"Jesus breathed on his disciples and said to them,     "Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained" (John 20:22-23) 

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"Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more." (John 8:10-11)

The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance)

is a sacrament of forgiveness and celebrates God's love and mercy towards us. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ knew perfectly well that the human race has been weakened by original sin. As a result, even after receiving the grace of Baptism, we sin again. Knowing us so well, He wanted to leave us the Sacrament of Confession, so we could leave our sins behind us time and again, and start off anew. As the Psalmist says, "His mercies are new every morning." 

As sinners, we recognize both our human limitations and failures and also God's limitless love for us. God loves and forgives us, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation makes this gift of forgiveness a reality in the life of the sinner. We are freely restored to a proper relationship with God. Through the cleansing of our sins and guilt, we are once again made whole and holy. Through penance, the faithful receive pardon through God's mercy for the sins they have committed. At the same time, they are reconciled with the Church community. The sacramental confession of sins frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. 

Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church. The Sacrament of Penance is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In sacramental confession, we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in His presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are wholly reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God, without His grace and blessing. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered 

every Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (before Mass)

“Daughter, when you approach the confessional, know this, that I myself am waiting there for you.   I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy, souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to my generosity.” 

St. Sister Faustina Kowalska