Welcome Home to Healing

CLIFTON  As the time of Lent draws near with Ash Wednesday on March 6, Catholics in the Paterson Diocese are once again invited to experience God’s healing love and forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Catholic Churches in Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties will have their doors open for Confession every Monday night, from March 11 to April 8, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. as part of the Welcome Home to Healing program.

Referring to the parable of the Prodigal Son, Bishop Serratelli wrote in a special invitation to all, “God is the Father who sees us, runs to us and embraces us. He takes our feeble confession of sin and turns it into a moment of great rejoicing. Our sins strip us of our dignity. God clothes us with his grace and peace. Nothing can make God stop loving us. In fact, as St. Paul says, ‘God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us’” (Rom 5:8).

For more than a decade, Catholics from around the Diocese and beyond have “come home” and experienced God’s healing love. One of its purposes of the program is to draw the faithful to the holy season of Lent.

Father Stephen Prisk, diocesan vice chancellor and priest-secretary to the Bishop, said, “Confession is a sacrament of healing and provides us with the opportunity to receive the loving mercy of our Heavenly Father and relieve ourselves of the burdens we carry as a result of our sin.”

Through the years, parishes have welcomed many Catholics back to the Church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some priests report hearing confessions from people who haven’t been to church in more than 30 years. Often, churches have stayed open longer to accommodate all those seeking to go to confession on Monday evenings in Lent.

While the Church asks Catholics to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year, Father Prisk sees Welcome Home to Healing as an opportunity to receive God’s healing love. He said, “Going to Confession monthly is a good habit. It is better to think of Confession not as a requirement but an opportunity. Why would we not want to be forgiven of our sins if we have the opportunity? Confession not only forgives us of our sins, but also gives us the grace to avoid sin in the future. Confession also helps us to purify our souls so that we can more worthily receive Jesus in Holy Communion. We become the living tabernacle when we receive Holy Communion.”

Because the program receives the attention of those Catholics that have been away from the Church or the sacrament, the Paterson Diocese has set up a website dedicated to the program with resources for people on how to go to confession, frequently asked questions and an examination of conscience to ease fears or answers questions about the sacrament. A Spanish-language version of the website is also available. Priests may also visit the site for parish resources.

When going to Confession, Father Prisk said, “The requirements for the Sacrament of Reconciliation are that we know our sins, we are sorry for them and we do our penance. Having been away from the sacrament for a number of years does not prevent us from receiving absolution. There is nothing to fear. The image of the Prodigal Son is a great one for those who have been away from the Church for some time. God, the Father, lovingly awaits for us at all times, hopeful that we will return home.”

With all parishes of the Diocese open for Confession on Monday evenings, people who may not feel comfortable going to Confession to their own parish priest can simply head to a nearby church or even visit a parish on their way home from work.

In his letter inviting all to participate in Welcome Home to Healing, the Bishop wrote, “Like the Prodigal Son barely able to confess his sins, we at times, are ashamed and even afraid to name those evils that separate us from God who loves us so much. But the Father is not ashamed to recognize us as his own son or daughter. He longs to wrap his arms around us. He is waiting to welcome us home.”