Glenmary Deacon José Carlos Miguel López (left) shares a moment with pastor Father Vic Subb.
When Holy Family parish built its long-awaited church in 2019, having a room dedicated for the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation was a no brainer. Catholics go to Confession, though often these days in a small room rather than the old-style confessionals. “We don’t like to have other things in the room,” says Glenmary pastor Father Vic Subb. “Some places you go and they have candles and everything else that they store in there.” Holy Family’s has one purpose: the sacrament. “We have just three chairs and a screen,” says Father Vic. “People have the option of going behind the screen or not.” There is a crucifix on the wall, of course, and also a print of the Agony In the Garden.
There’s a small table in there, too. The room is just behind the worship space, towards the parish offices and a social area—all of the advantages of Macon County’s first permanent Catholic Church building.
In this bilingual parish there’s a noticeable difference in how many people request the sacrament. “There are a small number of Anglos, but they come often,” says Father Vic. Many more Hispanics come, though, he says. “We have adoration. And during that time I hear confessions.”
Yet in his parish, “actually more people tend to go to the live Stations of the Cross on Good Friday than come at Easter.” That’s part of Hispanic culture. Father Vic stresses that “part of Confession is about resurrection and people don’t always get that. Yes, we are sinners. But confession helps us to see more.”
As any priest might, Father Vic recommends confession as an experience of grace. “It’s a wonderful sacrament. I am extremely humbled to listen to someone express their own need for healing.” It’s healthy, says Father Vic, who once read a study suggesting that Catholics need less professional mental health services because they have a place in Confession, a sacred place, to share their weaknesses.
During Lent, the parish will have a reconciliation service, whether a lot of people show up or not. Father Vic recalls priests from neighboring towns coming to help in other years, “but sometimes when you have so few people you’re almost embarrassed. But those priests understand, and want to be there for those who do come,” says Father Vic. Glenmary Father Don Tranel, who is starting a new mission in the region, will come to hear confessions this year.
“People have this sense they’re not lovable,” observes Father Vic. “Hopefully the confessor can help them realize they need to start over again. There is goodness in you. God forgives you. But the big thing is, can you forgive yourself? In Confession we acknowledge that we need to change. Lent is an opportunity to do that.”
—John Feister