1. When is it nece​ssary for me to go Confession?

Generally speaking, besides the obligation of annual Confession (Canon Law: 989), the Church encourages its faithful to make use of the sacrament frequently and regularly.

Specifically one should confess all his/her sins, and especially mortal sins which destroy the sanctifying grace in the soul. While Confession of venial sins is not always necessary, one must confess mortal sins.

Mortal sin is a grave matter that turned one away from God in full knowledge of the evil of the act, and with full consent of the will. All three conditions must be met for a sin to be mortal. (CCC: 1855, 1857)

Venial sins do not destroy the sanctifying grace in the soul, but it diminishes and wounds it (CCC: 1855). Venial sin injuries one's relationship with God or with the neighbour or with oneself, in lesser matters of the moral law, or in grave matters acting without full knowledge or complete consent (CCC: 1862).

2. What if after receiving the Holy Eucharist I became aware of some sins that I failed to confess?

You must go to Confession at your earliest opportunity.

3. Can a priest reveal what he has heard to others?

No. "It is absolutely forbidden for a confessor to betray in any way a penitent in words or in any manner and for any reason." This is called "Confessional seal". (Canon Law: 983)

4. What if I feel nervous about going to Confession? Or what if I haven't gone to Confession for many years?

True contrition turns one to God and the Church in the sacrament (CCC: 1453-1454). Simply go to the Confessional prayerfully in the faith when you are ready, by telling a priest what sins you are sorry for with all your heart. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear" (1 Jn 4.18). Recall, for example, the reassuring story of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke (15:11-32) and the embrace of the loving father. If necessary, speak to your pastor, and he will be able to guide you in your preparation.

5. I have difficulty in memorizing the Act of Contrition by heart in the Confessional …

Bring a copy of it with you to the Confessional. Sometimes pastors have a copy ready. It is important that you understand the prayer. It is not meant to be a memory test. Express it in your own words when your memory of it fails. You can always ask a priest to help you.

6. Can I be forgiven of the terrible sin of abortion?

Yes! Pope John Paul II once wrote to women in your situation.

The Church is aware of the many factors that may have influenced your decision, and she does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong, but do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly. If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. (Evangelium Vitae, 99.)

​Come, begin the process of healing. If you would prefer to confess to a priest who has experience ministering to women who have abortions, please contact Spiritual Affairs​.

7. May I receive the sacrament if I'm divorced?

It is possible that you may receive the sacrament, but you may wish to consult your pastor first who would be able to speak to your particular situation. Generally speaking, one may receive the sacrament if they are civilly divorced but have not remarried or were validly married in the Church after receiving a declaration of nullity for their first marriage.

8. Can my sins be forgiven outside of the sacrament?

In the sacrament God in his unbound mercy reconciles a contrite person not only to Himself, but also to the Church, through the ministry of priests. In Baptism God washed away all your sins. For post-baptismal sins, the members of the Catholic Church are bound by the sacrament as "the only ordinary way for the faithful to reconcile themselves with God and the Church, unless physical or moral impossibility excuses from this kind of confession" (CCC: 1484).

First Reconciliation, Confession, and Penance

The parishes normally prepare our children and families for this Sacrament prior to their First Holy Communion. This is their first celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation: their first sacramental acts of Confession and of Penance. The Church's proclamation and celebration of God's loving mercy through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is the broad framework of the parish catechesis. Like adults children have a right to an ongoing catechesis in this Sacrament and to be encouraged to approach the Sacrament freely and regularly. Regular reception of the Sacrament is a beautiful way of co-operating with God the Father as the Holy Spirit graces us with what wholesome virtue we need in our continuing, lifelong conversion to Christ.

1. My child attends a Catholic school. My family goes to Mass at our local parish. Who is responsible for preparing my child for First Communion, the school or the parish?

The parents and the parish are responsible for your child's preparation for the First Holy Communion, with help from our Catholic schools. To prepare for First Holy Communion you are to register your family in your local parish.

If you are not attending a parish currently, we warmly invite you to participate in the Mass on Sundays with one of our many parish families.

2. Why is this preparation held in the parish and not the school?

The immediate preparation for the celebration of the sacraments is the responsibility of the parents and the parish.

3. Why are parents involved in the process?

Children to the faith of the parents are like sponges to water. At baptism the point about the parents' and godparents' responsibility to pass on the faith of the Church is clear as day in the symbol of the lighting of the candle from the paschal candle at Baptism. The Church involves parents in the faith of their family from the start, because parents are called to be "the first preachers of the faith" to their children.​

The parents "are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their off-springs", as St. Augustine once said that parents are called "not only to bring children into the world but also to bring them to God". For these reasons the Church calls the Christian family "the domestic church" (CCC: 1655-1658; Compendium: 350), as Pope John Paul II reminds us in the words of Pope Paul VI:

The family, like the Church, ought to be a place where the Gospel is transmitted and from which the Gospel radiates. In a family which is conscious of this mission, all the members evangelize and are evangelized. The parents not only communicate the Gospel to their children, but from their children they can themselves receive the same Gospel as deeply lived by them. And such a family becomes the evangelizer of many other families, and of the neighbourhood of which it forms part.

4. Why is there a cost associated with this preparation?

While there is absolutely no fee associated with the Sacrament of Eucharist, our parish families help cover such expenses as program materials, refreshments, and so on, through voluntary donations.

5. What if my child is not ready to celebrate the sacrament?

Please speak to the pastor or coordinator.

6. If my child did not receive First Communion in Grade Two, can they receive it when they are older?

Yes, but please speak to your parish pastor for their preparation for First Communion.

7. How may validly baptized non-Catholic children receive First Communion?

The pastor will be able to speak to your particular situation. Validly baptized non-Catholic children between seven and fourteen years should be enrolled in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Children of Catechetical Age.

8. Can a non-baptized or non-Catholic child receive First Communion if they are enrolled in a Catholic school?

No. Eucharistic communion is reserved to those who are in the fullness of ecclesial communion with the Catholic Church.

9. Can an Eastern Catholic or an Orthodox child receive First Holy Communion?

First Holy Communion is usually the first celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Because baptized children from these ecclesial communities normally received First Communion along with Baptism and Confirmation, these children do not usually celebrate First Holy Communion again. Orthodox children are usually not presented for First Communion even if they are enrolled in Catholic schools.

Speak to your pastor about your particular situation, especially if the child has a Roman Catholic parent or if the parents would like to be received into the Catholic Church.