Confession Times

[Ice_nine]

I guess I'm just kind of curious how much confession is generally offered at your home parishes, and your thoughts. I know a lot around here only advertise saturday confessions for about 45 minutes before the anticipated Mass. And of course there's the "by appointment" option that I will never ever do unless I'm literally knocking at death's door. My home parish currently has confessions before all of the Masses on saturday and sunday but now we're being combined with some other parish (which I don't fully understand) and so they're axing off the sunday confession times leaving only saturdays.

 

 

Can't say I'm thrilled with it, but also isn't it weird? I know a lot of people bemoan the fact that no one goes to confession anymore, but will march right up to receive communion, but it's been my experience that confession is not really offered frequently outside of metropolitan areas (when I'm "a pinch I'm close enough to the city to take advantage, but many people don't have such access). So it's just like :shrug: I was thinking that maybe the priests just getting tired of sitting in the confessional for a half an hour without anyone showing up? But even so, there's been a line 9/10 when I've gone.

 

It's just like, if you hand out communion to about 1000 people every week (probably more) and people should go about once a month (general advice) then it's almost like a joke to say "oh go to confession, all of you, but we only offer it 45 minutes a week." It's just confusing especially given how often the head pastor encourages people to go to confession.

 

Thoughts? am I overreacting?

[morostheos]

This is a constant frustration of mine. I often feel like the universe is working against me when I try to get to confession. Saturday afternoons is an awful time in general, and there is always a line and I stress out about not making it to the front of the line before Father has to go get ready for Mass. I've never understood the reasoning that no one goes so that's why they don't offer confession more often, because every time I go there is always a line. 

 

During lent, the dioceses in Connecticut do confession every Tuesday night at 7 pm in every parish - which is a great blessing, but for this I think it's really hard on the priests because a lot of times no one comes. I really think having confession shortly before every Sunday Mass is ideal, I wish more parishes did that. 

[EmilyAnn]

My parish has a half-hour slot after Mass on Saturday morning. We were combined with another church many years ago after their priest passed away and they also have a half hour slot on Saturday afternoon. I live in a city, on a small island with 7 different parishes including a cathedral. It's quite a Catholic area (for England anyway) and I can't say I've ever had problems with long lines. When I am at my mom's I can never go to the Saturday confession time so I just ask Father after Mass. 

[Nihil Obstat]

Every day, one hour before Mass, extra on saturday, and about a half hour after Sunday Mass, mostly for people from out of town.
FSSP is outstanding for confession.

[arfink]

St. John Vianney also had problems with sitting in his confessional and nobody would come. But it didn't last for very long.

[dominicansoul]

My spiritual director advertises confessions from 4-4:45 on Saturday afternoons before the 5 p.m. Mass.  but he's usually in the confessional around 3 p.m.  People already know that, and they line up at that time.  The line continues until just before Mass, when He'll come out and tell everyone who didn't make it in to "wait until after Mass and I will be hearing confessions then, too."

 

He's just an awesome priest...

 

 

what bothers me though, is people don't really know how to confess.  It's not a time for spiritual direction, especially when there are 40 people in line waiting to get in there...you go in, say your sins, wait for penance, do your Act of contrition and get out.  If you want spiritual direction, that's when you make an appointment...i've witnessed people taking up to 20 minutes in the confessional...it gets so bad that by the time I get into the box, i've added a few more sins to my list.... :P

[Alma Misionera]

I usually go to a parish about 20 minutes away (my parish is about 4 minutes away) because they have really convenient confession times. Half an hour after every 6:30 am Mass (though if there were people still there they would probably stay), and Saturday mornings from 9 until all are heard. Also Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings (I think...I usually go on Saturday morning or a random day in the morning, so I'm not sure about Sunday.

 

A group of us were talking with our pastor though about having more times for confession. I think just having Saturday afternoon for half an hour/45 minutes is super hard for some people. It can sometimes be a tough time to get there. We were thinking about maybe adding a time one evening during the week so people could hopefully stop by on their way home from work.

 

It's been my experience as well that when there are confession times available, people will come. When I was in school, there was a parish who had confession 1/2 hour before every single Mass. Such a blessing!

 

Maybe it would help as well if people had some more formation about confession. Like...how to make a good confession...why it is important...

 

Definitely prefer not to go the "by appointment" route. Only if I really need to...

[Amppax]

My parish at home has confessions on Wednesday nights for about an hour, with 3 priests hearing confessions,and again an hour before the anticipated mass on Saturday, 3 priests again.  

 

When I'm at school, there are confessions Monday through Thursday, an hour each day. One of the parishes in town, where I usually go, has the same confession schedule as my home parish, except with 2 priests, and has a visiting priest come in and hear confessions for a ridiculous amount of time on Wednesdays, from noon until 6 I believe.  I think a lot of that time is spiritual direction as well though.  

 

Also, I remember reading that one of the suggestions of the Synod on the New Evangelization was that each diocese designate a location for 24/7 confession.  Found it http://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/sinodo/documents/bollettino_25_xiii-ordinaria-2012/02_inglese/b33_02.html , it's Proposition 33. 

[Amppax]

what bothers me though, is people don't really know how to confess.  It's not a time for spiritual direction, especially when there are 40 people in line waiting to get in there...you go in, say your sins, wait for penance, do your Act of contrition and get out.  If you want spiritual direction, that's when you make an appointment...i've witnessed people taking up to 20 minutes in the confessional...it gets so bad that by the time I get into the box, i've added a few more sins to my list.... :P

 

Except, for most Catholics, confession is the only spiritual direction they receive.  I agree with you that a confessional with a line of 40 people waiting is inappropriate, but doesn't that point out the need for more confessional time? That or maybe the priest should give himself a time limit, and give the person his number to make an appointment.    

[dominicansoul]

Except, for most Catholics, confession is the only spiritual direction they receive.  I agree with you that a confessional with a line of 40 people waiting is inappropriate, but doesn't that point out the need for more confessional time? That or maybe the priest should give himself a time limit, and give the person his number to make an appointment.    

 

You know what would be great?  If every parish had two priests hearing confessions at one time.  Then you can have one line for those who want the spiritual direction, and another "express lane.,,"   "ten sins or less!"    :P  

[Spem in alium]

Confession times in my parish are Friday evenings during the praying of the Rosary and Saturday mornings after 9:15 Mass. They recently added the Friday slot which is really helpful, though I do wish there would be one during the week as it can be hard to make evenings and Saturday is filled with work. The church on my uni campus offers every day before Mass as far as I'm aware, but there's usually a lot of people in line.

[To Jesus Through Mary]

Every day, one hour before Mass, extra on saturday, and about a half hour after Sunday Mass, mostly for people from out of town.
FSSP is outstanding for confession.

 

I actually went to a FSSP parish for Confession- it was a terrible experience. I had also heard that they were awesome, but honestly it brought me to tears. I am sure there are some good Confessors within that order, but not all the FSSP priests are great confessors... 

[CatherineM]

Old parish 30 minutes before mass. New parish traditional Saturday afternoon stuff.

[Nihil Obstat]

I actually went to a FSSP parish for Confession- it was a terrible experience. I had also heard that they were amesome, but honestly it brought me to tears. I am sure there are some good Confessors within that order, but not all the FSSP priests are great confessors...

Interesting. My experience has been universally exceptional.

[Anastasia13]

Thoughts? am I overreacting?

 

I tried to go to confession today. I waited an hour. The priest had to go serve at Mass. Everyone on my side of the sanctuary had to move to the other side for another priest. Being unhappy that confession is only offered for 45 minutes does not seem like overreacting.