One of the reasons why Saint Francis of Assisi parish is able to have a multitude of days and hours of Confession available is because of our use of Confession during Mass. There are some who, when we started this practice, did not like it; but have since come to see its value and beauty. Still, there are other good and devout Catholics who don’t prefer it. Fr. Meng and I also both know a few very holy and good priests in this diocese who don’t like it, either. However, we the Clergy at Saint Francis, both see its intrinsic value and necessity for this primary reason: some of the most needful, urgent, and heartfelt Confessions we have heard in our priesthood have been during the Sunday Mass.
It is very common, at a Sunday Mass, to hear the Confession of persons who have been away for 10 years, 20 years, 30 or more years. When asked why they are returning after so long, people commonly say, “Because it was available!” After this, they often add, “Going to Confession has been weighing on my mind for a while, and I finally realized I didn’t have an excuse as to why not do go since it’s here waiting for me.”
Consider this, when a person “comes back to Church” do they first go to Confession or go to Sunday Mass? Answer: Sunday Mass. So, if Confessions are heard during Sunday Mass, then those people are also able to go to Confession as soon as they return to Mass – and many people do just that. For us, one of the most privileged moments of the priesthood is hearing a Confession where the Holy Spirit is so obviously and powerfully present that you inevitably must conclude that everything that just occurred was by pure divine grace.
Another consideration is this: Some people who regularly go to Sunday Mass with their family find it difficult to get them and their family to Confession during the week. Sunday Mass is truly a most convenient time and it’s amazing to see an entire family line up in for Confession during Mass. And the Church, in her wisdom, frequently reminds priests that Confession should be offered at the convenience of the penitent. This is especially beneficial for families with very young children. One of our most common “confessees” are, in fact, grade school-age children. They, too, get the incredible opportunity to go to Confession during Mass when family schedules or their public school doesn’t have them available.
Another devotional benefit of Confessions during Mass is that they are little moments of spiritual direction. In a parish where there is one priest per 1000 active Mass-goers (1:1000), spiritual direction is a virtual impossibility for most… except during Confession. Admittedly it is a very small moment, but it is frequently a moment of tenderness, awareness, listening, and advice. People often not only share their sins but also their anxieties and fears. As a response, the priest can offer words of consolation and care during those moments. I like to call it “bubble gum” spiritual direction: a little piece of advice that one can chew on throughout the week.
Another objection some people (usually fellow priests) bring up is this: by going to Confession, one is missing time in Mass. Yet, in our experience, even while standing in line, one is actively participating in Mass. Many people have also learned to wait until the line shortens before getting up and joining, thus keeping their focus on Mass in their pews for a longer time. Not to mention, time missed in the confessional is shorter than time missed if one left Mass to use the restroom. In addition, let us not forget that St. John Paul II wrote the Motu Proprio encouraging the use of Confession during Mass for the sake of the convenience of the people of God (Misericordia Dei, April 7, 2002).
Yes, we have Confessions during the Mass. We, the priests of your parish, understand that this decision truly does bring convenience and witness of God’s Divine Mercy to literally hundreds of souls a week. Regardless of where you stand on the matter, let us all rely on God’s Divine Mercy; and the best way to do that is in that little room in the corner of the Church.
Father Jarrod Lies, Pastor