Before heading off to Rome for further studies on July 14, seminarian Daniel O’Kelly decided to use his impressive engineering skills to gift parishioners at St. Catherine Laboure in Gymea, Australia, with a confessional that he built himself.
As shared by Catholic Weekly, O'Kelly wanted the parishioners to "discover the 'truth and mercy' of God’s love." He also shared how it felt putting his skills to use:
"I felt like I was alongside Christ and St Joseph in the tool-shed putting it all together," adding "the entire time I’ve just prayed for every person that will eventually come into that space to be reconciled with God.”
Unlike St. Joseph, however, the 29-year-old had a little modern technology on hand to ensure there is a green and red light to indicate when the confessional is occupied, and he also added some muted lighting inside.
The joy in confessing
O'Kelly rediscovered the power of confessing when he was in his final year at university in 2019. He shared with Catholic Weekly the dramatic impact his decision to go to confession after a number of years had had on him:
“Through the priest I heard the words of Christ and everything changed. ‘Daniel,’ he said, ‘God thought it better that you exist than that you didn’t. If he thought it better, God who is love, then that is a good thing.’ “I was searching so long for God and meaning, but he was actually searching for me, he desired a relationship with me. Before I entered I had nothing, and after I left I had found everything. That awoke something within me.”
This awakening led O'Kelly to enter the seminary in 2021. From there he had a short placement at St. Catherine's and then a longer one, in which he decided to use his extensive practical studies to good use with the agreement of Fr. Greg Morgan.
During his discernment the project allowed him to realize that his previous education in engineering and commerce had not gone to waste, and "God’s using that for his glory."
One of the further benefits of the project was it allowed other parishioners to join in. As O'Kelly pointed out, dads with certain specialties were delighted to share their talents on a project that allowed them to give something back to their parish.
Truth and mercy
Above the new confessional there is a plaque with the parish's motto, "Truth and Mercy," engraved. And below the motto you'll find a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, inviting the faithful to enter into the confessional to be saved.
As O'Kelly explained:
The truth of who you are before God is made clear when you come with a contrite heart, acknowledging all the times that you’ve fallen short with your sins, met with the mercy that flows from the cross, from the ultimate sacrifice of Christ
He also acknowledged that he'd found confession in the past to be such a daunting experience, one where he felt guilt and shame, not realizing the "infinite grace of God."
With this in mind he wanted to create a more welcoming confessional, sharing: "The space that’s been created, I really wanted beauty to lead and to draw people in. Even in the artwork and the soft panels, that’s all not by accident."
O'Kelly's passion for confession is not only visible in the confessional he created, but in his conviction of the power of the sacrament: "It’s incredible to think this is a structured piece of a building like any other, but within, a miracle happens.”
