Renconciliation

Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

The return of the prodigal son

“God’s mercy is a great light of love and tenderness.” Pope Francis

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a great gift from God. It is a joyful encounter with the love and mercy of Jesus. Confessing our sins reconciles us to God and restores our relationship with him.

The Sacrament is a gift which comes from Jesus himself. Jesus gave the power to forgive sins to his Apostles and it was handed on through the centuries. Today, we hear the great words of love and mercy in Confession when Jesus says, through the Priest, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus came to heal the sick. He cured many of physical illnesses, but he was most concerned with the soul. Jesus wants to remove anything that holds us back from full life with him. In the Sacrament, Jesus forgives sins and heals us. This is a joyful encounter with Jesus which we can and should come back to regularly.

Children

“Confession is the soul’s bath, even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again.” St Padre Pio

In our Parish, children are prepared for the wonderful gift of this Sacrament in year 3 or above. Preparation takes place as part of the First Holy Communion Programme.

Children learn about the God who loves them so much that he gives us the Sacrament of Reconciliation so the things which get in the way of that love can be removed. For more detail on the programme, make sure you check out our Eucharist page, click HERE.

Adults

Adult preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is carried out through a journey of faith called RCIA. For more information on this process click HERE.

If you have been away from the Sacrament for a while there is nothing to fear. Each of our priests will welcome you back with love and tenderness. You can mention to any of the priests that you’ve been away for a while and they will guide you. You can come to the Sacrament during the Parish times or if you feel more comfortable, if it has been a while, you can arrange to meet a priest. For info on both click HERE.