Another sign that the sacrament of reconciliation is making a comeback. The Archdiocese of New York is planning “24 Hours of Confession” in conjuction with the Cathedral of St. Patrick Young Adults during Lent.
Scheduled to take place between 7 a.m. Friday, March 6 through 7 a.m. Saturday, March 7, 2009, “24 Hours of Confession” will be offered at 21 parishes throughout Manhattan. The participating parishes will have their confession doors open for a total of more than 120 hours during the 24-hour period.
This idea isn’t new.
I first wrote about it for the Register here. The Archdiocese of Chicago’s St. Mary’s Church in Lake Forest, Ill., was one of the first to offer what they called “24 Hours of Grace” in February 2006. More than 70 priests heard confessions, and more than 350 people received the sacrament. When the Archdiocese of Chicago repeated the event in 2007, with 7 parishes participating, more than 2,500 people attended confession. That’s about 105 per hour.
The Archdiocese of New York hopes to triple Chicago’s numbers. Those interested in finding a participating parish and times, visit this Cathedral of St. Patrick Young Adults link.