September 22, 2024
On the morning of my First Confession in second grade, I had to be pulled from line and quickly ushered outside to the front steps of the church, where I unceremoniously threw up all over the potted geraniums that stood alongside the railing. It was not my proudest moment.
Looking back on that day, what could I possibly have been so anxious about as to literally lose my breakfast? What was it about the confessional that made me want to run in the opposite direction?
Thankfully, by God’s grace and a bit of maturity, I have since come to recognize the supreme gift that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is for all of us. We are sinners, and we often miss the mark. We need healing that only God can give. How blessed we are that the Lord waits for us in this very Sacrament in order to free us from the very things that keep us chained to hate, anger, selfishness and a host of other sins that keep us from reflecting His love.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, know that your priests here at Immaculate Conception Parish and St. Jude mission consider it both a privilege and a sacred responsibility to celebrate Reconciliation, and we do our best to offer a variety of times that can accommodate you when the sacramental need arises.
With this in mind, we are noticing an encouraging trend in the number of confessions being heard before the 5 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass at Immaculate Conception. On a number of occasions, we have had to cut the line at five minutes before the start of Mass, resulting in both the lack of prayerful preparation the priest needs to enter into the celebration of Liturgy as well as the reality that some penitents have to wait until afterwards or don’t get to go until the following week.
Starting Saturday October 5th – the day that there is no Vigil Mass due to the Eucharistic Congress in Ocean City – Confessions will now be celebrated on Saturday mornings from 9:15 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. Moving forward, the Sacrament of Reconciliation will no longer be celebrated at 4 p.m. at Immaculate Conception. Confession times at St. Jude on Sunday morning before the 9 a.m. Mass will remain the same.
I realize that some have grown accustomed to celebrating Confession before the Vigil Mass, but in an effort not to rush penitents and also reach parishioners who can’t make 4 p.m. work for them, I would like to try this new Saturday morning time. If we realize it doesn’t work well for our parish community, I promise we will reevaluate.
Know, too, that we are always here to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation by appointment. As always, I thank you for your understanding and your prayers. Never be afraid to let the mercy of God reach the places in our lives and hearts where sin wants to cling.