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Understanding Priest Availability

Some parishes use Sacramentum's real-time availability feature to show whether a priest is currently available for Confession or other pastoral needs. This page explains what the availability indicators mean and how they work.

What is real-time availability?​

Real-time availability lets parishes display whether a priest is available right now, not just when they're scheduled to be available. Priests can update their status throughout the day, and parishioners see those changes immediately.

Not all parishes use this feature

Real-time availability is optional. If your parish doesn't use it, you'll see scheduled times without live status indicators. The scheduled times are still accurate—they just don't reflect moment-to-moment changes.

Availability statuses​

When real-time availability is enabled, you may see these indicators:

Available now (often shown in green) A priest is currently available and ready for Confession or pastoral needs.

Not available (often shown in red or gray) No priest is currently available. Check the schedule for the next available time.

Scheduled A priest will be available at a specific upcoming time. The schedule shows when.

Away or unavailable The priest has marked themselves as unavailable, possibly due to other duties, time off, or being out of the parish.

How live updates work​

The availability indicators on your screen update automatically—you don't need to refresh the page. When a priest changes their status:

  1. The priest updates their availability in Sacramentum.
  2. The change is broadcast immediately.
  3. Your screen updates within seconds.

This happens through a live connection between your browser and Sacramentum. If you notice the page hasn't updated in a while, try refreshing.

Keep the page open

If you're waiting for a priest to become available, you can leave the page open. The status will update automatically when availability changes.

Celebrant information​

For scheduled Masses, you may see the assigned celebrant (the priest who will celebrate the Mass). This information appears alongside the Mass time and location.

  • Priest name with title — The assigned celebrant (e.g., "Fr. John Smith")
  • TBD or To Be Determined — A priest will be assigned, but the assignment hasn't been made yet
  • No celebrant shown — The parish may not display celebrant information publicly
Assignments can change

Celebrant assignments may change due to illness, schedule conflicts, or other pastoral needs. The displayed celebrant is the current assignment, not a guarantee.

What availability means (and doesn't mean)​

Availability indicators show:

  • Whether a priest has marked themselves as available
  • The parish's best information about current availability
  • Scheduled times when priests expect to be available

Availability indicators do not guarantee:

  • That a priest will be physically present at that exact moment
  • That no one else is currently in Confession
  • Immediate availability for emergencies
For urgent needs, call the parish

If you have an urgent pastoral need (such as anointing of the sick for someone in danger of death), call the parish office directly. Don't rely solely on the availability indicator.

If availability seems incorrect​

If the availability indicator doesn't match what you see at the parish:

  1. Refresh the page — Your browser may have lost its live connection.
  2. Check your internet connection — Live updates require an active connection.
  3. The priest may have just changed status — There can be a brief delay.
  4. Contact the parish office — They can confirm actual availability.

When to use availability information​

Real-time availability is most useful when:

  • Deciding whether to visit the parish for Confession now
  • Checking if a priest is available before making a trip
  • Seeing who is assigned to an upcoming Mass

For planned visits (such as regular Saturday Confession), the scheduled times are generally reliable. Real-time status helps with spontaneous visits or confirming last-minute availability.

What's next​