24 Hours Sacrament of Reconcilation in 52 Churches

AMERICA/UNITED STATES - Archdiocese of New York offers “24 Hours of Confession” in 52 churches, for Lent


New York (Agenzia Fides) – The Cathedral of Saint Patrick Young Adults and 51 churches of the Archdiocese of New York, have announced the 2nd Annual “24 Hours of Confessions” project for the 2010 Lenten Season. First held in Lent 2009 with the involvement of 20 Manhattan parishes, this year the Archdiocese has announced that 51 parishes will open their doors from 7:00am Friday, March 5 to 7:00am Saturday, March 6. These participating parishes have extended their hours for hearing confessions, targeting those Catholics who have not yet found the time to receive the Holy Sacrament of Reconciliation, keeping their doors open for a grand total of over 275 hours in this 24-hour period.

Mario Bruschi, Director of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick Young Adults, commented on the importance of the initiative: “Catholics need to know that confession is all about God’s forgiveness and love and that the priest is there for them. In this Year of the Priest, the priests of the Archdiocese of New York are making a tremendous sacrifice to hear people’s confessions, to counsel them, and to give them comfort...reminding people that confession can restore us when we sin. They are living the great example of St. John Vianney and St. Padre Pio, by bringing people back to Jesus Christ through this sacrament.”

In an effort to increase availability of this Sacrament, several other American dioceses are also opening confessionals for additional hours during the time of Lent. Hopefully, these positive initiatives will continue even during the rest of the liturgical year, as the need is always present. (AR) (Agenzia Fides 05/03/2010)

Links:
For full list of participating parishes
http://cspya.org/