How Not to Confess

Pat Archbold brings Catholics a life lesson:

This weekend I went to confession at a parish near my son's soccer game.  I am weird that way, I seek out parishes away from home for my confession obligations.

Anyway, I went to a parish. Nice enough looking Church with the standalone wood confessionals.

I picked a pew a few rows up from the confessional at the back of the Church to prepare and wait my turn.

A lady came into the Church and stood right near me but closer to the confessional, clearly not intuiting that I was waiting my turn.

So she is standing maybe 8 feet from me when her cell phone rings.  Of course, she answers it.  As loud as can be, she says...

"HI!   WHAT? NO NOT YET?  WHAT?  NO.  I WILL LATER."

An older man that had already gone to confession and praying his penance on the other side of the Church turned around and stared in disbelief.  For my part, I sat there thinking thoughts that I would need to add to my confession.

"HEY!!  I AM AT CHURCH RIGHT NOW.  LISTEN, I WILL CALL YOU BACK LATER.  OK.  TALK TO YOU LATER. BYE-BYE!!"

I got up and stood along the wall next to the lady so that everyone else would know I was waiting.  Soon after, a woman exited the confessional and stared in disbelief at the lady for how loud she was.

Cell-phone lady entered the confessional just as another woman lined up behind me.  At this point, I am probably twenty-five feet from the confessional when I hear...

You'll want to read the rest.  I did and laughed.

I probably shouldn't laugh.

But I did.