Busy Day for Confessions
By Penny Wiegert, Editor
April 14, 2022
DIOCESE OF ROCKFORD—All around the 11 counties of the Rockford Diocese, priests kept busy April 6 with steady streams of those seeking to make a confession during Be Reconciled Day.
Be Reconciled Day is a day set aside for parishes to be open and hear confessions all day. It is an effort begun by Bishop David Malloy in 2014 as an offspring of the Catholic Church’s observance of a Year of Faith, 2012-2013.
After adjusting for the coronavirus for the past two years, the all-day opportunity for the sacrament of confession resumed as usual this year.
The goal of “Be Reconciled” is to make the sacrament of reconciliation more accessible, especially for people who have been away or hesitant about confession for many months or many years and to provide a perfect way for busy people to find a convenient time to prepare their souls for Easter.
Parishes around the diocese have adjusted their schedules accordingly, with many offering confession from 9 a.m. or earlier to 8 p.m. in the evening. Over the years, parishes have made times convenient for Catholics. Priests with multiple parishes have offered confessions for several hours at each parish under their care, while others have offered confessions at one central parish.
Regardless of how it’s been done, the effort has provided the opportunity for confession to those with busy schedules or those reluctant to receive the sacrament at their own parish.
Father John McNamara, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish, West Dundee, said the confessional was busy all day. Likewise, a steady stream of Catholics for confession was seen all day at St. Joseph in Elgin and St. Monica Parish in Carpentersville, keeping multiple priests busy all day.
Inquiries to the Diocesan Administration Center included those wanting times for confession and those expressing thanks. One comment was sent from a person in the Archdiocese of Dubuque that said, “Thanks for having such a day for confession. I drive to your diocese every year to go to confession.”
In case you want to save the date, Be Reconciled Day for 2023 will be March 29.
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