Chocolate For Your Sins

Throughout Lent the different sections of kids take turns going to confession. Father Phil Cleary, better known as Padre Felipe, is the house priest. He splits his time between Miacatlan and Cuervavaca each week. He's been here for over 20 years and is now the president of NPH International. He also happens to be straight out of the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago. Today my group was up for confession. Per Fr. Phil's request I came down from the clinic to make sure the kids were behaving while they waited to spill their guts.

I didn't confess myself but maybe I should have because I feel guilty for how much I enjoyed watching the whole process. The boys clustered in groups whispering to eachother about what they were going to say...probably testing out how much they should reveal. Then they hesitantly lined up, figeting nervously as they waited one by one to enter the confessional. The best part was watching them as they came out, almost everyone had the same embarrassed smile on their face, as if I had heard everything they said. Not only that, but they each had a full size Snickers bar in their hand (as you see Dylan above proudly showing his reward). They told me you always get chocolate when you confess...it's a house tradition. Whatever it takes to lift those burdens from their little shoulders.