Where do you go to Confession

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Faith1960 said:
I think I have a distinctive voice but maybe most people think that about themselves. I always hope that my pastor doesn’t recognize my voice. 😃
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I grew up in Queens, NY and now I live in VA. Need I say more? :rotfl:
 
JimG said:
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.)
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But how would he know if there is a line or not? If he is in “The Box” then he has no real way of know who or how many people are waiting.

The more I think of my most recent confession - this past week - I think I have found my “regular” guy, funny thing is that since I went to a parish I had never been to before, I have no idea what Father’s name is. Next I feel called to confession I will go back to that parish and try my luck.

I really like the Priest at my home parish. We sit and have beer together at the parish bazaar, we meet monthly to talk, I see him at various parish dinners and events, but yet, I just can’t bring myself to go to him for confession. I did 1x, and it was fine but it felt awkward to me
 
Faith1960 said:
If one goes to confession anonymously how would the priest know who it is and what their previous sins were?
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My priest recognizes my voice because I volunteered in the parish when he was my pastor and like I said before, I went to confession often when I first came back to church. Also I would meet with him in the office sometimes for spiritual direction.
 
I go to whatever parish has Confession when I need it. If none of the parishes are having Confession when I need it, I call the priest who gave me the Sacrament of Confirmation and ask him if he can hear my confession. 🙂
 
Where I used to live for a few years, and they had communal services with chances for private confessions during that time, the church I attended brought in several priests from other parishes to assist. I think the church was at least half full if not more, and there were about 6 to 8 priests stationed in different parts of the church. People could line up for each priest, and there was sufficient distance between the priest & the person making confession, and the line. My parish was large enough where it would be hard for the priest to know every face/name but I had no issues going to any of the lines to make my confession.

My parents’ church in my hometown where I am now living will have a similar arrangement this Thursday. I have a reminder in my phone to go and since the priest knows me very well as I go there, I will probably confess to a different one. The priest is nice at my parents’ church, but since it has been some time, I will find it easier to confess to a priest that doesn’t know me.
 
They do that at the church I go to every Advent and Lenten season. 🙂
 
Maureen1125 said:
But how would he know if there is a line or not? If he is in “The Box” then he has no real way of know who or how many people are waiting.
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You’re right, he doesn’t, unless there is already a long line when he first arrives and goes into the confessional. On occasion I’ve had the priest ask me before I left if there were many people waiting.

The second priest who sometimes comes out can see how long the line is. But when he sits at the altar rail to hear confessions, he doesn’t look up, so he doesn’t even keep track of the line once he starts hearing confessions. When it’s 5 minutes before Mass, they both have to stop.
 
I’m surprised no one resisted the temptation to answer the OP:

“in a confessional” 😛
 
I haven’t actually been able to go at my home parish in a while. There is one very sweet little old lady that goes once a week when we have confession and stays in the confessional for the full 30 minutes. I think the only way that I would be able to get in before her would be to push her aside or knock her in the head, but that would defeat the purpose of going to begin with. :rolleyes: In fact I was waiting in line behind her and an elderly man tapped me on the shoulder and told me, “don’t let her go ahead of you if you have anything to confess” I usually have to make an appointment if I want to go with our parish priest. I don’t understand it because the longest that I can take is 1 min.

So I got in the habit of going when I leave the country… I don’t have to worry about ever seeing the priest and again and many times they can’t even understand what I say, which is an added bonus for me.
 
When you leave the country? wow, you must do that quite often then? Where to, may I ask? 🙂
KostyaJMJ said:
I haven’t actually been able to go at my home parish in a while. There is one very sweet little old lady that goes once a week when we have confession and stays in the confessional for the full 30 minutes. I think the only way that I would be able to get in before her would be to push her aside or knock her in the head, but that would defeat the purpose of going to begin with. :rolleyes: In fact I was waiting in line behind her and an elderly man tapped me on the shoulder and told me, “don’t let her go ahead of you if you have anything to confess” I usually have to make an appointment if I want to go with our parish priest. I don’t understand it because the longest that I can take is 1 min.

So I got in the habit of going when I leave the country… I don’t have to worry about ever seeing the priest and again and many times they can’t even understand what I say, which is an added bonus for me.
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KostyaJMJ said:
I haven’t actually been able to go at my home parish in a while. There is one very sweet little old lady that goes once a week when we have confession and stays in the confessional for the full 30 minutes. I think the only way that I would be able to get in before her would be to push her aside or knock her in the head, but that would defeat the purpose of going to begin with. :rolleyes: In fact I was waiting in line behind her and an elderly man tapped me on the shoulder and told me, “don’t let her go ahead of you if you have anything to confess” I usually have to make an appointment if I want to go with our parish priest. I don’t understand it because the longest that I can take is 1 min.
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A little old lady who makes weekly 30 minute confessions!! I’m glad she’s not in my parish! I wonder if she ever confesses to monopolizing the confession line.
 
where ever i find a covent time and place the closer catholic church i am near and the best time. sometimes not my own parish as i was usualy at work when they have confession so i choose a better time at a church i am near. with several churches closing lately its almost impossible to find one. sometimes its impossinble to go to my parish church as its only after dark and being old and having eye problems this makes it impossible
 
JimG said:
A little old lady who makes weekly 30 minute confessions!! I’m glad she’s not in my parish! I wonder if she ever confesses to monopolizing the confession line.
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I’m pretty sure she has been sent to teach me patience. 😃 But she is not the only one. There are several parishioners who always seem to get to church early and take the full 30 min. I am sure that they would take more time, but the priest has to interrupt them to say mass. I don’t know if it is a common problem but it makes receiving the sacrament difficult.
 
I don’t remember if I shared this or not, but the 1st parish I went to last week seems to have a problem with eavesdroppers. Yikes!!! I know that I would not want anyone to overhear my confessions. I have no idea what made these people think the appropriate place to wait their turn was leaning on the wall right outside the door to the confessional. I actually walked out in disgust and e-mailed the pastor in the morning to make him aware of the problem.
 
I’ve gone to Mass in many parts of the Philippines, where my wife is from. I never went to confession there though…
KostyaJMJ said:
Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Angola, among others. All the nice touristy spots 🙂
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Maureen1125 said:
I am a parish hopper when it comes to confession. There is 1 parish I avoid after a horrible experience, and this past Wednesday night I went to another parish only to find a crowd right out side the confessional door listening to everyword that was being said. That really left a bad taste and I left in search of yet another parish. I e-mailed the Pastor about what I witnessed and suggested a gentle reminder in the bulletin and maybe a CD of meditational music would help.

I meet with my Pastor monthly for spiritual guidance and while we have grown close, I want to keep confession seperate from those talks so I also avoid him.

There are a couple sins that I routinely struggle with and I feel awkward going back to the same priest over and over again. I don’t want him to doubt my sincerity and think that I am using confession as a loop-hole to continue sinning. I did really like the Priest I finally found on Wednesday night and I will probably continue to visit him.

Once lent is over, confession opportunities go back to 1x weekly instead of the current
3-4x a week.

So, the short answer is, I tend to jump around
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I think pastors get tired of listening to the sins of others. But that’s their job. 🙂
They also are aware that no one is perfect. They do represent Christ.

The Bible tells us " As far is the East is from the West , so far has He removed our transgressions from us." PS. 103:12

This verse is always a comfort to me. I know God loves us more than we can comprehend.
He loves you just as much.

God bless,
bluelake
 
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