MICROPHONE CONFESSION —for the Deaf

Electrical etgineers have installed in the church of St. Francjs of Assisi, New York, devices which will expedite the Confessions of the hard of hearing.
All confessional boxes in the upper and lower churches, as well as the priests' confessional in the monastery proper, have been equipped with this device. For some time the Franciscan Fathers have recognised the need for such a facility, since the Friars hear over 600,000 Confessions annually.
The penitent takes into his hand an ordinary phone receiver and holds it to his ear. The priest speaks through a microphone aftached to an amplifier and his voice is transmitted directly through au amplifier and receiver to the penitent. The penitent alone hears the priest's words as the receiver is so insulated that the voice is not transmitted outside the range of the ear phone. Even as a whisper the priest's voice is transmitted with perfect clarity.
Thus the priest is now enabled to give counsel, advice and correction to the penitent who hithertofore was deprived of these benefits of Confession by a physical handicap. The new device will save the penitent the inconvenience of writing a Confession.