How To Go To Confession

• The priest says a greeting.
• The penitent makes the sign of the cross and then says, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been __days/months/years since my last confession.”
• The penitent then says, “My sins are…” and tells the priest his/her sins. All mortal sins must be confessed in kind and number of times the sin was committed. If unsure or uneasy, the penitent can let the priest know and ask for his help.
• When all remembered sins have been confessed, the penitent says, “For these and all my sins I am sorry.”
• The priest will offer some advice and then assign a penance.
• The priest will then ask the penitent to say an Act of Contrition. There are many different versions of the Act of Contrition. The simplest is: “Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
• After the penitent completes the Act of Contrition, the priest gives the penitent absolution. He says a prayer that ends, “I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” As the priest says these words, the penitent makes the sign of the cross.
• The priest will then say a dismissal, such as: “The Lord has freed you from your sins. Go in peace.”
• The penitent responds, “Thanks be to God.” The penitent then leaves the confessional and does his/her assigned penance as soon as possible.