Parishes offer drive-up confession

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

“It was good being on church property again. I may not have received the Eucharist, but I received another sacrament.”
Stephen Abate was talking about going to confession – drive-up style.
His parish, St. Mary in Uxbridge, was one of those in the diocese that offered Catholics the chance to receive the sacrament of penance from their vehicles – at an acceptable social distance from the priest and each other.
“I cried when I heard about Mass,” Mr. Abate said, in reference to how public Masses in the diocese were suspended March 17 because of the coronavirus pandemic. “I didn’t cry for the Church; Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I am just afraid for me; I need to receive Jesus to keep me from sinning any more than I do.”
“This is something I do – I come to confession anyway,” said Emile Ethier, another St. Mary’s parishioner, as he waited in the drive-up line. “I’ve been wanting to come since Ash Wednesday.
“I really miss my church family (where you) get a friendly hug, talk to your friends. … I think adversity is going to strengthen us. It makes me realize just how much my Church family means to me.”
“It’s humbling that people are still willing to come out in the midst of all of this to receive the sacrament,” said Father James M. Boland, pastor of St. Patrick Parish, at 258 Main St. in Rutland, who also offered drive-up confessions Saturday. He said he thought most people were just grateful for the opportunity.
Approximately eight came, about the number he might get on a normal Lenten Saturday, but gratifying, since the new set-up was announced so late, he said.
He said he thought he would continue offering drive-up confessions from 3:30-5 p.m. Saturdays in the parking lot behind the parish center.
Father Walter J. Riley, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish at 353 Grove St. in Worcester, said he had “three drive-ups, one walk-up and a squirrel I had to drive away” for his drive-up confessions from 3-4 p.m. Saturday behind the church. He said he will probably continue offering the sacrament this way, weather permitting.
Father James S. Mazzone, pastor of St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton, said two priests heard drive-up confessions non-stop for an hour Saturday in St. John’s Cemetery in Lancaster. Such a flow of people “is actually our norm here,” he said.
“I myself, as a priest, was moved by people’s genuine desire for the sacraments,” said Father Nicholas Desimone, pastor of St. Mary’s, 77 Mendon St. in Uxbridge. “It’s been heart-breaking to hear people vent about not being able to receive the Eucharist or the other sacraments as regularly as they would like. … To be able to meet that need is worth all the effort.”
He said he’d scheduled drive-up confessions for 4-6 p.m. Saturday in front of the parish center behind the church, but went out about 3:30 p.m. because two vehicles were already waiting. Confessions were constant until 5 p.m., and again from 5:30-6 p.m., he said.
He figured some two dozen people came, about a third of them from outside the parish, one from 20 miles away. Some said they’d heard about the opportunity through family members who are parishioners.
“Everyone was so deeply appreciative of the opportunity to come to the sacrament of reconciliation,” Father Desimone said. A few even asked to take his photo, he said, figuring that was because they found this set-up for the sacrament a novel idea.
“It wasn’t really my idea,” he said; it was raised during a group chat among some young clergy in the diocese. (Drive-up confessions have also been offered or are being planned at some parishes outside the Worcester Diocese.)
“I was sort of elected as the one to bring it to the bishop’s attention,” Father Desimone said. He said Bishop McManus “thought it showed a lot of apostolic zeal on the part of the young clergy.”
A St. Mary’s Flocknote message announced, “The bishop has given us permission to try something new,” and explained the drive-up confession process as follows:
“The driver will pull forward and stop in a designated space, roll down the window, and stay in the car. The priest will hear the person’s confession, prescribe a penance, and give absolution. The car will pull away. The next car, that has been waiting at a distance, will then pull forward.
“There must be only one person in the car. There will not be an option for anonymous confessions. …
“If there is a car in front of you, please stop at the statue of the Blessed Mother. (There will be a sign).”
Father Desimone said he hopes to offer drive-up confessions from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays as long as possible.
“Hopefully I won’t have to use an umbrella,” he added.

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