An encounter with Jesus’ mercy, said University of Virginia (UVA) third year student Anna Jones, is always special. But there was something beautiful about speaking with him in the dead of night.
“I went to confession at 2 a.m. – I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to say that again,” said Jones, who participated in the 24 Hours for the Lord Lenten mission at St. Thomas Aquinas University Parish, Charlottesville.
From 3 p.m. on Friday, March 28 until 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, St. Thomas Aquinas hosted nonstop adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and confession. The initiative was originally called for by Pope Francis in 2014, and Msgr. Timothy Keeney, pastor of Church of the Incarnation, Charlottesville, and Our Lady of the Rosary, Crozet, suggested bringing it to our diocese.
“It was really nice to host people and make them feel welcome,” said Dominican Father Walter Wagner, who is the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. George, Scottsville, as well as dean of Deanery 10.
Many priests from Deanery 10 were on hand to hear confessions, including Father Wagner, who took the 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. shift.
“You’d be amazed what people have to say to the Lord in the dead of night,” he said. “It was beautiful.”
Jack Vista, a second year student at UVA and communication and liturgy chair of Catholic Hoos, the campus ministry, was there all night.
“It was awesome,” he said. “The flow of people throughout the wee hours of the night – older people, young kids, families, priests, religious, all coming for the Lord’s mercy – was powerful.”
Vista added that the Catholic Hoos ministry has been making a push to get fellow students to go to confession during Lent, and that the 24-hour vigil “was sort of the pinnacle.”
“A lot of people took up that offer,” said Vista.
At midnight, the Catholic Hoos hosted a pancake “breakfast.” Jones said she and a friend went to Cookout for a milkshake after her 2 a.m. confession, then returned in time for the 3 a.m. recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
“The next morning, I was a little tired, but I was happy to sacrifice some sleep to spend time with Jesus,” said Jones.
During the first hour, said Vista, he and most other attendees knelt for adoration. But after a while, he sat down in the pew and approached the Lord in conversation.
“The point of the 24-hour vigil is really to get into conversation with the Lord, whether that be through confession or adoration,” he said.
The Soup Supper hosted each Friday during Lent at St. Thomas Aquinas by the Knights of Columbus Council #11324 went on as scheduled during the vigil, as did the Stations of the Cross, with over 100 attendees. Many students participated in both. At 5:15 p.m. on Friday, Mass was celebrated with Vespers; at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Mass was celebrated with Lauds. At 3 p.m. on Saturday, Father Wagner ended the vigil with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
“It was a marathon, but we were happy to do it,” said Father Wagner. “The peace seemed to really help people.”