The confessionals will be fully staffed, round-the-clock, in New York next month:

A young adults group in the Archdiocese of New York has recently announced a 24-hour confession event which will take place in March during the 2010 Lenten season.

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick Young Adults (CSPYA) group is holding their second annual “24 Hours of Confession” project March 5 -6 at 51 parishes throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, Duchess, Staten Island, as well as Orange, Rockland and Westchester counties.

“Catholics need to know that confession is all about God’s forgiveness and love and that the priest is there for them,” said the young adult group’s director Mario Bruschi. “That is why our goal for this project will be focused on reminding people about the importance of the priesthood and that confession can restore us when we sin.”

In response to this event, Bishop Dominick Lagonegro of Orange County also announced recently that 25 parishes in his diocese will be holding additional confession times from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. on March 5.

“In this Year of the Priest, the priests of the Archdiocese of New York is making a tremendous sacrifice to hear people’s confessions, to counsel them, and to give them comfort,”added Bruschi. “They are living the great example of St. John Vianney and St. Padre Pio, by bringing people back to Jesus Christ through the sacrament.”