On December 28, 2024, Fr. Tom Pringle observed on , “I’ve been at my parish for about 3 years. What I’ve seen in that time is a resurgence in Catholics going to confession.” I am the pastor of a parish with about 900 families, and I echo what Fr. Pringle said.

This past Advent, I heard confessions for hours. I would arrive at the confessional 20-30 minutes early and hear confessions until the vigil Mass on a Saturday. I did not have a free moment to crack a book during my Tuesday confessions either. And I also added a time that had me hearing confessions beyond the scheduled time. It was apparent: confession is back, and people are seeking out God’s mercy. Additionally, our parish distributed Dave Durand’s book on confession, The Fountain of Youth, at Christmas; and, in the few weeks that have since passed, several people have commented on the impact the book has had—and it has, in fact, brought them to the confessional. Men’s Devotional... Bailey, Jamie Best Price: $3.12 Buy New $8.96 (as of 02:41 UTC - Details)

I think about confession every First Saturday too. The message that Mary spoke in Fatima, where she encouraged monthly confession as part of the five First Saturdays, proposes a spirituality for the faithful. What it means is that Our Lady wants us to go to confession monthly. When I celebrate Mass for a handful of the faithful on First Saturday, and hear confessions afterward, I think about this question: “What if every Catholic observed the message of Our Lady of Fatima?” As the pastor of a parish and a school, with the duties I have now, how many hours could I hear confession to meet the need for confession, if all the faithful went once a month.

If the demand for confession was to rise, priests of today would have to become like St. John Vianney or St. Pio of Pietrelcina who heard confessions for hours a day. As a priest, I would rejoice at this reality, and I already do rejoice at the increased requests for confessions that I have seen. But it makes me wonder if the Church is ready for this revival.

The Catholic Church in the United States embarked upon a multiyear Eucharistic revival. I believe there has been good fruit from the revival. I am grateful for what it has done to reinvigorate Eucharistic faith and devotion. This revival could be sparking the renewal of celebrating the sacrament of Penance because if one wants to worthily receive the Holy Eucharist, then a good confession should be a part of the process.

We all desire for a renewal of the Catholic Faith and a steadfast practice of it by people in our communities, cities, country, and world. But are we ready for a renewal or revival? Does the Church today have the infrastructure to support a revival?

Unfortunately, as I see it, we do not. The shortage of priests in dioceses throughout the country is felt. Parishes are clustered together, sharing a priest. Communities once served by two or three priests are served by one priest who is split in many directions. Confessions, which would have been heard more regularly in each individual parish, are scheduled less frequently because of the split time. The Awe of God: The As... Bevere, John Best Price: $7.99 Buy New $15.00 (as of 03:51 UTC - Details)

When a diocese confers another responsibility upon the pastor, it means his time to his people is diminished, or he overworks, leading to health problems and burnout. If a Eucharistic revival takes place, and churches are filled every Sunday, will there be a need for the addition of more Masses? Can a priest, already celebrating four Masses on a weekend, possibly add another Mass to his schedule? I hope I am not the only person asking these questions and that chanceries are anticipating revival and what it will mean for the practice of the clergy.

While some bishops, like my own, have an optimistic mindset regarding revival and its potential needs, there are other (arch)dioceses that seem content with decline and have no interest in renewal or revival. Closing churches and reducing the availability of the sacraments and the presence of Christ in the tabernacle is seen as more convenient than converting hearts and filling pews with people who desire the sacraments. In an ideal world, there should be a need to establish more churches because of the demand; but alas, the availability of clergy to serve those parishes is not yet there.

Read the Whole Article