Catholic Family News - 1.7.2010
www.cfnews.org.uk
Parishioners and members of the NACF email : For many years we have been used to having the Sacrament of Confession available during all Masses at the Birmingham Oratory. There were normally two priests available at any one time, giving the faithful a choice of Confessor which is of-course the ideal. This special charism which Saint Philip himself founded has been enormously helpful to us as a large family with many children and many special needs. Alas, on the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul two of the three priests remaining (of the original eight) were saying Mass, one leaning on his walking stick and the other assisting with the distribution of Holy Communion. We walked past the row of empty Confessionals with their dear names displayed on them and prayed for their absent incumbents. It is not easy for us to get to other churches with their typical half hour window on a busy Saturday morning for Confession. My children are not receiving the Sacrament as often as they were or would like to and it is a profound deprivation. This is what the Pope will be coming to in September if our priests are not restored to us.
