NEW ORDER OF PENANCE

Recently, it was announced that a New Order of Penance will be introduced during 2023. Its mandatory use is effective the Second Sunday of Easter/Sunday of Divine Mercy, April 16th.

For the past several years, our ritual books have been undergoing revisions. The most notable occurred in 2011 with the promulgation of the Roman Missal. The Order of Baptism and the Order of Celebrating Matrimony have already been in use for the last few years.

Most of us will not see many changes. The Act of Contrition people have learned over the years remains the same. A couple of the words the priest uses in the formula for absolution have changed but nothing substantial. The three orders for celebrating the Sacrament of Penance remain: the Order of Reconciling Individual Penitents, the Order for Reconciling Several Penitents with Individual Confession and Absolution, and the Order for Reconciling Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution which is almost never used.

We are now approaching the Season of Lent which is a penitential season and good time to receive the Sacrament of Penance. The Sacrament of Penance is available on Saturday afternoons before the 4:00 p.m. Mass and upon request. During the Season of Lent we will once again be offering the Order of Reconciling Several Penitents with the Individual Confession and Absolution which will take place on March 15th.

On Ash Wednesday, Masses are at 8:00 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. Ashes will be distributed during Mass. Please join us for our Lenten Season.