Michael Kelly
Fr Bryan Shortall Priests have expressed the hope that younger Catholics are rediscovering the Sacrament of Reconciliation after reporting a notable upsurge in people availing of Confession this Christmas.
Limerick-based Fr Gerard Moloney CSsR said the much talked about “demise of Confession” is “slightly exaggerated”.
“We have heard hundreds here in Limerick over the last few days, of all ages and backgrounds,” he told The Irish Catholic.
Fr Moloney said he had been struck by the number of people who had not been to Confession in a long time.
In Dublin, Fr Bryan Shortall OFM Cap. said he believes that younger people are feeling freer about approaching the sacrament, particularly around Christmas time.
“Maybe there’s a rediscovery of Confession with a younger generation not having some of the hang-ups that some older people have had about the sacrament.
“People don’t associated it with being judged, but reconciliation which is great.” Fr Shortall, parish priest of Priorswood, said.
Fr Fergus O’Connor, parish priest of Merrion Road in Dublin said they had been “extremely busy” with people coming for Confession. He said that many people told him they had found the parish on the internet and decided come as a family to avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
“Christmas makes people more aware of their need of the sacrament,” Fr O’Connor said, “so it was great to see people from all backgrounds and all age groups coming.
“We also had many people come as families,” he said.
Experience
Fr Moloney said this was also the experience in Limerick where many families brought their children to be part of the sacrament before Christmas.
“We even had to call in extra priests because we were inundated with people and had a real backlog at times,” he said.
“I was struck by how there was such a variety of people, and quite a few younger people. The sacrament certainly still speaks to people and there is that felt need – and maybe younger people are re-learning Confession,” Fr Moloney told The Irish Catholic.
In Belfast, Fr Eugene O’Neill of St Patrick’s Parish echoed the sentiment. He took to social media platform Twitter to express his appreciation for the great number of people approaching Confession in the run-up to Christmas.