Week
of
November 28, 2001
Inside the Register
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Capuchin friars return to offer `Ministry of Reconciliation'
Kansas-based Fathers Petrovsky, Goetz to hear confessions during Advent
By Roxanne King
For
the third year in a row, two Capuchin Franciscans will provide the sacrament
of reconciliation at area parishes during Advent, helping the faithful
to prepare for Christmas by acknowledging their sinfulness and receiving
Christ's transforming forgiveness and peace.
Beginning Dec. 3, Capuchin Franciscan Fathers Felix Petrovsky and Maris Goetz will visit over a dozen parishes, from St. Therese in Aurora to Christ the King in Evergreen, for periods of one to three days to administer the sacrament of reconciliation.
The "Ministry of Reconciliation" began as a yearlong mission in 1999 to help the faithful prepare for the Great Jubilee 2000. It was so well received that the ministry continued throughout the Holy Year. The friars, who now live in Kansas, generously agreed to provide the ministry this year during the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent.
The friars hear individual confessions. Their ministry is separate from communal penance services parishes may provide during the Advent season, organizers said.
"The pastors appreciate having someone from outside come in for confessions," Father Petrovsky said. "Some parishioners don't feel comfortable with a priest they know real well. They prefer going to a stranger."
Church precepts oblige the faithful aware of having committed serious sin to confess at least once a year, said Sister Moira Debono, R.S.M., director of liturgy for the archdiocese. But the Church favors more frequent reception of the sacrament to deepen and strengthen conversion.
"The law of the Church says once a year, but for most people, more than that is good," Father Petrovsky said. "If everyone went every month, we'd never get finished. It depends a lot on the individual."
To prepare for the sacrament one should examine one's conscience, Father Petrovsky said. Traditional aids to do so include reflecting on the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes.
"It's looking at their lives and seeing areas where their relationship with God and other people should improve," Father Petrovsky said. "Ask God's forgiveness and seek to do better in the future.
"Unfortunately, there are some people who look upon confession as a burden," he added. "I'd rather have them see it as a gift, a gift from God that can be helpful in living the Christian life."
Sister Debono agreed.
"When we go to confession, we confess two things," she said, "Our sins and our faith in a merciful God who takes us back lovingly."
In response to those who question why one can't just go directly to God for forgiveness, Sister Debono said the Church points out that sin isn't just between the sinner and God — sin has a communal effect.
"The priest, as minister, is representing Christ and the community," she said. "We acknowledge our sins hurt the Body of Christ. There's a horizontal and vertical dimension. We're asking for reconciliation with God and with the Church through the person of the priest.
"Other effects of the sacrament are: we're restored to God's grace, we receive the peace and serenity of conscience and we're reconciled with the Church," she continued. "We receive spiritual consolation and an increase of spiritual strength to avoid sin in the future."
Additionally, the healing power of the sacrament "revitalizes the whole Church," Sister Debono said.
"When we are healed again, the whole body of the Church is healthier," she said.
There's also one aspect of the sacrament many would rather not think about, Sister Debono said.
"We anticipate in a certain way the judgment when we face God at the end of life," she said. "That's pretty strong, but true."
Advent is a time of preparing for the coming of Christ, both at Christmas and at the end of time, Sister Debono said.
"That preparation is an interior preparation," she said. "What will allow us to most fully receive the gift of the incarnation? It's a time to recognize our need to be in deeper relationship with the Lord in order to most fruitfully celebrate Christmas.
"We want to remove obstacles to our relationship with the Lord," she added. "Penance allows the Lord to remove those obstacles from our lives so we can celebrate Christmas in the deepest sense."
Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, people have become more cognizant of their need for God, Sister Debono said.
"People have deepened their awareness of God's presence and love in their lives," she said. "Truly, penance is a way of expressing gratitude to God. It's a way of recognizing the presence of his love in our lives."
Witnessing the desire for reconciliation and the graces of the sacrament make the ministry a gratifying experience, Father Petrovsky said.
"It's been good — I have been edified by the people who come very sincerely, both people who regularly come and people who haven't been for many years," he said. "They come looking for forgiveness, looking for a new start.
"There are times the days can get long," he added, "but then someone will come in and make me very happy that I'm there to help them."
The "Ministry of Reconciliation" schedule is listed in the Register. Call parishes for times. For more information call the Liturgy Office at 303-715-3156.
First Sunday of Advent Dec. 2.
The liturgical year begins with the first Sunday of Advent, which falls this year on Dec. 2.
Advent is a season of four weeks or slightly less duration with the theme of expectation of the coming of Christ. During the first two weeks, the final coming of Christ as Lord and judge at the end of the world is the focus of attention. From Dec. 17 to 24, the emphasis shifts to anticipation of the celebration of his nativity on the solemnity of Christmas.
Advent has four Sundays. Since the 10th century, the first Sunday has marked the beginning of the liturgical year in the Western Church. In the Middle Ages, a kind of pre-Christmas fast was in vogue during the season.
Information from the 2001 Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac.
Capuchin Ministry of Reconciliation:
Capuchin Fathers Maris Goetz and Felix Petrovsky will administer the sacrament of reconciliation at the following parishes on the dates listed. Call parishes for exact times. Watch the Register for future weeks' schedules.
• Dec. 3: St. Therese, 1243 Kingston St., Aurora, 303-344-0132
• Dec. 4: St. Jude, 9405 W. Florida Ave., Lakewood, 303-988-6435
• Dec. 5: St. John the Baptist, 323 Collyer St., Longmont, 303-776-0737
• Dec. 6: St. Louis, 3310 S. Sherman St., Englewood, 303-761-3940
• Dec. 7: St. Joseph, 969 Ulysses St., Golden, 303-279-4464
• Dec. 8: St. Therese, 1243 Kingston St., Aurora, 303-344-0132