Confession (Reconciliation)

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

“Why can’t I just confess my sins to God?” One of the strangest truths about God is that He shares what is properly His with human beings. He worked through Moses to liberate Israel from slavery, He used the prophets to proclaim His word, and in confession, He works through priests to forgive our sins. Saint Paul considers himself to be a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Corinthians 4:1); and even goes so far as to say that God gave to him and others the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). In other words, God works through people, He reaches us through others, and He gives authority to certain ministers in the church – namely priests. Jesus gave the apostles (the first priests) the authority to forgive sins (John 20:21-23) and that gift has been alive in the Church ever since.

Confessing our sins out loud to another human being is good for us. The chief sin of mankind is pride, and confession is humbling – which is a good thing. There is also such a grace and joy to hearing a priest pray the words of mercy: “May God give you pardon and peace, and I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

Confession at St. Mary Magdalene

Monday - Friday: 8:45-9:15am
Saturday: 8:45-11:15am

Preparing Children for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

In the Diocese of Phoenix, children who are already BAPTIZED normally prepare for 1st Reconciliation in 2nd grade and 1st Communion and Confirmation in the 3rd grade.  This is known as RESTORED ORDER and is different from most other dioceses where children are confirmed when they are older. 

• Baptized 2nd and 3rd graders will be prepared in their regular Family Formation classes, For more information click on the following link: Family Formation and OCIC/OCIT.  (Note: 3rd grade children who have not made 1st Reconciliation and/or have no prior formal religious education should enroll in 2nd Two years of religious education are required before they can receive 1st Communion.
• Baptized 4th and 5th graders who need 1st Reconciliation and 1st Communion will be prepared in our OCIC program (Order of Christian Initiation for Children) For more information click the following link: Family Formation and OCIC/OCIT.

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