The following comes from a Dec. 16 email sent anonymously to Cal Catholic.

From the Dec. 7 bulletin of San Carlos Cathedral in Monterey CA, the oldest running Catholic Church in the state of California:

Liturgy Corner: Worry-free Confession

Our Parish Advent Communal Penance celebration takes
place on Tuesday, December 16 at 7pm. This year marks
the second time our priests are offering “worry-free confessions”
as a whole-hearted attempt to lure everyone back to
confession.

What’s “worry-free” about it? No words to
memorize, no ritual to remember, no list of sins, no mention
of how many years it’s been, no act of contrition to recite.

What could be easier?! Just walk up to the priest and say,
“Father, I want to go to confession; help me out!” It doesn’t
matter if it’s been 10 years, 20 years, 30 years since you’ve
been to confession.

Everyone is welcome as if for the first
time. This is a precious opportunity to share one or two significant
concerns that have been weighing down your heart,
and to get rid of them forever. God not only forgives, but
God forgets!

Don’t carry that guilt, that grudge, that resentment,
that pain of a broken relationship any longer! Let God
who loves you more than anyone fill you with pardon and
peace. Come to the San Carlos worry-free confession!
— Sr. Sharon McMillan, SND

See the Dec. 7th bulletin by clicking here.