How much time is scheduled for confession at your parish?

[Bernadette]

Just got back from Confession. There's only a half hour a week scheduled for it. I got there before the start time, but there were already two older men there ahead of me. Those two men together took HALF of the scheduled time. I went in, and it took the priest longer to give me absolution than it took me to list my sins. And he didn't chitchat, either. This is the priest with whom I had the run-in over the Real Presence. I didn't want to go to him for confession, but it was the only option as I'm traveling soon and always like to go to confession before I travel, just in case. I don't understand why priests don't prioritize confession and preach on it more. It's literally one of the few things that ONLY they can do: absolve sins. And they schedule a half hour a week for it? Even my aunt, lapsed though she is, couldn't believe it.

[Acolyte]

The times are short most everywhere here, including the SSPX and Independent chapel.
1/2 hour - 1hr in most cases. Some NO parishes are by appt. only.

There is a Dominican parish that has hour long confessions six days a week at 11am and a second hour on Wednesday evening. I think they have an extra hour before the 4:15 pm vigil on Saturday. Lines can get very long but there are as many as four friars hearing confessions. So around 8 hrs a week with multiple friars.

They get a lot of penitents from other NO parishes because of their home parishes' dismal opportunities for confessions.

That Dominican priority has up to five friars in residence. The younger friars seem very orthodox. The older ones more often than not seem like VII apologists going by their sermons.

I only go there to meet my obligation if I can't make a Sunday TLM.

[Bernadette]

My former parish (same priest) was appointment only. So much for anonymity.

[The Curt Jester]

At my parish, confessions are available for an hour on one weekday, often with two priests.  One of the priests will stay in the confessional until all are heard if the line is that long.   On Saturdays, confessions are officially one hour again, but with two or three priests available.  One of the priests (same one) will stay much longer if he has to even if he is scheduled for Mass.  I've seen him stay in until about eight minutes before Mass is supposed to begin. 

[Maximilian]

Our chapel has confession for a half hour every day before daily Mass, and the same on Sunday.

The confessions on Sunday are becoming a problem, with Mass starting 10 or 15 minutes late every week recently. One can sympathize that Father doesn't want to turn anyone away, but hearing confessions on Sunday morning is a post-Vatican II innovation.

[Antonius]

The parish priest at my NO parish, is easy come, easy go attitude towards confession.No time as such is set aside, approach him before the start of the weekend mass, confession provided in open wherever convenient, and is over in no time. Very pro active VII supporter, with regards to the Synod taking place, very much a Hyper Active Kangaroo approach.

[Antonius]

There is a neighbouring Parish, run by the Oratory. They provide private confession, for about an hour before Mass at the weekend. And they take it seriously enough. The length of the actual Confession, is dependent on the actual Confession, not rushed.

[Michael Wilson]

I sympathize with people that assist at Mass on a circuit; They might only get Mass once a month or once every two weeks; the priest arrives just an hour or less before Mass, goes into the Confessional, and cannot prolong the confessions but must start Mass right on time in order to get going either to catch an airplane flight or drive to the next Mass. Of course there is always a long line of people who show up even an hour before Confession time, and even then they  might not be able to get in.

[Miriam_M]

There is a Dominican parish that has hour long confessions six days a week at 11am and a second hour on Wednesday evening. I think they have an extra hour before the 4:15 pm vigil on Saturday. Lines can get very long but there are as many as four friars hearing confessions. So around 8 hrs a week with multiple friars.

They get a lot of penitents from other NO parishes because of their home parishes' dismal opportunities for confessions.

That Dominican priority has up to five friars in residence. The younger friars seem very orthodox. The older ones more often than not seem like VII apologists going by their sermons.

The key concepts here are two: (1) efficiency, due to concentration of time and a critical mass of confessors, and (2) the concept, albeit unstated but being practiced, of Confession as a form of pilgrimage or even a mini-retreat opportunity.

I'm not the only one here who has expressed grief and experienced scandal over the attitude of too many modern (especially diocesan) priests toward the sacrament.  Fr. Ripperger and others have spoken about the fact that many priests try to avoid it "because it's hard."  I agree.  It's hard.  Welcome to the Catholic priesthood.

If you weren't ready for hard work when you signed up for seminary, you should never have done so.  Either that, or your superiors straight up lied to you about the arduousness of an entire life of service. The priesthood is not a secular Men's Club with a few religious duties thrown in among many privileges and opportunities to avoid work. 

