“From the Archives” Going to Confession

As our confessionals undergo renovation this month, let’s look back at their history in the Basilica of Saint Mary.

In the early 20th century, reception of the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist was the reverse of what it became later: The Confession line was long and the Communion line was short. The old law of abstinence (no food or drink after midnight) cut down on the number of communicants. In the 1930s, at the last Mass on Sunday at 11:00 am, the priest did not even distribute the Eucharist because there were so few people receiving by that time of the day – they would have had to fast since the previous midnight! Many people would receive the Eucharist on Sunday only if they had gone to Confession on Saturday evening. Thus, the long Confession lines.

In the early years of the parish, there were three confessionals at Saint Mary. Two were located on either side of the main doors on South Royal Street and one was located in the rear of the north wing (transept) by the sacristy. For generations of school children who sang in the choir, the confessional on the north side of the church entrance had a mysterious aspect – a winding staircase from the choir loft that “disappeared”! Probably every youngster for 50 years had crept down these stairs to see where they led, ending up, to their surprise, in the priests’ confessional cubicle. Part of this old confessional was later replaced by the current bathroom.

In 1972, then-pastor Father Joseph L. Wingler oversaw a major renovation of the church, to implement changes mandated by the Vatican and to repair the aging building. The old confessionals were removed and replaced with a room in the north transept where the penitent could either kneel, in the traditional manner, or sit and talk with the priest. Father Wingler’s renovation eliminated the confessionals at the back of the church.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian

Throughout 2020, the Basilica of Saint Mary will present “From the Archives.” It is a weekly feature online and in our bulletin spotlighting the history of the parish. All of our “From the Archives” features are located here.