St. Francis de Sales Parish
Sacrament of Reconciliation
“Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.” Catechism of the Catholic Church 1440
Reconciliation with God and our neighbor is at the heart of the Mystery of the Cross. Christ died for us so that we can live for God, but too often we choose to go our own way and to make a god of our things, our desires, our resources. We wound ourselves when we sin, sometimes mortally and find ourselves separated from the grace of God that should be at work in our lives. Christ Himself comes to us in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to restore in us the grace of our baptism, a grace that has made us holy and vessels of the Holy Spirit.
Regular confessions are scheduled in our parish church at the following times:
Saturday 4.30pm-5.00pm
Sunday 7.30am-8.00am, 9.30am-10.00am, 11.30am-12.00pm
Advent and Lent Reconciliation Services are also offered.
The parish priests always welcome calls to celebrate the Sacrament at other times, and do their best to accommodate those seeking the Sacrament.
As you approach this Sacrament it is important to prepare yourself. It is not enough to confess a token sin. If your best clothes get splashed with muck cleaning one spot won’t make the whole thing clean. Every sin must be confessed for your soul to be washed clean of the stains of sin. When we celebrate the Sacrament we should always examine our conscience thoroughly and bring to God all that we know we need forgiveness for. The link you will find here provides an examination of conscience that you may find helpful.

