This Tuesday begins the Year of Mercy. It begins with Immaculate Conception. It goes until Christ the King which is November 20, 2016. This is a extraordinary Jubilee Year, which means that that Holy Doors will be opened at each of the four Major Basilicas in Rome. The Diocese of Duluth will have a Holy Door at our Cathedral. I know that there is an article coming out in the Northern Cross for December on Holy Doors, written by Fr. Rich Kunst. This would be a good resource for questions on Holy Doors, and I look forward to learning more about it myself. This year of Mercy is going to be a really cool thing! In fact, I am planning to lead a pilgrimage to Rome September 13 - 23, 2016. If you are interested in joining me or want more information, just let me know.
With the Year of Mercy, I am going to have added times of Reconciliation available. This is because we call Confession the Sacrament of Mercy. Here is the Confession Schedule:
Tuesdays at STM: 5:00pm - 5:45
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at OLS: after 8:30am
Saturdays at STC: 3:00pm - 3:45
Saturdays at STM: 6:30pm - 6:45
Sundays at OLS: 8:00am - 8:45
There should be plenty of time to go to confession. The Holy Father, Pope Francis, encourages going to confession on a regular basis. He goes every 15 days to the Sacrament. And if he, who is the leader of the Church, goes so often, shouldn’t we do the same? It is Advent, and Christ awaits our return to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Now is the time to prepare our hearts for a deeper relationship and encounter with our Lord. Please take the time to get to Confession.
Fr. Thomas P. Galarneault