Confession Night. In the large Week, more than 50 churches in Poland will join the action

In the large Week in more than 50 churches in Poland priests will confess until midnight or all night. The Confesjonal Night action is intended to let confession to the busy believers who cannot enter the sacrament of penance during the day," said the PAP action coordinator Fr Grzegorz Adamski.

Fr Adamski explained that the action is simply a consequence to the spiritual needs of modern man and the expanding pace of life.

– I met many people who, in the heat of work and pre-Christmas preparations, stood on the threshold of Christmas with the cognition that they had managed to clean the home and bake the cake, but did not do what was most crucial in Easter's spiritual experience, or did not confess. They frequently knew at the time erstwhile the Lenten retreat had already ended in the parishes, confessions ended and they simply had nowhere to confess. So was the thought of beginning churches and confessionals at night said the clergyman.

He added that another group that can benefit from the action are people surviving abroad, who come to Poland just before Christmas to spend Easter with their family.

– For them too, action is simply a chance to reconcile with God and benefit from God’s mercy. - He didn't.

He recalled that the first Confession Night was held on 2 April 2010 at a symbolic time of 21.37 and its intent was to commemorate the 5th anniversary of John Paul II's death.

– From that minute on we proceed to cultivate the legacy of John Paul II by reminding him of his teaching about God rich in mercy. That is why the main message of the action is that God is merciful and wants to show mercy besides to modern man – he noted.

According to Father Adamski, the action is not accidental at night and late at night. As he pointed out, the silence and darkness of the night make a climate for deep reflection, stopping in the run and confessing without force and haste.

– In the outer dimension, the intent of the action is to remind us of the spiritual dimension of the large Night, the core of which is to come out of the grave and to be resurrected to a fresh life. The sacrament of penance and reconciliation gives a chance to close a certain phase and start a fresh life. Confession is simply a form of spiritual resurrection – explained.

Fr Adamski reported that so far 44 churches had joined the action, and their number has been increasing. He added that all year the most parishes join the action in the large Week itself.

In the parish of St. Rita of Cascia, it will be possible to join the pre-Christmas confession on Saturday 28 March. On that day, priests will confess from 8:00 to 3:00.

Parishes in Grudziądz, Łódź, Ostrołęka, Rzeszów, Warsaw and Wrocław will join the action on the large Wednesday.

Most churches will join the action on Thursday and Friday. On the large Thursday night confession will be available in any parishes in Będargowo, Częstochowa, Jazgarzew, Koszalin, Ostrowec Świętokrzyski, Ośnie Lubuski, Słupsk, Słopiki, Szczecin and Zielonice.

On Good Friday, parishes in Breń, Chludów, Czechowice-Dziedzice, Częstochowa, Dylakami, Gdańsk, Głównie, Jelenia Góra, Koszalin, Kraków, Łopuszno, Mysiadle, Nidzicy, Ośnie Lubuski, Płońsk, Słupsk, Srebricki, Stargard, Szczecin, Ślesin, Warsaw and Wołów, and on the large Saturday any parishes in Częstochowa, Nidzicy, Ostrołęka, Ośnie Lubuski, San Jose and Warsaw will join the action.

Fr Adamski added that Confession Night is not only the night shifts of confessors in churches, but besides an application for smartphones, in which users can find materials to prepare for the appropriate experience of this sacrament, including an examination of conscience, answers to questions about the sacrament of penance and search for churches participating in the action.

The full list of churches participating in the action together with the beginning hours of confessionals is besides available at: nocconfesjonalow.pl

However, it is worth remembering not to postpone confessions at the last minute and usage the sacrament earlier.

Source: PAP