Drive-Up Confession
The drive-up confessions of Wednesday, April 1 were utilized by many people. Fr. Jerry has said that, his personal health permitting, St. Paul of Tarsus will continue to employ this method of confession of sins with sacramental absolution until such a time when we are able to return to the more traditional form of celebrating this sacrament in church. Confessions will be heard each Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30PM. Fr. Jerry will be in his car (a red GMC terrain) and will be parked in front of the construction trailer. His vehicle window will be lowered ever so slightly to hear a person’s confession. The person confessing should have their window down in order to confess their sins. After making an act of contrition (Google it, if you are cannot pray the AOC from memory) the person who confessed their sins will receive absolution and can drive away knowing that they are in state of perfect grace.
A Message From Fr. Jerry
This Lent of 2020 is unlike any other Lent we have ever experienced in our lifetime. None of us could have envisioned, when Lent began on February 26, that we would find ourselves in the position that we are in today. On Ash Wednesday of this year, there were only 60 cases of the coronavirus in the United States. There were no prohibitions of large gatherings of people and, on the first Sunday of Lent things were still pretty much business as usual. However, by the following week handshaking at the sign of peace was the first of many changes. Now we are in the last full week of Lent. The beginning of Holy Week, which commences on April 5, Palm Sunday – is this coming weekend. The guidelines now in place do not allow us to gather for public Mass. The reasons for this prohibition are absolutely necessary to curb the spread of the coronavirus. This is not the Lent or the Holy Week we would have chosen, but it is the Lent and Holy Week that we are faced with and have no choice but to accept.
We need to look at the temporary disruptions in our life, as what we have been called to do for the sake of others, particularly those who are the most vulnerable and susceptible. Now, in the days of our obligatory monasticism, it is the time to pray more intensely each day. Prayer is sorely needed for the eternal repose of the dead, to remember those who are ill or living in fear, and to ask God to protect those who are on the front line of this disease -health care workers of all types. We may never again have a Lenten season that affords us such an opportunity to give extended time to God. We need to use this time wisely, and well.
The current pandemic also offers us a heightened perspective on our own mortality. We have become more aware of the brevity of our human life and just how quickly our existence can turn on a dime. It is a time for taking stock of the values which we hold most dear, and the choices we make on a daily basis.
The threat presented by COVID-19 can also lead us to acknowledge the value of community as it relates to our faith and our daily lives. It is no secret that the number of people who attend church on a weekly basis has been on the decline for some time. Many people have left the traditions of their childhood and found solace in new ways. But for the one in three adults in the United States who attend church on a regular basis, the cancellation of Mass has represented a major disruption in their lives. They feel alone and cut-off.
Our lives are not meant to be lived in total, permanent, isolation. We were created to share our life with others. One way we share our life with others is through our faith in God. St. Paul of Tarsus Parish is a visible sign of our identity as Catholics, a home for faithful to give praise, honor and glory to God and it is a means to connect us to Christ. We have all been made members of God’s family. We are members of the Body of Christ. We should live as members of the Body by gathering together on a regular basis.
Finally, please know how much your presence is missed because of the pandemic restrictions. You are a valuable and needed member of our faith community. Know that the church is open for prayer Monday thru Thursday from 8:30am to 1pm. Additionally, every Wednesday, beginning April 1 (no joke, I am serious)) from 3:30 to 4:30pm, you will have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a unique way – drive up confessions. I will be in my car near the north entrance of the church. When you pull up to my vehicle (a red GMC Terrain). I will have my driver’s side window down ever so slightly – just enough to hear your confession. You can lower your driver’s side window; confess your sins and you will then receive absolution and are free to drive away. Of course, if there is a line of cars, please make sure not to creep too close to the vehicle ahead of you so as to respect the confidentiality of the seal of Confession. I’m willing to try this for a few weeks and gage the response. We will see how it goes from there. I want to be here for you serve you if and when I am needed. Until next week, stay strong and healthy.
Fr. Jerry Slowinski