As in the past several years, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is encouraging each of the 219 parishes to provide more opportunities for the sacrament of penance and reconciliation by scheduling it every Wednesday of Lent from 7 to 8 p.m.

A memo by Father Dennis Gill, director of the archdiocesan Office for Divine Worship, to all priests of the archdiocese said the practice of adding time for confessions in Lent and at the same time throughout the archdiocese “underscores the importance of the sacrament in the Christian life.”

At some parishes, for sound pastoral reasons, it may not be possible to add confessions on Wednesday nights.

“In such cases an additional time for confessions, perhaps on another weekday evening or Saturday morning or before Sunday Mass, might be a better alternative,” Father Gill wrote. “Pastors responsible for two parishes need only to arrange for additional Confessions in one of the parishes.”

More information on the sacrament of penance and reconciliation can be found on the website of the Office for Divine Worship.