:: St. Bernard's Parish, Los Angeles

Reconciliation

Confession at St. Bernard’s

At St. Bernard’s, we have two main reconciliation services every week offered by our parish priests.

In addition, our church holds special reconcilliation services outside the normally scheduled times, especially preceding Easter and Christmas and during Lent.

What is confession?

Penance is a sacrament in which forgiveness of sins committed after baptism is granted through the priest's absolution to those who, with true sorrow, confess their sins and promise to satisfy for the same.

During confession

After examining your conscience and telling God of your sorrow, go into the confessional. You may kneel at the screen or sit to talk face-to-face with the priest.

Begin your confession with the sign of the cross, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. My last confession was _________ weeks (months, years) ago."

The priest may read a passage from holy scripture.

Say the sins that you remember. Start with the one(s) that is/are most difficult to say. (In order to make a good confession the faithful must confess all mortal sins, according to kind and number.) After confessing all the sins you remember since your last good confession, you may conclude by saying, "I am sorry for these and all the sins of my past life."

Listen to the words of the priest. He will assign you some penance. Doing the penance will diminish the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.

For more information

For further guidance, feel free to come to our church office or make an appointment with one of our parish priests.