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. Reconciliation 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. (Catechism, 1422)

Examination of Conscience

Confession Times

Every Saturday:
8:30 AM and 3:00–3:50 PM
First Friday of the Month:
8:30–9:30 AM
Any time by appointment

Before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, one should prepare oneself with an examination of conscience, which involves reflecting prayerfully on one's thoughts, words, and deeds in order to identify any sins. There are various types of examinations of conscience but regardless of which one you use to prepare yourself for the Sacrament it should be rooted in Scripture; particularly, the Ten Commandments and Beatitudes.

• Examination of Conscience available at OLQH (PDF)
• Various Examinations (for children, young adults, married, single) from the USCCB
• A Short Guide for Confession from Midwest Theological Forum (PDF)
• A Guide to Confession and Examination of Conscience from the Knights of Columbus (PDF)

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Act of Contrition Prayer

After the priest gives you some brief counsel and assigns you a penance, he will ask you to pray an Act of Contrition Prayer. There are many versions of this prayer, with two of the most common reproduced below:

• O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they have offended you, my God, who are all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of your grace, to sin no more, to do penance, and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen.
  
  
• O my God, I am sorry and repent with all my heart for all the wrong I have done and for the good I have failed to do, because by sinning I have offended you, who are all good and worthy to be loved above all things. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid the near occasions of sin. Through the merits of the Passion of our Savior Jesus Christ, Lord, have mercy. Amen.
  

REVISIONS TO THE ORDER OF PENANCE

Beginning Ash Wednesday, February 22, 2023, penitents in the Sacrament of Confession may notice some different words being used by the priest. In the same way that the translation of the Roman Missal was updated over a decade ago, the English translation of the Order of Penance has been updated as well according to the most recent instruction on the use of the vernacular in the liturgy: the instruction Liturgiam authenticam of 2001. Click HERE to read a Q&A on these revisions

First Confession

Things your child should know before his/her first confession:

• How to go to confession (what to say and do).
• Have memorized an Act of Contrition, the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
• Have made a good examination of conscience (see here for an examination for children).