The faithful throughout the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland are encouraged to take advantage of the annual Evening of Confession on March 4. Most churches across the diocese will be open 5-8 p.m. that night for the sacrament of reconciliation.
“Hope and Healing” is the theme for this year’s Evening of Confession, which has become a Lenten tradition in the diocese.
Father Damian Ference, diocesan vicar for evangelization, said confession is the best way to obtain spiritual healing and forgiveness.
“As our bodies need to be healed, so do our souls,” he said. “We want people to come back and experience the grace of healing. When our bodies are sick, we go to a doctor. When our souls are sick, we can’t go to a doctor; we go to the divine doctor, the divine healer. If you know someone who’s been away from the Church or who is not active, invite them to come with you.”
He said it doesn’t matter how long it has been since your last confession. The Evening of Confession makes it convenient for people to take advantage of the sacrament at any church.
“The late Pope Francis said the ‘joy of God is the joy of forgiveness.’ God’s forgiveness ‘is a sign of his overflowing love for each of us,’” Father Ference said. He noted that when we return to God and seek forgiveness, he always welcomes us with joy and no sin is too great to be forgiven.
An overview of the Evening of Confession is available on the Lenten Resource Page of the diocesan website. Reconciliation resources are available for those who may need them. Click here for an examination of conscience. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops produced a guide on going to confession that is available here.