Why are more people going to Confession? | July 5, 2026

Confession lines used to be short enough that a priest could sit for an hour and hear only a handful of people. Now we’re seeing the opposite, and it’s not just in one parish or one generation. In this episode, I share what I’ve watched change across Oklahoma and beyond, including the moment it clicked for me at a national youth gathering where priests heard confessions for hours on end and the line still kept moving.Changing the schedule helps, but it doesn’t create desire on its own. What draws people is something deeper: a need to be healed, to tell the truth, and to hear mercy spoken out loud. When life feels shaky and sin feels heavy, the words of absolution can feel like oxygen. ************Father Don Wolf is a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Living Catholic also broadcasts on Oklahoma Catholic Radio several times per week, with new episodes airing every Sunday.