February 18, 2010 - Archdiocese Launches "The Light Is On For You" Confession Initiative

Braintree, MA – This Lenten Season, in celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley has announced the launch of an important initiative in the Archdiocese of Boston called The Light Is On For You.   Every Wednesday of Lent, from February 24th to the Wednesday of Holy Week, March 31st, every parish within the Archdiocese of Boston will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Catholics to go to confession.  Leading this effort is Auxiliary Bishop Robert F. Hennessey who said, “Every time someone returns to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, renewing their relationship with the Lord and the Church,  there is celebration in Heaven.”

Cardinal Seán said, “During the Lenten season, in a particular way we invite  those who seek to strengthen their relationship with  the Lord t to join us in this celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Our priests are here to welcome you home, to pray with you, to be of service in the name of Jesus Christ, who offers all of us forgiveness for our sins and the gift of His mercy and love.” 

As part of the initiative, the Archdiocese has launched a Web site, www.TheLightIsOnForYou.org.   The site includes information on the sacrament including guidelines for the examination of conscience, the Act of Contrition, videos about the sacrament, and parish resources for promoting the initiative.  In addition the Archdiocese is promoting The Light Is On For You with a series of 15 second local radio spots that are designed to raise awareness and to also encourage listeners to learn more by visiting the website.

“I am blessed to be asked by Cardinal Seán to lead this effort,” said Bishop Hennessey.  In a video announcement posted on the initiative website, he states, “Confession gives us the chance to start over, to hit the reset button of our lives. It shows how forgiving and kind our God is and it helps us to grow in compassion and love for others.  Come to confession to receive God’s mercy, for peace of mind and to deepen your friendship with Jesus, to receive spiritual healing and to increase your sense of joy and to experience Christ’s saving grace.”   Bishop Hennessey is also encouraging shrines and chapels run by religious orders to join in the effort. 

Assisting Bishop Hennessey is Scot Landry, Archdiocesan Secretary for Institutional Advancement, who said, “It is inspiring that our priests, during this Year for Priests, have so willingly sought to embrace this important pastoral initiative.  Our hope and prayer is that participating in this initiative our Catholic family will open their hearts to this gift from God.  We encourage our faithful across the Archdiocese to visit The Light Is On For You website (www.TheLightIsOnForYou.org) to learn more about this initiative.” 

In response to those who feel it has been too long since their last confession or that God could not possibly forgive them, Bishop Hennessey also said, “God’s love for you is greater than all the sins you’ve committed or could ever commit.  Now is the time to come and have God take away the burdens of sin and guilt that can often weigh us down.  If you’ve been waiting for a sign to return to the Church or to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, this is your chance to reestablish and strengthen a relationship with God that will last forever”

About the Archdiocese of Boston: The Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of nearly 2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 291 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 46,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156,000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of 200,000 individuals through its pastoral and social service outreach and in support of a health care ministry that meets the needs of some 1 million patients each year.   Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit  www.BostonCatholic.org.