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Reconciliation

 

The Rite of Reconciliation (Sacrament of Penance) is celebrated on Saturday afternoons from 3:15 – 3:45 PM or by appointment.  In addition to individual Confessions, we celebrate Parish Reconciliation Services during the seasons of Advent & Lent.  Check the Parish Calendar for dates and times.

FIRST RECONCILIATION   

  • Second grade students of St. Paul School and St. Paul PSR receive the gift of this sacrament after a suitable period of instruction and formation. The St. Paul teacher and the PSR catechists, along with the parents, prepare the children to celebrate reverently and joyfully—and then to accept the invitation to celebrate this sacrament in their ongoing growth in faith.

Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera (“Mercy and Misery”) at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, which lasted from December 8, 2015, to November 20, 2016. Here are several stirring excerpts to encourage us to seek reconciliation with the Lord and with one another:

“Forgiveness is the most visible sign of the Father’s love, which Jesus sought to reveal by his entire life.”

“Nothing of what a repentant sinner places before God’s mercy can be excluded from the embrace of his forgiveness.”

“Mercy gives rise to joy, because our hearts are opened to the hope of a new life.”

“Once mercy has been truly experienced, it is impossible to turn back. It grows constantly and it changes our lives. It is an authentic new creation: it brings about a new heart, capable of loving to the full ….”

And note this teaching from our prior pope, Benedict XVI:  "To live life in full freedom we must overcome the test that this freedom entails, that is, temptation.  Only if we are freed from the slavery of falsehood and sin can we, through the obedience of faith that opens us to the truth, find the full meaning of our life and attain peace, love, and joy."