Penance FAQ

Confession is offered every day at the Cathedral 30 minutes before daily Mass. Confession is also offered on Saturday from 4-5 pm and on Sunday from 10-11 am.

We need the Sacrament of Penance because each of us, from time to time, sins. Sin harms our relationship with God and damages our communion with the Church. The Lord, therefore, instituted a special sacrament so that we can be reconciled with God and with the Church.The Sacrament of Penance is an experience of the gift of God’s boundless mercy.

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Those who by grave sin have withdrawn from the communion of love with God are called back in the Sacrament of Penance to the life they have lost. And those who through daily weakness fall into venial sins draw strength from a repeated celebration of Penance to gain the full freedom of the children of God.

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Priests can forgive our sins because Jesus has given them that authority through the grace of Holy Orders. With that power, priests can hear and forgive our sins by acting through Christ. We confess our sins to a priest, who is the minister of the sacrament, because he stands “in Persona Christi,” meaning that he is in the person of Christ.

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Catholics are required to receive the Sacrament at least once per year. However, if you are aware of having committed any mortal (serious) sin, you should go to Confession before receiving the Eucharist. Frequent reception of Confession helps us keep aware of our spiritual progress and provides the grace to overcome our sins.

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