Denied Confession!

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='fides' Jack' date='18 May 2010 - 10:47 PM' timestamp='1274237224' post='2113374']
At the same time, however, perhaps people would go more if they knew they could go anytime, or almost anytime.
[/quote]
This has been my experience.

When I lived in CA, there was the Newman Center and St. Francis de Sales.

We went to the Newman Center for our Sunday obligation as a family. St. Francis was closer to my work, and easier for me to get to on Holy Days, plus they had a 0630 daily Mass which I liked!

The Newman Center offered confessions once a week from 4-5 on Saturday, or by appointment. NB- The priests were ALWAYS available for confession, but published was 4-5p on Sat.

St. Francis offered confession every weekday from 4:30-5:30, and on Sat. for the obligatory hour.

I noticed much more people going to confession at St. Francis than I ever did at the Newman Center. Granted, this is by no means a scientific study; but I think if it was offered MORE, the Sacrament would be received more.

my 2 cents...

[zunshynn]

My home parish has confessions saturday mornings from 8:30-9:30 (or until they're done). There's always a really long line for the Spanish speaking priest... I think it's not uncommon for him to hear 40-50 confessions then. The other priests only probably hear 10-15 most of the time.

They are pretty good, for the most part, about hearing confessions after mass if you ask them though, and they will make appointments, but I don't think many people try to make appointments.

It's a pretty huge parish though... 2,000 families I think.

I do think it's sad that they don't have scheduled times more often during the week. They should at LEAST have an evening where they offer it. Some people DO work on Saturday mornings.

I agree when it's offered more more people are likely to go. Part of the reason for that, I think, is that the people that don't go regularly every week, or every other week or once a month, are often just not going to think about going to confession on Saturday mornings. They might happen to think about it one day during the week, but then by Saturday they're doing other things and forget about it if they even are aware of what time it is offered, so the only time it will occur to them to go, most of the time is when there's a big lenten penance service or something, especially because they're also the people that are least likely to be inclined to make an appointment. The people who do go pretty regularly think more about it, On the other hand, if there's an opportunity to go every day, a person in that situation, where they just thought, maybe I'll go to confession today, will actually go, because it's available then, and they don't have to wait 4-5 days if they even remember by then. They also are much more likely to make it a more regular thing. Maybe not every month still, but more than once a year at least.

[God Conquers]

There is a parish here in Ottawa, downtown, where they offer mass and confession 4 times every weekday, and for an hour on Saturday. I think your theory definitely holds true, because there are plenty of people lined up at every single one of those times, from all over the city.

It's not even an issue of convenience, but availability. You will go if you can, preferably when you feel spiritually inclined, which isn't usually at 4 pm Saturday.

[mcts]

Notre Dame has confessions for a half hour before and after all of their Basilica Masses, but the priests will stay until everyone is done. Sometimes they can go all the way through Mass and still stay an hour and a half after it's over. My school has it every Tuesday evening and Friday afternoon. There might be something on Sunday, but it would be sponsored by the brothers and not the school, so I don't hear about it.

[ardillacid]

I thought this was going to be a thread about being denied absolution

[krissylou]

[quote name='MissScripture' date='18 May 2010 - 10:53 PM' timestamp='1274237608' post='2113380']
It might also help if people knew what it was...It also depends on how the priest does it. Is his butt actually sitting in that confessional regardless of if there is a line of people out there or not? At my old parish, you would have to hunt the priest down, if there wasn't a line of people, and that turned a lot of people off to going (causing him to be in there less, causing fewer people to go, and it turned into a vicious cycle). For one thing, having to hunt down the priest kind of defeats the purpose of having a screen between you and the priest...
[/quote]


I remember when I was a little tyke (mid-80s) and we were preparing for our First Reconciliation and SO much of that was memorizing the various parts of the liturgy. You're expected to know all the lines by heart. (Though, interestingly, it is entirely standard practice to write out your list of sins and read that off.)

In more recent years, I've heard so many of my peers say they hadn't been to confession for years and were kind of sort of thinking of trying again, but they were embarrassed because they didn't have the liturgy memorized any more!!!

Dude. This is one nutty culture we have here. Why isn't it just routine to have the liturgy written out and available so people can read off their lines?

Yes, this probably isn't the only barrier -- but let's face it. This can be scary stuff, especially if it is not your normal practice. To have the lack of a fully memorized liturgy be YET ANOTHER barrier seems to me to be a serious pastoral error.

KrissyLou

[the_rev]

I often hear priests share stories about some people barging into the sacristy five minutes before Mass wanting the priest to hear their confession. Now, I can understand that being a problem, since Mass would not start on time. When I was speaking at a parish one weekend, I witnessed the priest turn down a penitent for confession until sometime later in the week. My thought at the time was, if this man wants to got o Confession, let him go now! Don't make him wait a few more days. Knowing what the priest's schedule was for the remainder of the day, I knew that he had the time to do it, but did not. I have had it when I would go to a nearby monastery of priests in my home diocese, that there will be no priest available to hear confessions because some are unwilling to hear confessions. God willing If I am ordained one day, I hope that I will never deny anyone the opportunity for confession. I understand though, if there were no priests available or in the office, but not to be willing to schedule a time would be unacceptable in my book.

