A listener named Michael asks Father Dave about finding time to go to Confession. “My parish only offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturdays 30 minutes before Mass. This one time makes it very difficult [for me] to go to Confession. In fact, I’ve been avoiding it due to the schedule,” Michael begins. “Is it rare or commonplace to ask a priest for a private confession? We have two priests for 3,500 families so they are super busy; I feel guilty adding to their work load. All the parishes in my diocese have similar schedules.”
Father Dave agrees that a half hour before Mass on Saturdays is a small window to go to Confession, but encourages Michael to talk to his priests to make an appointment. “I can’t speak for [your priests], but from the many priests that I know and for myself – we’re busy with a lot of stuff, but in most cases, we would probably rather hear your confession than do 90% of the stuff that we’re busy with,” he says.
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“Often priests have to be busy with things that we didn’t necessarily fall in love with the priesthood to do,” he says, and notes that he had this thought while attending meetings today. “If somebody called me today and said, ‘Hey, sorry. I know you’re busy, but can you hear my confession?’ I would say to the meeting people, ‘See ya, I have to go be a priest now.’”
“It is our responsibility as ordained ministers to not deny you, a Catholic, the Sacraments,” Father Dave continues. “ We shouldn’t be denying out of scheduling or busyness.
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Father Dave notes that some parishes specifically write on their sign or in the bulletin that confessions can be made by appointment. “If you say, ‘It’s been months since my last confession, and I just can’t conveniently make the Saturday time. Can we schedule a time this week or next week, Father?’ I’m going to say, no matter how busy your priests are with 3,500 families, that they will say yes and do that, because it is commonplace for priests to hear private confessions. Don’t feel guilty about adding to their workload.”
To ease Michael’s guilt, Father Dave compares asking for Confession to requesting other Sacraments. “If you were in the hospital, would you feel guilty requesting the priest to come and visit you, anoint you, or bring you communion? You shouldn’t feel guilty; We are here to serve you. That’s the whole point,” he says. “Priests are serving the people of God in lots of different ways, even fixing the air conditioning in the church, which pastors sometimes have to do. But again, for most priests that I know, they put up with all the other parts of their day so that they can get to do things like celebrate Mass and hear your confession. So don’t think of it as an imposition.”
