Confessionals at Catholic high schools

[Anonymous]

We visited a potential HS for our son in another northeastern city over the weekend. The overall vibe of the school was that it was a stick to the traditions type of place. I thought the trend for Catholic schools were more of the “all are welcome” for practical reasons.

The chapel in the school had confessionals. I’ve never seen that at a Catholic HS before. On the other hand, I went to a HS run by nuns so confession was not an option.

Is this typical? On a practical level there probably aren’t enough priests around. I didn’t see any at the school.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the Catholic high school’s status.

1. Diocesan high schools are generally going to be pretty middle of the road for a non-Catholic. You’ll get Catholicism there, but you won’t feel any pressure.

2. Religious Catholic high schools are where it gets dicey for non-Catholics and it really, really comes down to the religious order running the school. Jesuits, for example, sometimes get rained in by the Diocese for not being Catholic enough while other religious orders are much more intentional about their Catholicism.

That said, if you’re non-Catholic the confessionals are a non-issue as a Priest shouldn’t be offering confession and absolution to non-Catholic students. Additionally, many Catholic students choose to do confessions face-to-face rather than using the confessional. So, even if you don’t see confessionals at a Catholic high school, odds are that Catholics are still participating in sacrament of Confession at the school. At my kids’ two different Catholic high schools they have confessionals (both religious schools) but most students do it face-to-face.

The Diocesan high school I grew up at did not technically have confessionals but it was ten steps from our basketball locker room to a major parish in our city and the school priests offered face-to-face on campus and private in the confessionals at the church building next door.

[Anonymous]

I guess I don’t understand the concern. It’s a catholic chapel with a common catholic feature. My kids go to a catholic K-8 here in the DC area and go to confession regularly at school.

[Anonymous]

Not sure what's surprising. Even if the school is of an "everyone is welcome" flavor, it is still Catholic. At a Catholic high school I'd expect Mass to be available daily, required occasionally and if there's a priest likely Confession will be offered.

[Anonymous]

It’s difficult to believe that in a high school run by nuns, you never had an opportunity for confession, particularly around Christmas, Easter, etc. The standard practice is to bring priests (sometimes multiple ones) in for a “penance service” with individual confessions.

Confessions are canonically required to be held in a confessional absent a good reason. The Faithful are entitled to go to confession behind a fixed grille, but this latter requirement is widely ignored in favor of “reconciliation rooms” that offer both face to face and “behind a curtain” anonymity. In a pinch there are kneelers with grilles that can be draped. The mere fact that you saw confessional booths does not mean that they are being used rather than other options.

Regular confession and a modicum of spiritual direction are essential to growth in moral and spiritual life. I’d be much more concerned if a Catholic school didn’t make confession available than if it actually used traditional confessionals.

Some non-Catholics approach priests in Confession for spiritual advice and a blessing. Under extremely specific circumstances, priests can hear confessions of non-Catholic, validly baptized Christians and give absolution.

[Anonymous]

If you don't want Catholicism, don't send your kids to Catholic schools.

[Anonymous]

Confessionals are probably more a sign of the age of the building rather than the traditionalism of the school.
It’s not like you can just rip out an architectural feature like that easily. And as PPs have said, the actual confessional tells you nothing about if or how frequently reconciliation is offered to the students.

[Anonymous]

Confession seems like something ChatGPT would be good at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Confessionals are probably more a sign of the age of the building rather than the traditionalism of the school.
It’s not like you can just rip out an architectural feature like that easily. And as PPs have said, the actual confessional tells you nothing about if or how frequently reconciliation is offered to the students.

This was my first thought. I work in a Catholic school. I’ve never seen our confessionals used.