Confession During Mass: A Distraction or a Gift?

AnneMarie Miller shares her initial misgivings about Confession during Mass, and how she came to receive this practice as a gift. 

Years ago, another woman told me that at her parish, while one priest celebrated Sunday Mass, another priest sat in the confessional during the Liturgy of the Word, so that people could receive the Sacrament of Confession. When she said this, I felt horrified. I could not wrap my mind around how this practice could possibly be a good thing.

If people are going to Confession, they won’t be participating in Mass, I thought. Also, wouldn’t the confession line distract the congregation?

I clung to my judgmental assumptions and was glad that my parish, didn’t do something so distracting as offer Confession during Mass.

I didn’t think much more about this topic until one day, when my parents announced that their parish was going to begin offering the Sacrament of Confession during the Liturgy of the Word at Sunday Mass.

Not too long after that, I attended Sunday Mass at my parents’ church — and I could not believe what I saw.

What I Saw Changed Me

As Mass began, several men, women, and children lined up against the wall of the church, near the confessional. Throughout the Liturgy of the Word, the line of penitents steadily moved forward as over a dozen people received absolution and healing from their sins. I glanced at the line and the thought hit me:

These people were participating in Mass just as much as I was — and maybe even more fully than I was!

When we gather for the celebration of Mass, we recognize our unworthiness and ask God for His mercy. During the Penitential Act, we recite or chant the Kyrie eleison (“Lord, have mercy”) together. In different prayers throughout Mass, the priest references God’s loving mercy. We are invited to encounter God in our brokenness and unworthiness and ask Him to heal and transform us. However, I often fail to receive and respond to this invitation.

How many times have I said the words of the Penitential Act without even thinking about them?

How many times have I walked into Mass without thinking once about the need to offer God my brokenness and ask Him for healing?

How many times have I failed to thank God for His loving mercy?

As I marveled at the long line of people in line for Confession that Sunday, I realized that they were actively asking God for mercy. They were offering their brokenness to God. They were thanking God for His mercy. Through the Sacrament of Confession, they were doing all of the things that I so often fail to do at Mass.

Furthermore, I discovered that the confession line wasn’t the distraction I had feared. Once I got used to the idea, I barely even noticed the line. When I did notice the line, this momentary distraction from the sanctuary prompted me to think about what those people were doing, and what I should be doing: asking God for mercy and healing. Seeing the line would prompt me to examine my soul and consider if I needed to get to the confessional as well.

What I’ve Learned

I’ve began to more deeply appreciate the gift of God’s mercy, and my own need for healing. I’ve also started to realize the importance of asking God to transform me at Mass, regardless of whether or not I visit the confessional that day.

I’ve also learned that when a parish incorporates different practices than I’m used to, the parish is not necessarily doing something wrong. Instead of automatically launching into a judgmental posture when I encounter an unfamiliar practice, I can strive for humility and consider it with curiosity: Is this practice against the Church’s rules and rubrics, or are parishes allowed to treat it differently, according to the needs of their parishioners?

When I was able to step past my initial attitude and learn more about Confession and the Mass, I was able to see that even though this pairing was not part of my experience, it was still valuable and offered a tremendous opportunity to people who may otherwise not get to the confessional regularly. I started to see this practice as a gift. My former self would have been shocked to see how thrilled I was when my own parish began offering Confession during Sunday Mass!

God continually pours out His grace and mercy to us, both in the Mass and in the Sacrament of Confession. As we continue in this season of Lent, let’s go to Confession and Mass (even daily Mass, if we can) and receive God’s healing, merciful love.

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2026 AnneMarie Miller
Images: iStockPhoto.com, licensed for use by Holy Cross Family Ministries