Prelate inaugurates new confessionals installed in St. Anthony of Padua Church
Special to The B.C. Catholic
New confessionals in St. Anthony of Padua Church in Vancouver beautifully express the architectural and spiritual goals of the parish, according to its enthusiastic pastor, Father Justin Huang.
Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, blessed them during Mass Feb. 12, saying they will provide “a throne of mercy where the sacrament of reconciliation will be celebrated” and “sinners will be restored and strengthened in their life with God.”
“It is fitting that the confessional be a place of beauty because it is a place of joy which externally manifests the wonderful forgiveness that God offers.”
A pamphlet prepared for the blessing ceremony says that every detail of the renovations, carried out over five months, was “purposefully and intentionally” planned to create a space that communicates a sense of welcome, mercy, love, and grace.
The result is a place reflecting “the true love that God the Father has for each of us personally,” where penitents will feel at home and yet uplifted.
Expanded and with benches for those with limited mobility, the confessionals have extra soundproofing and screens that allow anonymous or face-to-face confession.
A white marble rail, identical to the Communion rail, is a reminder that confession returns penitents to a state of grace before they receive the Eucharist. It and the white marble floor represent renewal, purity, and spiritual cleansing. Cross-shaped niches contain original icons of the crucified Christ.
Although designed to retain the original architectural integrity of the church, the new confessionals are deliberately prominent. “The two sacraments that we celebrate most often in the church, Mass and reconciliation, should stand out,” said Father Justin.
In the sacrament of reconciliation, said Archbishop Miller, the priest receives penitents “not with the attitude of a judge, nor just as a simple friend, but with the love of God, with the love of a father who sees his son or daughter returning to him and goes out to meet that son or daughter.”
In St. John’s Gospel, he said, just before Christ
Priest makes confession a priority during the Year of Mercy bestows on the apostles the power to forgive sins, He shows them His wounds.
“That forgiveness reaches out and touches the wounds that we all have, the wounds of our sins.” The Lord’s wounds come to meet ours “with the healing power that is His through His sacrificial death and resurrection.”
“As we prepare now to bless your confessionals, let us never forget this: that mercy is the very heart of the Gospel.” The good news, he said, is that God loves us and is always inviting us to a restored and deeper relationship.
“It’s a wonderful and magnificent gift that we have in the sacrament of reconciliation and it is more than fitting that we celebrate it in a place of beauty and dignity.”
The new confessionals are already getting good use. Father Huang plans to spend all day, 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., on the first Saturday of each month during the Year of Mercy, waiting inside for penitents.
He was kept busy during his first stint Feb. 6, taking only a few moments at lunch and supper time to eat food that parishioners brought him, and stopping to say Mass at 5 p.m. Jokingly, he suggested there must have been a sign-up schedule, because it was virtually non-stop, which he said was good.
“It was maybe just providential, but God sent everyone at the right time so no one had to wait too long!”
Father Huang said he took the bold step of offering all-day confession, rather than just increasing the length of existing times, to make it as easy as possible to meet Jesus in the sacrament.
“You could think, ‘Once a month, I need to get to reconciliation. My schedule is so busy, but this Saturday all I have to do is get to St. Anthony’s sometime and he’ll be there!’ “
The theme of mercy is on everyone’s lips during this Jubilee Year. For his parish, said Father Huang, it’s the key to what they are trying to do with confession.
“Once a month we’re really trying to make it prominent that we need it in our life. We’re here to bring people closer to Jesus and if once a month the availability of confession will bring them closer to Jesus, let’s do it.”
He will be back in the confessional all day March 5.