It's called State in Life.  Marriage is also not "easy" if it's going to be life-lasting and bring joy and blessings to both partners, their offspring, the Church, and the world.  Parenthood is not "easy" in all its facets comprehensively. One's job or profession, if done faithfully and truthfully, is also not "easy" in every respect.

I also have a local Dominican-run parish.  Yes, some of the older priests are "N.O." in formation, and that becomes clear at the pulpit and in the confessional, but one or two of the older ones were solidly formed in spirituality, and one of them "grilled" me with divine truth during one confession.  Unfortunately, he is not a regular and I have never encountered him since.

Next time anyone here experiences the "efficiency" model Acolyte and I refer to, you should tell the confessor how important it is to have more of these sacramental events.  In addition to the pilgrimage factor, it is also fabulous witness. Many life-long Catholics of various affiliations have spoken of the experience of Confession lines ("waiting for grace") as something very powerful that keeps them Catholic.

[Antonius]

One of the many things that astounds me with NO priests, and there are many things at the moment. When they talk about there day off in the week as if being a Priest was just another job. And when they give a list of things they are expected to do when in working hours. I think that the NO priests fail to grasp, what they are expected to do is a calling, not just another job.

[moneil]

One can sympathize that Father doesn't want to turn anyone away, but hearing confessions on Sunday morning is a post-Vatican II innovation.

I was born in 1951, so I have a pre-VII memory, and hearing confessions before Mass (and during, up until the Offertory) was the norm before the council.  Today in the Novus Ordo confessions are almost NEVER heard before Mass; it is only in an FSSP or ICKSP parish or traditionalist chapels that the practice remains.

[KreKre]

At the SSPX chapel I go to, there are on average 5-6 masses every week, and one can go to confession about an hour before any of them. There are also at least three Novus Ordo parishes in my city where one can go to confession pretty much every day. In pretty much any other parish in my city it is practically impossible to confess your sins, unless you are very lucky with the timing...

However, I'm not sure whether one would want to go to such a priest. Most NO priests I've confessed to seemed to not listen to me, just gave me the absolution and the usual 3 Hail Marys. From personal experience, I know of only one NO priest who listens to confessions carefully and gives good advice and thoughtful penance.

On the other hand, in the SSPX chapel I go to, the confession is a totally different experience. Every priest there I confessed to, always listened to me, asked questions for clarification, gave me excellent advice and comfort. They are full of compassion and understanding, but at the same time, very thorough and would not let me get away with an imprecise or incomplete confession. And the penance was always tailored to the sins I confessed, and helpful for avoiding them in the future. It wasn't just say this and that prayer and you're done. That's an excellent confession, afterwards I feel as light as a feather. I'm truly blessed to have access to priests who clearly care about saving souls. I must pray for them more often than I do.

[Mushroom]

The NO parish I used to attend had confessions by appointment on Fridays and sometimes Sat. Also, the "confessional" wasn't soundproof so they had to use another which I also doubt was soundproof. I don't think many people went judging by the priest's answer when I asked. Also, he would mention how he'd get people who would just ramble and talk about their life (older women).

I don't think confessions before Sunday mass is post-V2, more like pre-V2. It makes sense because wouldn't you want to make sure you were worthy of receiving Our Lord?

[Antonius]

It is a similar issue where I live. In the NO parishes, very few, if any people go to the confession, although not many people attend the Mass either. In the Parish served by the Oratory Community, which is TLM friendly, more people go to Confession, and also the Mass.

[moneil]

I live in southeastern Washington State and there are seven parishes within a thirty mile radius of where I live, divided between the dioceses of Spokane and Yakima.  While it is probable true that the habit of regular confession fell off in the decade or so following VII, the newer priests are putting an emphasis on this sacrament.

Two parishes (Kennewick and Richland) have a one hour confession time before their Saturday evening "Vigil" Mass, always 2 - 4 priests, 30 - 50 people in line.  My parish in Pasco has a two hour confession block on Wednesday evening with 3 priests and 10 - 20 penitents waiting at any given time.  Another parish has a weekly one hour confession time on Thursday evenings, and also on First Friday before an evening Mass, and one needs to show up like 15-20 minutes before the official start time if they want to get in before Mass starts.  St. Mary's in Moscow, ID has confessions on Saturday mornings.  Large urban parishes in the central business district will often have weekday confessions during the noon hour.  The tri-parishes in Walla Walla, WA have confessions Saturday at 2 PM, Sunday at 8 and 9 AM, and Wednesday and Thursday at 4:30 PM.