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After His death and burial, Our Lord resurrected and appeared to His disciples, first to Mary of Magdala, then to the Eleven. The Gospel of John records Jesus delegating His power to forgive sins to his ordained priests: His Apostles. To read a defense of confessing sins to a Catholic priest, read this.
PREPARING FOR THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Children prepare for the Sacrament of Reconciliation by attending religious education classes. Go to our Religious Education page to learn how to register or volunteer as a Catechist. Adults also prepare for this Sacrament by attending religious education courses. Go to our RCIA page to find out how to register or volunteer on the RCIA/RICA team. |
Concepts
This sacrament involves a process. First, a person recognizes their sin; then he or she feels contrite. This person is interiorly motivated to go into the confessional of a Catholic church to confess the sin(s) and to state his or her contrition. The person walks out of the confessional, reconciled with God and ready to begin anew!
Examination of Conscience
Everyone is busy. It's difficult for us to calm our minds enough to really think about our relationship with God and our relationships with each other. It's always hard to think clearly about our behavior. Catholics find it useful to use a list of questions called "an examination of conscience" before going to confession. This list helps us to discover our sins. Here are some examples:
children older than 8
altar servers
teens and young adults
adults
singles
those about to be married
those who are married
women and wives/mothers
men and husbands/fathers
Catholics should participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly in order to experience God's love and to receive Holy Communion in a pure state. Read more about this here.
HOW TO CONFESS: A REFRESHER
Current confession times are listed on our homepage. Once you come in, what do you do? Read this to remember.
THE FAITHFUL WHO ARE HOMEBOUND
If you or a loved one is checked into a hospital or a nursing home, please register as a Catholic. When you do so, a Eucharistic Minister will know to bring you Holy Communion. Eucharistic Ministers also visit the homebound. Holy Family priests will visit those in the hospital, in nursing homes, and at home for confessions. Please call the Parish Office at 335-2385 for more information or to arrange for a visit.