Where do you go to Confession

  • Thread starter Thread starter StJudePray4Me
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
If the priest who is our advisor is there I confess when I go to the monastery for Oblate meetings, if not I just go to the parish. If I have to visit the pastoral center on business I go to one of the priests who hear confessions at the Basilica before every Mass. I generally avoid going at the parish because of the same reason I usually don’t park close to the office–give preference to parishioners.
 
CatholicFireman said:
Is that question for me?
Click to expand...
I guess not. 🤷

I’ll answer anyway. The neighboring parish was the original parish I belonged to when I moved to Virginia. The pastor and another priest (now retired) were my confessors. I moved away to another town for a few years but traveled to this parish to stay with my confessor. I have since moved back but I am geographically in between the two parishes, but chose the other parish for personal reasons. I still use the same pastor (when available) as my confessor so I guess you can say I have used (and stayed true to) the same priest for confessions for 8 years now. It’s a matter of loyalty and sticking with my confessor who knows my history.

Pax†
 
I’ve had my share of bad confession experiences, my mom has too! Our parish is funky in general. About a decade ago the monsignor there, who has since passed on, told my mom “get to the point already!” My mom came out of there looking pale as a ghost.

I’ve had them say some pretty rude stuff. Then we have this associate priest who is really liberal. I know plenty of people who have confessed pre-marital sex to him and he said not to worry about confessing it, told them that sex isn’t a sin if it’s committed just every few months or so, told someone I know that masturbation isn’t worth going to confession for or pornography, etc. I thought, “what is worth going there for? murder?” :confused::p:

Sheesh…

I go to confession every two weeks or so and I hate getting treated like that.😦
Maureen1125 said:
Yikes!!! That is horrible. I totally would not be going back to him.
Click to expand...
 
Finding a good confessor, one that you will be comfortable with and stick with, is worth traveling for. I had one bad confession and promptly went to another priest (in the confessional) and explained it to him. I just wanted to feel good about it and feel that I made a good confession.
 
I hear that! Confession is tough enough, admitting things that sometimes we’re REALLY ashamed of (😊) and boy, having the priest give you grief and talk to you like you’re scum, shoot, that makes it even worse. 😦
CatholicFireman said:
Finding a good confessor, one that you will be comfortable with and stick with, is worth traveling for. I had one bad confession and promptly went to another priest (in the confessional) and explained it to him. I just wanted to feel good about it and feel that I made a good confession.
Click to expand...
 
gurneyhalleck1 said:
I hear that! Confession is tough enough, admitting things that sometimes we’re REALLY ashamed of (😊) and boy, having the priest give you grief and talk to you like you’re scum, shoot, that makes it even worse. 😦
Click to expand...
LOL. Amen to that. I love the priests I confess to. The pastor and one of his parocial vicars. Kind men. They actually celebrate the fact that I confessed my sins and that I made a good confession. 👍
 
Confession is such a funny phenomenon to watch in a church. Some people say, “ooh, I’m not going over there to Father O’Malley, he chews you out!” or “I’d rather stand in line for Father Fitzpatrick despite there being 25 people in his line than have to go face to face with Father Richards over there who has only two people in his line” or “I like Father Smith over there because he’s so easy on me!” :p:p Or “I like Father Dan, he goes really fast and doesn’t give you all that darned advice!” Then there is the opposite, and so on…I am quirky. I hide behind the pillar sometimes not wanting the priest to see me when he comes toward the confessional when he first gets there. Other times I’m fearless and go face to face. There’s so much funny psychology to it all 😛
CatholicFireman said:
LOL. Amen to that. I love the priests I confess to. The pastor and one of his parocial vicars. Kind men. They actually celebrate the fact that I confessed my sins and that I made a good confession. 👍
Click to expand...
 
gurneyhalleck1 said:
Confession is such a funny phenomenon to watch in a church. Some people say, “ooh, I’m not going over there to Father O’Malley, he chews you out!” or “I’d rather stand in line for Father Fitzpatrick despite there being 25 people in his line than have to go face to face with Father Richards over there who has only two people in his line” or “I like Father Smith over there because he’s so easy on me!” :p:p Or “I like Father Dan, he goes really fast and doesn’t give you all that darned advice!” Then there is the opposite, and so on…I am quirky. I hide behind the pillar sometimes not wanting the priest to see me when he comes toward the confessional when he first gets there. Other times I’m fearless and go face to face. **There’s so much funny psychology to it all **😛
Click to expand...
Not to mention the whole, who was here first thing…no cutting in line for confession:tsktsk:

We actually sit in pews waiting and you have to pay attention to who was there before you and the pecking order…

I go to the same priest…he knows my history…is also nice…and doesn’t give to hard of penances. Plus he has some helpful advice.
 
I go to my regular confessor because he was the priest who heard my confession after 27yrs. away from the Church, the first to give me the Eucharist, and he convalidated our marriage. So he will always have a special place in my heart. He is now at another parish. It is worth the drive because he is so in love with Jesus and our faith. He is very contemplative, traditional and young. He likes using the old fashioned confessionals behind the screens. I had to go to confession to him when I first came back to the Church so many times so I know he knows my voice and who I am. I always get nervous confessing to someone I know but like someone else mentioned it humbles me. It is good for me. I prefer not seeing my confessor’s face because I can concentrate better when confessing my sins. He always gives me beautiful penances that pertain to my sins like a psalm or a decade of the rosary. 🙂
 
I go to my own pastor, face to face, every month or so.

