On Wednesday, 24th February we held our annual Lenten Reconciliation Service in Clongowes. Led by Mr Niall Leahy SJ the whole school came together in the Sports Hall at 9.15pm for a 30 minute liturgy exploring the nature of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the ‘Why’ of going to Confession. Using the media of film, music and the spoken word this liturgy attempted to express in a modern and contemporary manner this underutilised and – for some – unfashionable, but primary sacrament of our Catholic faith.
We are rolling out this new initiative around the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the students this year in Clongowes, in response to Pope Francis’ call for 2016 to be The Year of Mercy, with a particular focus on the grace of God in our lives. We hope to give the boys a very different, beautiful and ultimately meaningful liturgical experience of this intrinsically restorative sacrament of our church. This is a follow up to the extraordinarily success of our Advent Reconciliation Service just two months ago.
Following the Penitential Liturgy on Wednesday night Rhetoric – the most senior students, in the college – were offered the opportunity to make their individual confession. On Thursday, Friday and Monday students from the other years came to the Boys’ Chapel during their RE class period to attend confession.
Mr Cyril Murphy, Director of Liturgy