"To those who have been far away from the sacrament of Reconciliation and forgiving love I make this appeal: come back to this source of grace; do not be afraid! Christ himself is waiting for you. He will heal you, and you will be at peace with God!"

(Homily of Pope John Paul II on September 13, 1987 at Westover Hills, San Antonio, Texas.)


For every Catholic, the act of receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) will be a key element in your preparation to receive the Sacrament of Marriage.

The basic requirement for a good Confession is to have the intention of returning to God and to acknowledge our sins with true sorrow before his representative, the priest. This is your opportunity to reconcile any indiscretions from your single life and receive God's forgiveness.

For some it may have been years since you received confession. Now is the time to return. If you have forgotten how to go to confession we have posted this refresher. Don't worry, it will all come back to you and your priest will gently guide you.

RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION

Take private time before your confession to conduct an Examination of Conscience. This will consist of an honest evaluation of your life. Review any mortal or venial sins you have committed since your last confession. You are now prepared to enter the confessional box (or reconciliation room).

Upon entering the confessional area you may either kneel behind a screen or sit and speak directly with the priest, depending on the confessional area location.

You begin by saying these words (or similar ones).

"I confess to Almighty God and to you, Father that I have sinned. My last confession was ______________ weeks (months, years) ago and these are my sins."

You now start to tell your sins, how many times they were committed and perhaps the related circumstances.

You may end your affirmation of sins by saying the following words (or similar ones.)

"I am deeply sorry for these sins and all the sins that I have committed during my life,"

Then listen to the guidance of the priest. Once he is finished he will invite you to make an Act of Contrition.

The following is an example of an Act of Contrition (you may know a different version of the same prayer).

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

The priest will now give his words of forgiveness (absolution) followed by the dispensing of a penance for you to fulfill.

The conclusion of your confession will be indicated by the Sign of the Cross, which you will make along with the priest.

If the priest says, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good".

You will answer, "For His mercy endures forever".

You may now leave the confessional box (reconciliation room). Say the penance that the priest has given you immediately after your confession.