When he first arrived, I had just started on my quest to go more than once or twice a year. Not knowing what kind of confessor he was, I figured I’d start with him. The first time was rather neutral - not “wow, I’ve found a wonderful confessor”, but more, “well, that wasn’t too bad.” So I went back next time and the next and the next… And now, after nearly 4 years, I know that I’ve found a wonderful confessor.

We have conversations outside of the confessional related to parish business, but he’s not one that I would just pull up a chair with and have a conversation. But inside the confessional, there have been times when he’s just listened, times he has given spot-on advice, times when he’s given no advice, times that we’ve laughed, times that I’ve felt like he knows exactly what I’m talking about because he’s been there, done that, and times that I’ve asked questions, and he always gives a thoughtful, helpful answer.

To the original poster…go where you feel comfortable. Just GO!
 
gurneyhalleck1 said:
Confession is such a funny phenomenon to watch in a church. Some people say, “ooh, I’m not going over there to Father O’Malley, he chews you out!” or “I’d rather stand in line for Father Fitzpatrick despite there being 25 people in his line than have to go face to face with Father Richards over there who has only two people in his line” or “I like Father Smith over there because he’s so easy on me!” :p:p Or “I like Father Dan, he goes really fast and doesn’t give you all that darned advice!” Then there is the opposite, and so on…I am quirky. I hide behind the pillar sometimes not wanting the priest to see me when he comes toward the confessional when he first gets there. Other times I’m fearless and go face to face. There’s so much funny psychology to it all 😛
Click to expand...
LOL. 😛
 
onmyknees said:
I go to my regular confessor because he was the priest who heard my confession after 27yrs. away from the Church, the first to give me the Eucharist, and he convalidated our marriage. So he will always have a special place in my heart. He is now at another parish. It is worth the drive because he is so in love with Jesus and our faith. He is very contemplative, traditional and young. He likes using the old fashioned confessionals behind the screens. I had to go to confession to him when I first came back to the Church so many times so I know he knows my voice and who I am. I always get nervous confessing to someone I know but like someone else mentioned it humbles me. It is good for me. I prefer not seeing my confessor’s face because I can concentrate better when confessing my sins. He always gives me beautiful penances that pertain to my sins like a psalm or a decade of the rosary. 🙂
Click to expand...
Beautiful. 👍 :clapping:
To the original poster…go where you feel comfortable. Just GO!
Click to expand...
Exactly! 🙂
 
I go to my spiritual director for confession once a month. I was fortunate he was at my former parish (I go to another parish in the cluster now) for two years. I knew him before he was here. I’ve been going to him little over four years. Luckily when he was named a pastor and transferred parishes last summer he went 25 minutes away so I am still able to meet once a month. He is a great guy and advisor.

When I don’t have a meeting with him and feel the need to go, I try our military chaplain when he isn’t traveling. I tried one of our associates once and he was okay.
 
I go to my local parish, to whichever priest is in the confessional that day, usually before a daily Mass. Confessions are in the confessional behind a screen. If the line is too long, another priest often comes out to hear confessions at the altar rail. (That’s really not face to face, because he is looking down.) I’ll go to whichever line is moving the fastest.

It doesn’t matter if the priest is kind or if he’s impatient. It doesn’t matter if he’s compassionate or irascible. Your sins are still forgiven.

I think, if I were a priest I would often be tempted to tell people to get to the point. (Especially when there’s a line.)
 
I think, if I were a priest I would often be tempted to tell people to get to the point. (Especially when there’s a line.)
Click to expand...
Sometimes I think that’s what St. Pio was thinking when he was sitting for 14+ hours in the confessional.
 
StJudePray4Me said:
This is sort of a spin off on the poll about how often we go to Confession.

I wondered where people are going? Do you go to your own Parish, or a neighboring one?

Do you have a regular confessor? Or do you just jump in line at the scheduled times and get whomever?

It’s been tugging at me that I should go WAAAAYYY more often than I do (which is only once or twice a year), but to be quite frank, I am embarrassed in front of my Pastor. He’s a stoic type and hard to read, I feel really awkward with him even just having a casual conversation. I have a hard time imagining baring my soul to him. I am also one of those women who has the “gift of tears”… I cry often during emotional stuff (certain hymns, prayers, etc), and have never made it through a confession without breaking down. I feel silly with this particular priest, he’s just not the type of guy you feel Ok weeping around!

I was thinking that I would go to a neighboring Parish to a priest who I don’t know…but is that cowardice? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
Click to expand...
Go to confession wherever you feel comfortable. With the exception of last time, I always go to my own parish. The last time I’d gone was two or so weeks ago; it had been a long time between confessions and I was nervous so I went to another parish.
My pastor isn’t the friendliest guy, so when I go to my parish for confession, I try to see the other priest, though I have gone to my pastor and he was wonderful as a confessor, much to my surprise.
 
Padraig1972 said:
I go mainly to my local parish and to the parish priest for face to face confessions. There has been sometimes i have gone to the confession booth anonymously before mass and once to another parish before mass anonymously.

But, i figured out that sticking with my parish priest and do things face to face like a true man would have, is the best thing to do. Besides, it is for the better thing to let a confession father witness your progress so he can step in and help if you stumble or struggle in your spiritual path.
Click to expand...
If one goes to confession anonymously how would the priest know who it is and what their previous sins were?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top