Mobile confessional

Four years ago on December 8, a decommissioned ambulance on a very unique mission parked outside of a grocery store, a mall and a high school. At the end of the day, 48 confessions were heard by Father Michael Champagne, head of the Community of Jesus Crucified in St. Martinville.

The mobile unit was intended as a way to reach out to non-practicing Catholics and those who don’t make the time to go to confession. “A lot of people really want to go to confession, but the church times aren’t always accessible for them. We wanted to get on their turf – at shopping centers, malls, family concerts, high school football games and gyms,” Father Champagne explains.

It’s impossible to miss the mobile unit that still resembles an ambulance – only with a life-size painting of Jesus on the side, along with the Latin words “Misericordiae Vultus,” meaning the “Face of Mercy.” A PA system often plays French hymns or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The unit is complete with a rack of bibles – which are given away – a kneeler, curtain and a partition, for confessors who prefer the screen to a face-to-face confession. Father Champagne points out that the van is more soundproof than many church confessionals.

Confessors can just walk up to where the mobile unit is parked and wait for the green light on the truck to come on, indicating the confessional is vacant. A few members of the Spiritual Care Unit team are outside chatting with people to comfort and answer any questions.

While an ambulance is a least likely place to hold a confession, Father Champagne – who wears his vestments – says, “We are making confessions more accessible, but it’s still a serious sacrament. Baring your soul makes you feel a little lighter afterwards. It’s not unusual to hear someone say ‘Whew Hew!’ as they step out.”

There are now two Spiritual Care Units and a church hall trailer with a ramp, used for nursing home visits.

As of this writing, the mobile units have clocked 18,257 miles, made 344 stops and heard over 8,143 confessions.

For information on where to find the Spiritual Care Units, check Fête du Dieu Teche’s Facebook page.