The students pick up a buzzer in the morning and write down the top three times during the day they can be buzzed out of class, which gives Mast an idea of when to call them to confession.
Paola Chacon-Arredondo, a junior at Machebeuf, said using the buzzer has helped her state of mind. “There’s nothing to worry about and I think that’s what’s really nice about it, is that Father CJ doesn’t want you to be afraid to go and confess,” she said. “He’s inviting you, and this is why he has the buzzers, and I’ve seen that it’s really helped.”
Without a line, these teens don’t have to feel awkward or like they are being judged for their sins. “I used to be so scared to go to confession,” Chacon-Arredondo said, adding that she thought she might scare away the priest with her sins. But the ease of the buzzer system allows her to feel more relaxed, which takes some of the pressure off.
Nebyu Ablel is also a junior at Machebeuf. He said when Mast took over as chaplain at the beginning of the school year, he was afraid to confess his sins, so he didn’t seek out confession. But over time, Mast told him it would be okay, just like Father Julio (Amezcua, Machebeuf’s former chaplain) before him.
The teachers at Machebeuf are also fully supportive of the use of the buzzers.
“I just think it’s wonderful. [It] brought some humor to us when we first heard about it, but it’s really flourishing,” said Ralph Pesce, dean of faculty and the humanities teacher at Machebeuf. “Because it’s fun, I think it also encourages students to go to confession. It’s one of those sacraments that people are very daunted to go to. It can be scary for students, especially if they haven’t gone in a long time, if they’re trying to bring up the habit. And so, with this way of having the buzzers for confession, I think it makes it approachable for the students, and it makes it less daunting for them.”