[melporcristo]

[quote name='MissyP89' date='18 May 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1274212106' post='2112979']
Ooh, hey. You could always talk to your priest(s) in person when you're home again, wanting to know what the deal is. Sometimes the receptionists don't communicate well with the priests.
[/quote]



Many of our parishoners did this and now, thanks be to God, we have two wonderful priests who want to prioritize hearing Confessions and both of them hear confessions at the same time.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='krissylou' date='20 May 2010 - 08:42 AM' timestamp='1274308945' post='2113820']
I remember when I was a little tyke (mid-80s) and we were preparing for our First Reconciliation and SO much of that was memorizing the various parts of the liturgy. You're expected to know all the lines by heart. (Though, interestingly, it is entirely standard practice to write out your list of sins and read that off.)

In more recent years, I've heard so many of my peers say they hadn't been to confession for years and were kind of sort of thinking of trying again, but they were embarrassed because they didn't have the liturgy memorized any more!!!

Dude. This is one nutty culture we have here. Why isn't it just routine to have the liturgy written out and available so people can read off their lines?

Yes, this probably isn't the only barrier -- but let's face it. This can be scary stuff, especially if it is not your normal practice. To have the lack of a fully memorized liturgy be YET ANOTHER barrier seems to me to be a serious pastoral error.

KrissyLou
[/quote]

I have been in several parishes where an Act of Contrition was written down on a card for the parishioner to use if they didn't have one memorized. This seems like a good idea since this is really the only long prayer needed in Confession. Everything else the priest can guide one through if necessary.

[Slappo]

[quote name='God Conquers' date='19 May 2010 - 09:31 AM' timestamp='1274286675' post='2113668']
There is a parish here in Ottawa, downtown, where they offer mass and confession 4 times every weekday, and for an hour on Saturday. I think your theory definitely holds true, because there are plenty of people lined up at every single one of those times, from all over the city.

[b]It's not even an issue of convenience, but availability. You will go if you can, preferably when you feel spiritually inclined, which isn't usually at 4 pm Saturday.
[/b][/quote]


I think we agree on something!!!

I find 4pm on Saturday's to be a really really extremely poor time to offer confessions... seriously who is not going to be busy at four? I usually have to plan my Saturday's around the confession schedule and it is extremely inconvenient. Even having like... two days a week it is offered would help. Saturdays at 4 (if they insist...) and then maybe like a week night?

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Slappo' date='19 May 2010 - 09:17 PM' timestamp='1274321845' post='2113934']
[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif[/img] I think we agree on something!!!

I find 4pm on Saturday's to be a really really extremely poor time to offer confessions... seriously who is not going to be busy at four? I usually have to plan my Saturday's around the confession schedule and it is extremely inconvenient. Even having like... two days a week it is offered would help. Saturdays at 4 (if they insist...) and then maybe like a week night?
[/quote]

I wonder if they offer confession at 4 pm on Sat. because the Sat. evening Mass is usually around 5:00. Maybe they think people who go to Sat evening Mass so they can "party hearty" on Sat night, need confession the most in order to be eligible to take communion, if only because of what they did LAST Sat. night. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/shock.gif[/img]

Or, why couldn't priests do something like "office hours?" That is, say that they will also be available during other specified blocks of time to people who call first for an appointment. (I know that's not exactly how office hours usually work, but it's something like it.) That way, the priest still could keep to a schedule, and it would be an extra reminder that it wouldn't be considered strange or unusual to call for an appt for confession.

Edited May 20, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[Ephrem Augustine]

When I am a priest...
I would rather do confessions by appointment in my office
then confessions on a saturday in a confessional
(of course it is not to say I can only chose one)

[MissScripture]

[quote name='Ephrem Augustine' date='19 May 2010 - 10:34 PM' timestamp='1274322864' post='2113941']
When I am a priest...
I would rather do confessions by appointment in my office
then confessions on a saturday in a confessional
(of course it is not to say I can only chose one)
[/quote]
But I think the HAVING to set up an appointment could scare people away. Then people would lose the anonymity of it, and for someone already fearful about going, that could be a major barrier. So, I'd say you should do both...or schedule it some other time than Saturday, cuz like others have said, that doesn't seem to be the time when I feel most like going.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='MissScripture' date='19 May 2010 - 09:41 PM' timestamp='1274323280' post='2113945']
But I think the HAVING to set up an appointment could scare people away. Then people would lose the anonymity of it, and for someone already fearful about going, that could be a major barrier. So, I'd say you should do both...or schedule it some other time than Saturday, cuz like others have said, that doesn't seem to be the time when I feel most like going.
[/quote]

That sounds like a good compromise option. Offer more than one "open" confession hour per week, and also say that specific blocks of time are available for appts.

I'm trying to see it from the viewpoint of the priest--giving him the benefit of the doubt that he WANTS to be more available for confessions, but he has a lot of other demands on his time. By setting aside blocks of time where he takes appts, he would have a little more control over his schedule than just taking appts whenever.

BTW--Would it be against the rules to give a false name or say you want to be anonymous when you made the appt? Or, go to a different parish, if there is one nearby.

It also sounds as if the receptionists for priests need some additional training on how to handle requests for confession. Confessions are different than other kinds of appts to see the priest.

[cappie]

Can. 986 §1 All to whom by virtue of office the care of souls is committed, are bound to provide for the hearing of the confessions of the faithful entrusted to them, who reasonably request confession, and they are to provide these faithful with an opportunity to make individual confession on days and at times arranged to suit them.

§2 In an urgent necessity, every confessor is bound to hear the confessions of Christ's faithful, and in danger of death every priest is so obliged.

In our church St Anthony's in Hawthorn Melbourne confession is available whenever someone comes into the church. They just have to press a button and the buzzer rings in the friary and the priest on duty heads down to the shrine.