earful with him on this issue. People will come when they are invited; they will not come when they are not made welcome and when they have to negotiate hurdles and roadblocks. This is one time when “narrow is the way” does not apply.

(Incidentally, this same church has pamphlets on “the purity of soul required for Holy Communion” and the mortal sin of taking Communion wrongfully prominently displayed.)

God bless the priests who love and remember their duties!

 

[jmcrae]

You’re in Calgary?

I’ve never had any trouble finding a priest for Confession. Go to the Diocescan web site to get Mass times and Confession times.

In addition to Saturday afternoons, you can go to the Polish Church for Confession every weekday evening at 6:30 pm. The Cathedral has Confessions at 4:00 pm on Fridays and at 8:15 am on Saturdays. The Latin Mass priest at St. Anthony’s hears Confessions both before and after every Latin Mass - check the web site for his schedule, as well (it’s at different times every day - I usually go to him on Thursday evenings just before the 7:00 pm Mass). St. Luke has Confessions on Saturday mornings at around 11, as well as in the afternoon at 4:00.

 

[4HisChurch]

I used to go to a particul church for Confession. It was on Saturday mornings. One time I showed up and there was no one in the confessional. My buddy and his daughter were with me so there were 3 of us looking to receive the Sacrament. We looked around for a priest and found on in another part of the church. He told us that they were only doing Confession once a month and today was not that day. :ehh:

He turned us away. :nope:

So we went to Confession and someone was home - but he wouldn’t open the door and let us in.

I hope you reported this to the bishop.

 

[Faith1960]

For the second time I went to my relatively large parish (not sure how big but there is over 1000 kids of sunday school age so i’d imagine a few thousand parisheners at least) and the doors to the church were locked and the parking lot empty.

The church bulletin states this time for the sacrement of reconciliation. Wednesday evenings from 6:30 - 7:00

I’m not looking to make a stink about the fact that the pastor was not there, I can either find another place to confess or I can go to the saturday morning time and try again.

What I find disturbing, what passed through my mind was my speculative answers to the question; why was both the pastor not there and why was I only one who was looking to get in?

Apparently the answer to the fact that I was the only one there is as simple as nobody else in the entire parish was going to confession. The fact the pastor was not there is very possibly because he grew tired of sitting in the confessional all alone week after week with nobody coming in.

I think it is safe to conclude that very few people in my parish (and there is no reason to believe my parish is unlike any other) go to confession on any sort of a regular basis. I’d think that even if one or two people showed up for the Wednesday evening sacrament that that would be enough to insure the pastor was there. Apparently nobody ever goes.

This upset me. I believe the sacrement of reconciliation is considered a trivial matter that rarely enters the mind of not some, not most, but virtually all (save a few) catholics.

Unfortunatley, statistically speaking, my data point proves it.

I’d be interested in know the experiences of others in the forum. I could use a lift.

Some of you may be wondering why I am just noticing this. I used to work in the city of Boston and had the wonderful pleasure of being walking distance to St. Anthony’s Shrine, a truly magnificient place run by Franciscan Friers who are gifts from God. Since I’ve come back to the faith about 3 years ago, I’ve been going to confession there on or about my lunch hour. There, the pews are always full and there is always a waiting line for the Sacrement.

I’m sorry but my feedback won’t give you a lift. Since I’ve come back to the Church, I’ve gone to confession twice and both times I was one of a very few people going. I feel sorry for the priests sitting in the confessional, just waiting.

 

[Faith1960]

I’ve thought about this. In the area I now work I went for a ride to the two most nearby parishes to check out the times for confession. To my dismay neither parish has confession at all during the week.

Given that I now work 2 hours from home, I am always either commuting or working. Where my parish has it’s doors locked during the time allocated for confessions, I’m finding this a great deal more of a challenge then I ever thought it would be. Discouraging.

In my parish, we only have confession twice on Saturday or one can make private arrangements with a priest. Before I went to confession the week before last, I planned to go prior to Mass for two weeks straight and missed both times, though I did make it to Mass. I looked at the confession times of the other parishes in my area and they were much like mine so it took about two weeks before I actually went.