blog numero ocho: Culture

In Connecticut, St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church pastored by Stephen DiGiovanni brought back the idea of confession booths. When DiGiovanni first entered the church, confessions were told in reconcilation rooms. These rooms were face to face confrontations between a member of the church and a priest. Many people thought that this was awkward and embarrassing and many either rarely did them or refused to do them in general. With the reintroduction of confession booths, about 450 people a week confess their sins to priests using this new way to confess sins. Sin confessing is available in 5 different languages: English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. St. John's church is trying to promote other churches to do the same so that people can more openly confess their wrongs they have committed. Some ways in which they are spreading the word is highway billboards, radio commercials and tons of paper handouts. 

Freedman, Samuel."In One Church, Confession Makes a Comeback." NY Times. 20 February 2009. 24 February 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/21/us/21religion.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=religion&st=cse