Reconciliation

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.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1422

For more information, please contact the Parish Office, at (609) 587-4372, or by email, at [email protected].

A Note about Confession In Person

Confession on the telephone or by e-mail is not permitted by the Church for a couple of reasons. First, the sacrament of confession is a personal encounter with Jesus in which he personally addresses every sinner: “My son, your sins are forgiven.” He is the physician tending each one of the sick who need him to cure them. He raises them up and reintegrates them into fraternal communion. Personal confession is thus the form most expressive of reconciliation with God and with the Church (CCC 1484).

Second, maintaining secrecy is essential. The “Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him” (CCC 1467). Email, the Internet, and telephones are never completely private.

The Pontifical Council on Social Communications on The Church and Internet says:

Virtual reality is no substitute for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacramental reality of the other sacraments, and shared worship in a flesh-and-blood human community. There are no sacraments on the Internet; and even the religious experiences possible there by the grace of God are insufficient apart from real-world interaction with other persons of faith. (9)

~ Catholic Answers

If you'd like a refresher on the Ten Commandments to help in your examination of conscience, go to The Ten Commandments page, under Faith Formation > Adult Faith Formation.

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

It is called the sacrament of conversion, because it makes sacramentally present Jesus' call to conversion, the first step in returning to the Father from whom one has strayed by sin.

It is called the sacrament of Penance, since it consecrates the Christian sinner's personal and ecclesial steps of conversion, penance, and satisfaction.

It is called the sacrament of confession, since the disclosure or confession of sins to a priest is an essential element of this sacrament. In a profound sense it is also a "confession"—acknowledgment and praise—of the holiness of God and of his mercy toward sinful man.

It is called the sacrament of forgiveness, since by the priest's sacramental absolution God grants the penitent pardon and peace.

It is called the sacrament of Reconciliation, because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: "Be reconciled to God." He who lives by God's merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord's call: "Go; first be reconciled to your brother."

Suggested Reading:

7 Secrets of Confession by Vinny Flynn, MercySong, Inc. Available from www.ignatius.com.

"To many Catholics, confession is just a means to an end: cleaning us up from sin so we can receive Communion. But, as Pope Francis tells us, confession is much more than "going to the dry cleaner." It's "an encounter with Jesus, who waits for us as we are."

In 7 Secrets of Confession, best-selling author Vinny Flynn explores the "hidden" truths of this encounter with Jesus, presenting what to many will be a whole new way of going to confession, and inviting you to begin an exciting personal journey to healing and holiness.
 

An excerpt on confession from A Year with the Church Fathers

"Even if you do not confess, God is not ignorant of the deed, since he knew it before it was committed. Why then do you not speak of it? Does the transgression become heavier by the confession? No, it becomes lighter and less troublesome. And this is why he wants you to confess: not that you should be punished, but that you should be forgiven; not that he may learn your sin—how could that be, since he has seen it?—but that you may learn what favor he bestows. He wishes you to learn the greatness of his grace, so that you may praise him perfectly, that you may be slower to sin, that you may be quicker to virtue. And if you do not confess the greatness of the need, you will not understand the enormous magnitude of his grace."

~ St. John Chrysostom, p. 255