On the night of His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples and said: ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” – John 20:21-23

Today we call it the Sacrament of Reconciliation which allows us to enter into a special moment with the Lord, through the ministry of a priest. There are three essential “acts” required of the penitent: the act of confessing one’s sin, an act of contrition, and the act of making satisfaction which is commonly called the “penance”.

Not only does the sacrament free us from our sins but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us.  We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: “It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.”

At our parish, Reconciliation is available at the following times:
Monday: 7pm at OLPH, Herne Bay
Thursday: 7pm at OLPH, Herne Bay
Friday: 11.30am at Sacred Heart, Ponsonby
Saturday: 4.15pm at Sacred Heart, Ponsonby

Reconciliation times for other central churches can be found here: Reconciliation Auckland Central Deanery 2024

Act of Contrition
O my God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you because you are so good.
With Your help I will not sin again.