The sacrament of reconciliation (also know as the sacrament of penance, of conversion, of forgiveness, or simply as "confession") is one of the two sacraments of healing, for it heals the Christian of the greatest sickness, sin, which corrupts our true humanity and separates us from God and from each other. The other sacrament of healing is Anointing of the Sick.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated each Thursday from 5:00 to 6:15 pm, and by appointment with the parish priest.
Second graders prepare for Reconciliation before First Eucharist. Children must be enrolled in the parish school or in the School of Religious Education (SRE); preparation for this sacrament takes place within either of these learning models. A session for all parents of second graders is a part of this preparation process. Scheduling information will appear in the parish calendar and will be distributed to the children and parents in either the school or SRE.
Why Reconciliation?
God has a passionate desire to pardon our offenses and restore us to grace. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the need for for the sacrament of reconciliation (also called penance and confession). "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" (1440).
The Catechism futher instructs that we are obligated to confess our serious sins at least once a year (1457) and strongly urged to confess our lesser sins regularly (1458).
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