CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Catholic church in the far western suburbs has been offering confessions from a safe social-distance outside.
Fr. Christopher DiTomo hears confessions for an hour a day outside St. Gall Church in Elburn.
"I go outside the church, just outside the front doors and I set up a little wicker screen and I have about, it's probably more like probably 10-feet away. People can drive up and they can either stay in their car or they can get out of their car and there’s a chair," Fr. DiTomo said.
"The other cars are well back. There’s a cone so they stay well far back. So the people have privacy, but then they can confess their sins. They can speak and I’m happy to pray with people, obviously, give them absolution. We can hear each other fine. We’re separated. There’s really no real serious risk of any kind of spread of any disease."
Fr. DiTomo said people are grateful to be able to access the Sacrament of Reconciliation, what most call "confession".
"People are getting impatient. Families are struggling sometimes. So, it’s very comforting for them to have something they know to be able to receive the grace of the sacrament of confession," he said.
St. Gall Church in Elburn, like many churches in this COVID-19 era, offers Sunday masses via livestream. Fr. DiTomo said the pandemic has, "forced us to kind of think of new ways to do things."
Fr. DiTomo said about 100 people watch his Sunday masses on Facebook Live, with more viewing the mass some time after it's over. He also said he does daily masses, the Rosary and Bible Study online, as well.
He said it "will feel so good when everyone can come back" and masses can be celebrated in churches again.