Reconciliation / Confession
Confession Times
| Day | Church | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | St Mary's | 6:15 to 6:45 pm |
| Thursday | St Columba's | 10:30 to 11:30 am |
| Saturday | St Mary's | 12:00 nn to 1:00 pm |
What is the Sacrament of reconciliation?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is also known as the Sacrament of Confession or Penance. This sacrament can set us free from our sins, and from the burden of guilt that comes along with our sins. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation we are brought back into union with God. Our sins separate and damage our relationship with our Lord, and it is through this most powerful sacrament that our relationship with the Lord is repaired and strengthened. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation we can walk more closely with the Lord once again, without the burden of our sins weighing us down and distancing our relationship with God.Jesus entrusted his Church with the power of forgiving sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The priest is simply the one who acts in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) in the confessional, but it is our Lord who forgives our sins. The priest grants absolution (sets us free from our sins) using the power Jesus entrusted to his Church. It is through Christ that our sins are forgiven.
Preparation for reception of the sacrament is generally taught as the first part of the programme of those children preparing for First Holy Communion. Parent meetings and preparation begin in the autumn, ending with celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the first part of the New Year.
How to make a Confession
- Go to the priest and begin by saying, “Bless me Father for I have sinned. My last confession was ___________ (say when)”.
- Tell the priest about the things you feel sorry for or things you know you have done wrong.
- Finish by saying “For these and other sins I have forgotten, I am sorry”.
- The priest will tell you to do something special; to make up for the wrong things you have done. This is called Penance. He might tell you to do an act of kindness or to say a prayer.
- The priest will tell you to say “I am sorry to God” by saying an Act of Contrition. You say: ““Oh my God, because you are so good,I am very sorry that I have sinned against you.And with the help of your grace,I will try not to sin again. Amen.”
- The priest will tell you that God our Father forgives us when we are sorry and will say a special prayer which is when your sins will be forgiven. This is called absolution.
- You have now made your Confession. The priest will tell you that your sins are forgiven and that you have been reconciled with God.