Getting Annoyed Waiting For Confession

[prose]

I just read another thread that got me thinking.

Sometimes when I am waiting in line for confession and there are like 20 people in line and someone takes like 20 minutes, and there is a time line to confessions, I get anxious, and I ALWAYS feel rushed.

I remember my first confession in 12 years the priest kept looking at his watch and saying uh huh uh huh... And then he absolved me BEFORE I WAS DONE because he was in a hurry for a timeline.

What do you all think of this?

I always kinda wonder whether I should go back and have a full confession again even though I am absolved.

[Guest T-Bone]

I always feel the need to confess getting annoyed...

[IcePrincessKRS]

I've gotten annoyed, but I know the person who I was annoyed at and I know its not just confessing he does in the confessional. I don't exactly confess getting annoyed, but I do confess getting angry so I think that counts... when I'm annoyed I feel angry...

[Franimus]

can't say i've had any problems with this yet...

[xTrishaxLynnx]

I went to confession the other day and I was getting nervous that the Priest wasn't going to show up. I had finished praying the rosary and was already part way through another when he finally got there, 20 minutes late. But I wasn't worried that we'd have to hurry too much. Most of the people who were there go just about every week so they don't take very long.

When I went in, before I even had a chance to kneel, the Priest started to say things for me ("Bless me Father...") I think I really made this face...... I didn't know what to do, so I cut him off and said it myself. Then I went through my confession, or most of it. As soon as I hesitated even slightly he began to talk to me... and I let him finish his first sentence or two, but I didn't want to leave without finishing, so I said "Um.. I have more to confess." I felt like a moron at the time, but I knew I wouldn't feel right about not telling everything. He laughed, apologized, and told me to continue.

If I hadn't finished I would have ended up going back because it would have bothered me a lot if I didn't. I guess it's up to you, because even if the Priest cuts you off, if you had the intention of confessing something, it's still forgiven.

[LouisvilleFan]

20 people in line for Confession??? Wow!

Last time I went, I created the line by being the second person to show up. It's a good thing he was there because I hadn't been to Confession at this parish before and the guy in there when I showed up took a while, so after a while I started to wonder if I was at the right place

Still, it's not like we're at McDonald's. I hate to hear about priests being impatient, but I can also see that being a temptation since I'm sure they're busy. Why not just schedule a time instead of bothering with the lines?

[Lil Red]

the only time i see 20 people in a line is during Lent

and no, i don't get annoyed with people taking too long because i'm glad people are taking the time to go to confession. i get annoyed that there is only an hour allotted for confession once a week.

[Era Might]

Yah, I don't know why parish Priests can't seem to spare more than 45 minutes every Saturday for scheduled confessions. I know you can call and make an appointment anytime, but that pretty much nullifies the anonymity factor.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Era Might

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1083888' date='Oct 4 2006, 02:08 PM']
the only time i see 20 people in a line is during Lent

and no, i don't get annoyed with people taking too long because i'm glad people are taking the time to go to confession. i get annoyed that there is only an hour allotted for confession once a week.
[/quote]
same here. i'm not annoyed by it taking a long time but it does make me axious, especially when i know i'm in a state of mortal sin. i'm worried i won't get through the line in time. we only have 45 minutes on Tuesdays and an hour on Thursdays (plus an hour and a half on Saturdays). We do have a lot of confession times so many people probably wouldn't be worried if they missed one but going to Mass every day, it really stinks to miss out on receiving Jesus because I can't get through a line the day before.

[Lil Red]

wow, hughey, that's awesome that your parish offers so many confession times! :

and i usually get to confession 10 minutes early, so i am close to the front of the line

[Anomaly]

Wow! I'm stunned that 20 people seems weird. Lent would have 6 to 8 priests and a few hundred people. At the parish I used to attend regularly. (LOL) They had 2 confession periods on Saturday with at least 2 priests. About 6 to 8 per line was standard for the whole time. The one right before early Saturday mass (4pm) would drop to 1 priest (the other said mass) 10 minutes before mass started and that priest seemed to always have people until the Offering. Plus, if you got there 1/2 hour before mass, the priest would hear a quick confession. It was also easy to make an appointment at any time to meet anywhere. Church, office, restaurant, pub. But then again, the've been holding hands during the our father for years and had teens on the altar for lifeteen before it was disallowed and had Mass in spainish and english and had Mass in the Social Hall and in a carnival tent on occasion so most of you probably couldn't stand going to such a 'liberal' parish and probably wouldn't call them properly catholic.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Anomaly

[Lil Red]

anomaly, yeah you can make appointments for confession, but it's sad that most parishes don't seem to make the time available for parishioners. and your post was great, up until the bitter end.

[franciscanheart]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1083899' date='Oct 4 2006, 02:16 PM']
wow, hughey, that's awesome that your parish offers so many confession times! :

and i usually get to confession 10 minutes early, so i am close to the front of the line
[/quote]
Yeah we are really lucky to have so many times! It guarantees more people get in to confess.

The confessions on Tuesday are right after Mass so my problem then becomes that I am praying the rosary with the group and like to finish it before jumping in line. The one on Thursdays is in the evening before Mass and we have two priests so I usually never have to wait then! And I get to confess with my favorite confessor which is great.

Saturdays are busy what with weddings, baptisms and Masses. If you ever come to my church to confess, avoid Saturdays!

And Anomaly, as far as lenten confessions go in my church, the lines are LONG. We have about four to five priests on hand during that time and each of their lines has at least 20-30 people in it almost the entire time. The lines wrap around the side aisles of the church and that's with people waiting for both the face to face and screened sides of the confessional!

[Lil Red]

[quote name='hugheyforlife' post='1083913' date='Oct 4 2006, 12:23 PM']And Anomaly, as far as lenten confessions go in my church, the lines are LONG. We have about four to five priests on hand during that time and each of their lines has at least 20-30 people in it almost the entire time. The lines wrap around the side aisles of the church and that's with people waiting for both the face to face and screened sides of the confessional! [/quote]
what i meant during Lent was the line for regular confession times was about 20 people. not the Communal Confession or whatever it's called where they have 6 or 7 priests available to the whole parish.

[Anomaly]

[quote name='hugheyforlife' post='1083913' date='Oct 4 2006, 01:23 PM']
And Anomaly, as far as lenten confessions go in my church, the lines are LONG. We have about four to five priests on hand during that time and each of their lines has at least 20-30 people in it almost the entire time. The lines wrap around the side aisles of the church and that's with people waiting for both the face to face and screened sides of the confessional!
[/quote]LOL. I got over my 'uncomfortableness over confession at one of the Lenten doo-das. All the confessionals were being used, they had stations with little screens for visiting priests. The Pastor had two chairs sitting on the altar in front of the Tabernacle. Literally right in front of God and everybody. He had the shortest line too and NOBODY even close doing their penance. Everyone was staring at the 'brave souls in Fr. A's line.

Being a more tolerant than patient soul, I took the short line. No matter how you slice it, a 6 person line was better than my choice of 8 two dozen person lines. By the time I got up to Fr. A, I was over everyone just watching our line and the person confessing on the altar. (Though it was pretty interesting.) Fr. A made a joke that he's gotten all the really bad sinners all night because only people who wanted to confess would brave doing it on the altar in front of God and everybody. He said take my time, his line was short and there was no point in chickening out now. One of the best reconcilliation experiences I've ever had.