In Pleasanton the sacrament of confession is still personal — though decidedly no longer up-close.
Here, parishioners of the St. Augustine Catholic Church can see their priest from the comfort of their cars during the coronavirus shelter-in-place.
The pastor of the Catholic Community of Pleasanton, Rev. Mark Wiesner along with Rev. Luke Ssemakula received drive-up penitents Saturday afternoon in the church parking lot.
At times during the 90-minute session the line of cars looked like something outside a fast-food window.
“We will continue to do this every Saturday throughout the coronavirus crisis until that has passed as a way to help people connect with God and prepare for the great feast of Easter,” Fr. Wiesner told KPIX.
Full story a CBS Local San Francisco.
I suppose one can get sacramentals blessed at the same time. If the priest does not want to touch them, the driver can just hold them out of the car window while the priests sprinkles them with holy water/ There should be no contamination if the water in the sprinkler was not used in a holy water fount that others had used.
A wonderful example of priestly dedication. Be thankful for such men!
I’m glad that people are finding creative ways to minsiter, but as the vatican reminds us, the seal of the confessional is paramount. Hearing a confession from many feet away means others can hear. Maybe they could try having the priest give out his mobile number with the priest listening with an earpiece, and the penitent sitting in her sealed car calling the priest. Certainly electronic devices are permitted with hearing impaired priests, or hearing impaired penitents. Ecclesia Supplet.
The seal of confession is only broken when the priest blabs, or less commonly, if an interpreter does. People availing themselves of the sacrament under these unusual conditions are savvy enough to realize they may be overheard yet choose to confess anyway. Both priest and penitent do their best to avoid the situation, and folks in close proximity should do their best to respect that privacy. Not perfect but still better to confess than not.
YFC, look at the picture more closely. He is using his phone with earpieces.
Good point, Bob One, thanks.
About Kristin’s point that we have to be “savvy enough to choose confession anyway”. OMW, that is some sacramental theology!
Oh, and if one does overhear someone else’s confession, they are obligated to preserve secrecy too – Code of Canon Law #983.2
For those who are concerned about the absolute privacy of Confession, we do our best to ensure that. I heard Confessions in a chair in our parking lot last Saturday. Our men’s group was there to act as ushers (not the kind with baskets, the kind who direct people). There was no problem with privacy, as the Penitent has their back to the people. But even in the Confessionals in the Church, if someone WANTS to listen they can press their ear up against the door. If they did that and I caught them they’d wish they’d stayed home!
Fr. Higgins, having had my own first confession heard in the lobby of an academic building, I can relate!