There are four steps in the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
We feel contrition for our sins and a conversion of heart to change our ways.
We confess our sins and human sinfulness to a priest.
We receive and accept forgiveness (absolution) and are absolved of our sins.
We celebrate God’s everlasting love for us and commit to living out a Christian life.
Sin hurts our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. As the Catechism states:
The sinner wounds God’s honor and love, his own human dignity…and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian ought to be a living stone. To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences for the sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world. (CCC 1487, 1488)
A mature understanding of sin includes reflecting upon our thoughts, actions, and omissions as well as examining the patterns of sin that may arise in our lives. With contrite hearts, we are also called to reflect upon the effects of our sins upon the wider community and how we might participate in sinful systems.
Contrition and conversion lead us to seek forgiveness for our sins so as to repair damaged relationships with God, self, and others. We believe that only ordained priests have the faculty of absolving sins from the authority of the Church in the name of Jesus Christ (CCC 1495). Our sins are forgiven by God, through the priest.
Parents interested in their children (7 years of age by Sept. 30th) receiving their First Reconciliation should contact Rita Hipple, you may also visit our Sacramental Preparation program page for more information.