Reconciliation is also referred to as Penance or Confession.
“Confession is an act of honesty and courage – an act of entrusting ourselves, beyond sin, to the mercy of a loving and forgiving God.” – St. John Paul the Great
“Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God’s mercy for the offense committed against Him, and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors for their conversion.” – Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 11
No matter if you go to Confession regularly or haven’t been in years the Father is longing to run to you and welcome you home. See confession times below or contact the CTK office for an appointment.
Adults seeking their First Reconciliation can find information on the OCIA page.
We do not currently offer a program to prepare children for First Reconciliation.
FAQs
The tradition of confessing one’s sins to a priest dates back to the time of Christ Himself. On Easter night He said to them, “‘Peace be with you,’ and showed them His hands and His side. He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven. For those whose sins you retain, they are retained’” (John 20:19-23).
This power bestowed upon the Apostles is specific to sin. Knowing that the Apostles, mere men, were incapable of handling such a responsibility on their own power, Jesus Christ gave them a special communication with the Holy Spirit for this special work. In all of the Bible, there are only two instances where God breathed on man, the other was when He gave man a living soul in Gen 2:7 – thus emphasizing the importance of the sacrament of Penance. And as this power was bestowed upon the Apostles, it was to be inherited by their successors, continuing His presence throughout time (Mt 28:19-20).[FROM http://www.scborromeo.org/papers/confess.pdf]
Be not afraid! If you haven’t been to Confession in a while, God wants to welcome you back, and invite you to participate in this beautiful sacrament of healing. Take a step in faith. You’ll be surprised about how free you feel after taking part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So many Catholics describe incredible feelings of peace, joy, relief, and love that they never expected. Jesus is calling you to experience His mercy in this way too.
If you feel inclined, you can make an appointment to meet with a priest and share your story. The priest will counsel you to make a good examination of conscience, give instruction on the sacrament, and afterwards hear your confession.
Before celebrating the Sacrament of Confession, one should prepare themselves with an examination of conscience. An examination of conscience is a “prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of the Gospel to determine how we may have sinned against God” — Glossary, The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
(Traditional Prayer) O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.