How to Go to Confession
The Sacrament of Reconciliation, made simple. You don't need to be afraid — you just need to come.
Confession — the Sacrament of Reconciliation — is one of the greatest gifts Christ gave His Church. It is the moment when God, through the ministry of the priest, speaks the most beautiful words a soul can hear: Your sins are forgiven.
If you've never been, or if it's been a long time, don't let fear keep you away. The priest is not there to judge you. He is there to welcome you home.
Seven Simple Steps
Examine Your Conscience
Before you go, take a few quiet minutes to look back over your life since your last confession. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see where you have fallen short — in thought, word, action, and omission. There are many examination guides available; a simple approach is to review the Ten Commandments and the two great commandments: love of God and love of neighbor.
Enter the Confessional
You can go face-to-face or behind a screen — your choice. Begin by making the Sign of the Cross. The priest will welcome you. You may say: 'Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [time] since my last confession.'
Confess Your Sins
Tell the priest your sins honestly and clearly. You don't need to tell a story — just name the sins and roughly how many times. If you're unsure whether something is a sin, ask. The priest is there to help, not to judge.
Receive Counsel and Penance
The priest may offer a word of encouragement or guidance. He will then give you a penance — usually a prayer to pray or a good act to perform — as a sign of your desire to change.
Pray the Act of Contrition
After the priest gives you penance, pray an Act of Contrition from your heart. If you don't have it memorized, you can read it from a card — most confessionals have one available.
Receive Absolution
The priest extends his hands and speaks the words of absolution — the prayer through which God, through the ministry of the Church, forgives your sins. You respond: 'Amen.'
Give Thanks and Do Your Penance
Leave the confessional and find a quiet place to pray your penance and thank God for His mercy. The Sacrament is complete — your sins are forgiven. Go in peace.
The Act of Contrition
You'll pray this during confession. You can bring it with you — or read it from a card in the confessional.
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.
Amen.
Common Fears, Answered
Learn the Act of Contrition
The Act of Contrition and all the essential prayers are on our prayer page — ready to learn and carry with you.
Essential Catholic Prayers →Thinking About Becoming Catholic?
You don't have to have it all figured out before you begin.