Continuing the tradition started last year during the Year of Mercy, the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception will once again open its doors for 24 hours to those seeking the Lord’s mercy in the sacrament of reconciliation.
March 24 – 25 will mark the second 24 Hours for the Lord event in the Archdiocese of Denver. Confessions will be heard Friday, March 24, from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., and then on Saturday, March 25, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Faithful are invited to come partake in this time of prayer and reflection and receive the sacrament of reconciliation from a priest of the archdiocese.
“Several priests from around the Archdiocese of Denver will be hearing confessions at those hours,” said John Miller, director of the Office of Liturgy. “Priests will be available to hear confessions in English as well as Spanish during those times.”
Father Scott Bailey was one of over 30 priests available to hear confessions during last year’s event, and he remembers it as a powerful experience.
“I was hearing confessions in the middle of the night and we had quite the line,” Father Bailey told the Denver Catholic. “Many of the people coming to confession that night had traveled from other parts of the Archdiocese, choosing to make a sort of pilgrimage to the Cathedral for confession. Many of them had been away from confession for many years and this was an opportunity for a fresh start. It was a really beautiful experience.”
When decreeing the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015, Pope Francis called on dioceses around the world to offer 24 hours of confession on the Friday and Saturday preceding the fourth week of lent. The archdiocese is keeping with this, offering 24 Hours for the Lord during the same period of Lent this year.
Pope Francis first spoke of the 24 Hours for the Lord initiative in his 2015 Message for Lent. This year’s event presents the perfect opportunity to keep the graces from the Year of Mercy flowing abundantly.
“Let us not underestimate the power of so many voices united in prayer, the Holy Father wrote. “The 24 Hours for the Lord initiative … is meant to be a sign of this need for prayer.”