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My favorite way to celebrate Confession is not in the box. A few years back I was able to go to Mass daily,and every few weeks I would ask the Priest if we could go to confession after mass. We would go sit in the Gazebo in the Church courtyard and talk. The form of confession, "Bless me Father" went out the window as we discussed my weaknesses and failing to live as Jesus wished. It truly was a counciling session with my confessor and ended with absolution and prayer together. How I missed it when he was transfered to a parish out of town.

I do believe that having a regular confessor who knows you, your circumstances in life, and your pattern of sin is how the sacrament should be celebrated. You can't "Con" a Priest like that, and it really helps you to change your sinful life. At the last parish I was at only one priest heard confession each Saturday for 45 minutes to an hour,(I think they drew straws. the one with the short straw had to hear confession), and they never posted who it would be in advance, so you could plan a meeting with a regular confessor. It's no wonder, if the priests don't feel it is that important, why should the people of the parish. They hold a weeks worth of Communal Penance services (one in each parish on alternating days) twice a year, Lent and Advent. Communal prayer and 8 priests. But they ask you to only confess one sin, your worst one, to speed things along.