Reconciliation

This is the Sacrament in which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven. It results in reconciliation with God and the Church. (US Catholic Catechism for Adults, Glossary)

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Sacramental Preparation

As your child prepares for Reconciliation and Eucharist, it is an wonderful time to reflect on the meaning of the Sacraments in your life and the ways in which your family life reflects their importance. As you seek to make the sacraments central in your family's life, the children will learn to place Jesus first.


Preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion is a two year process that ordinarily takes place in 1st and 2nd Grade. When the parents and catechist determine the readiness of the child, the celebration of Reconciliation always precedes the celebration of First Communion. Preparation for these two sacraments are distinct.


In 2nd grade, there is an additional fee of $50.00 per child for children preparing for First Communion. This fee helps the parish cover expenses for the liturgical celebration, paperwork processing, certificate, etc. 


All registration forms for First Communion students must have a copy of the child’s baptismal certificate, even if it was previously provided.


Questions about the Sacrament Preparation and First Reconciliation and Communion can be directed to Maddie Torres at maddie.torres@stmarknc.org.

About Reconciliation

There are four steps in the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
  1. We feel contrition for our sins and a conversion of heart to change our ways.
  2. We confess our sins and human sinfulness to a priest.
  3. We receive and accept forgiveness (absolution) and are absolved of our sins.
  4. We celebrate God’s everlasting love for us and commit to live out a Christian life.
Sin hurts our relationship with God, ourselves and others. As the Catechism states:
The sinner wounds God’s honor and love, his own human dignity…and the spiritual well-being of the Church, of which each Christian ought to be a living stone. To the eyes of faith no evil is graver than sin and nothing has worse consequences for the sinners themselves, for the Church, and for the whole world. (CCC 1487, 1488)
A mature understanding of sin includes reflecting upon our thoughts, actions and omissions as well as examining the patterns of sin that may arise in our lives. With contrite hearts, we are also called to reflect upon the effects of our sins upon the wider community and how we might participate in sinful systems.

Contrition and conversion lead us to seek a forgiveness for our sins so as to repair damaged relationships with God, self, and others. We believe that only ordained priests have the faculty of absolving sins from the authority of the Church in the name of Jesus Christ (CCC 1495). Our sins are forgiven by God, through the priest.

The Spiritual effects of the Sacraments of Reconciliation include:
  • reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace
  • reconciliation with the Church
  • remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins
  • remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin
  • peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation
  • an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle (CCC 1496)
Individual confession with a priest is the principal means of absolution and reconciliation of grave sins within the Church. The Sacrament of Reconciliation frees us from sinful patterns of behavior and calls us to complete conversion to Christ. Reconciliation heals our sins and repairs our relationships.