My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy.

First Grade through High School: We invite all children in first grade through high school who are seeking the Sacrament of Reconciliation to participate in a sacramental program to receive First Reconciliation. First and Second grade parents, click here. For grades three though high school, contact Kim Conte, Director of Youth Sacramental Formation.

Adults: Adults interested in preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation contact Carole Yaney, Director of Formation.

About Reconciliation

There are four steps in the Sacrament of Reconciliation:

1. We feel contrition for our sins and a conversion of heart to change our ways.
2. We confess our sins and human sinfulness to a priest.
3. We receive and accept forgiveness (absolution) and are absolved of our sins.
4. We celebrate God’s everlasting love for us and commit to live out a Christian life.

Sin hurts our relationship with God, ourselves and others. As the Catechism states:

The sinner wounds God’s honor and love, his own human dignity…and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian ought to be a living stone. To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences for the sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world. (CCC 1487, 1488)

A mature understanding of sin includes reflecting upon our thoughts, actions and omissions as well as examining the patterns of sin that may arise in our lives. With contrite hearts, we are also called to reflect upon the effects of our sins upon the wider community and how we might participate in sinful systems.

Contrition and conversion lead us to seek a forgiveness for our sins so as to repair damaged relationships with God, self, and others. We believe that only ordained priests have the faculty of absolving sins from the authority of the Church in the name of Jesus Christ (CCC 1495). Our sins are forgiven by God, through the priest.

The Spiritual effects of the Sacraments of Reconciliation include:

• reconciliation with God by which the penitent receives grace
• reconciliation with the Church
• remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins
• remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin
• peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation
• an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle (CCC 1496)

Individual confession with a priest is the principal means of absolution and reconciliation of grave sins within the Church. The Sacrament of Reconciliation frees us from sinful patterns of behavior and calls us to complete conversion to Christ. Reconciliation heals our sins and repairs our relationships.

This is the Sacrament in which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. It results in reconciliation with God and the Church. (US Catholic Catechism for Adults, Glossary)

After a fall, stand up again right away! Do not leave sin in your heart for even a moment! 
--St. John Vianney 

How to go to Reconciliation:

• Prior to going to Confession make a good examination of conscience.
• Once in the confessional, greet the priest.
• Tell the priest how long it has been since your last confession.
• Confess your sins.
• The priest will give you a penance.
• The priest will ask you to express sorrow for your sins (you may use your own prayer of sorrow or the one below).
• The priest will give the prayer of absolution.
• Make the sign of the cross at the end of the absolution prayer and answer: AMEN.
• The priest will say: "Go in peace" and you respond "Thanks be to God."
• Remember to complete your penance as soon as you can.

Additional information and resources regarding the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) are available from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website here.