I don’t know how widespread this is, but in the Savannah area, more and more parishes are forsaking the traditional Advent and Lenten Penance Services or the liturgical celebration of the Sacrament of Penance.
Penance Services entail and processional hymn, a liturgy of the Word, homily, examination of conscience and then private confession with numerous priests.
Tonight I joined the chorus of anti-Penance Services. For the first time in my priesthood, I got up at 7 PM and told the congregation that there would not be a Liturgical Service and that the five available priests would begin now hearing Confessions and that they could begin to line up at the various stations where the priests were.
We all heard confessions from 7PM to 8:30 PM.
It worked out well.
Are Penance Services needed? I think not, just enough priests to hear all the confession within a reasonable period of time.
What does your parish do?
8 comments:
Bee here:
There are no penance services at St. John Cantius. Confessions are heard before Mass on Saturday evening and Sunday mornings, on First Friday evening before the Mass (from about 7:00 pm until Mass at 8pm) and First Saturday morning before Mass (from about 7:30 am until Mass at 8:30 am), and any time there is a Mass in the evening for whatever occasion, and upon request. If someone goes to the sacristy during the week before Mass and let's Father know they'd like to go to confession, he'll call to the rectory and one of the priests will usually come over.
Around the first of each month the lines are long, but usually the wait is shorter on other Sundays.
Just before Christmas and Easter there are long lines, especially on Easter. Of course, no confessions are heard on Christmas Eve (evening), on Christmas Day or on Easter.
God bless.
Bee
Personally, I like "Penitential Services" because of the prayers and Scripture readings, but I have yet to go to one that actually follows Chapter II of the Rite of Penance - "Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution". If you look at that rite, by and large pastors omit half of it, doing the bare minimum. In fact, I went two weeks ago and the priest I went to omitted most of the Prayer of Absolution, only saying the essential "I absolve you from your sins...". The other thing that is not done is that after hearing the confessions, everyone is supposed to return to their pew, do their penance (if saying particular prayers was the penance given) and remain until everyone is done and then join in a hymn, canticle etc. of praise and then be dismissed. Every one I've gone to for the last 40+ years ends with the person saying their penance (assuming they were even given one) and walking out. Reminds me of the people at Mass who after returning from Communion simply keep walking up the aisle and out the door.
I have for the last several years, used the Evening Prayer of the day from the Breviary as our Penance Service liturgy. It takes about 15 minutes before we begin hearing confessions. After individual confessions, the people depart.
We don’t have anything like this. Our priests always hear confessions before and during the Sunday masses, before the Saturday morning mass, and on Thursday nights. People go to confession as needed, and we are instructed to go at least once a month, preferably every two weeks. I believe most people in the parish abide by that instruction. The confession line, especially during Sunday masses go be pretty long.
I haven't organized a penance service in years, and I haven't been at one in awhile. Instead, I offer lots of times for confessions in the weeks leading into Christmas, and extra confessions in Lent, on top of lots of times all year. Many priests I know are taking the same approach.
There are two problems with penance services. First, they have tended to be rather long and tedious; thankfully, the last few penance services I've attended have been very brief up front. The second problem, as I see it: they foster the notion that we only need to go to confession twice a year.
So instead of emphasizing confession only twice a year, I emphasize it all year long, but I do give it extra emphasis in Lent and Advent.
One of my neighboring parishes does it this way, and I started it as well. I think people just appreciate the opportunity to go to Confession. I even had some "portable confessionals" made (kneeler with a screen attached to it) as more and more prefer the screen.
I've never encountered them, but they sound tediously Novus Ordo-ish - processional hymn, the inevitable Scripture readings, homily (of course), and a long wait since everybody will be making their confessions at the same time.
No doubt there is a rite for going to the lavatory, with a lectern set up next to the urinals, and the act of micturation framed by suitable worship songs.
"No doubt there is a rite for going to the lavatory, with a lectern set up next to the urinals, and the act of micturation framed by suitable worship songs."
I'm sure that is a pastoral provision only for certain parts of Britain.
Post a Comment