We celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Saturdays from 4:45 p.m. to 5:15pm
By appointment; please see a priest or call the parish office at 516-378-1315

The Sacrament of Penance (also called the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession) is the Church's ritual through which God's forgiveness, and our reconciliation with God and others is celebrated and deepened. In this sacrament we recognize and "own up" to our sins and unloving choices which have hurt ourselves and others, confess them to God through the priest, promise to do penance (which means making up for the hurt we have caused others), and receive from God through the Church, and action of the priest, forgiveness and absolution.

With encouragement from the priest and the grace of Christ, we can then go forth with light heart, resolved and strengthened to make things right with God and others.

Steps to a fruitful experience of the sacrament:

Examine your conscience. Ask yourself how you have succeeded or failed in showing God's love to others. Click here for a link to examination of conscience.

You may come to QMHR during scheduled Confession times or you may make an appointment with a priest at the parish office at 516-378-1315.

If you are a little with the Penance ritual, the priest will guide you through it. You begin with the Sign of the Cross. The priest may read a short text from the Scripture, then he will invite you to confess your sins. He will encourage you and may counsel you, then will discuss with you a suitable penance. He will invite you to say a prayer of sorrow (or act of contrition.) The priest will give you absolution and send you forth to grow in God's love.

Act of Contrition

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin. Amen.