The Sacrament of Reconciliation offers us the opportunity to turn back to God, receive his mercy and forgiveness, and renew our relationship with him and with the Church.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

(CCC 1440) Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God’s forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

(CCC 1441) Only God forgives sins. Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, “The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins” and exercises this divine power: “Your sins are forgiven.” Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.

(CCC 1455) The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.

(CCC 1456) Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: “All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly. When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, “for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know.

(CCC 1457) According to the Church’s command, “after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.” Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession. Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.

(CCC 1458) Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. Indeed, the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful.

Preparation

Preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation gives us an opportunity to examine our lives honestly, recognise where we have fallen short, and turn again to God's mercy. A period of prayer and reflection can help us prepare to make a sincere confession.

Celebrating the Sacrament

In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we confess our sins to a priest, express our sorrow, receive absolution and are encouraged to make a renewed commitment to living according to the Gospel. Through the ministry of the Church, we receive God's forgiveness and are reconciled with Him and with the Church..

When and Where

Confession Times are posted under our Mass Times section and also within our weekly Bulletin.

Arranging Reconciliation

If you would like to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation outside the usual times, please contact the parish to discuss arrangements with the priest.