Confessions are held on Saturday from 3-3:45pm at Saint Peter's School Chapel of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom located at 12 Father Cody Drive, Poughkeespie. 
 Or call the office to schedule a time.
 845-452-8580 ext. 3

St. Joseph's Catechism - Sacrament of Confession

What is the sacrament of Penance? Penance is the sacrament which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven through the absolution of the priest.

Whence has the priest the power to forgive sins? The priest has the power to forgive sins from Jesus Christ, who said to His apostles and to their successors in the priesthood: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” 

With what words does the priest forgive sins? The priest forgives sins with the words: “I absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

What are the effects of the sacrament of Penance, worthily received? The effects of the sacrament of Penance, worthily received, are: first, the restoration or increase of sanctifying grace; second, the forgiveness of sins; third, the remission of the eternal punishment, if necessary, and also of part, at least, of the temporal punishment, due our sins; fourth, the help to avoid sin in the future; fifth, the restoration of the merits of our good works if they have been lost by mortal sin.

What else does the sacrament of Penance do for us? The sacrament of Penance also gives us the opportunity to receive spiritual advice and instruction from our confessor.

What must we do to receive the sacrament of Penance worthily? To receive the sacrament of Penance worthily, we must: first, examine our conscience; second, be sorry for our sins; third, have the firm purpose of not sinning again; fourth, confess our sins to the priest; fifth, be willing to perform the penance the priest gives us.

What is contrition? Contrition is sincere sorrow for having offended God, and hatred for the sins we have committed, with a firm purpose of sinning no more.

Will God forgive us any sin unless we have true contrition for it? God will not forgive any sin, whether mortal or venial, unless we have true contrition for it.

When is sorrow for sin true contrition? Sorrow for sin is true contrition when it is interior, supernatural, supreme, and universal.

When is our sorrow interior? Our sorrow is interior when it come from our heart, and not merely from our lips.

When is our sorrow supernatural? Our sorrow is supernatural when, with the help of God’s grace, it arises from motives which spring from faith and not merely from natural motives.

When is our sorrow supreme? Our sorrow is supreme when we hate sin above every other evil, and are willing to endure any suffering rather than offend God in the future by sin.

When is our sorrow universal? Our sorrow is universal when we are sorry for every mortal sin which we may have had the misfortune to commit.

Should we always try to have sorrow for all our venial sins when receiving the sacrament of Penance? We should try to have sorrow for all our venial sins when receiving the sacrament of Penance, and, when we have only venial sins to confess, we must have sorrow for at least one of them or for some sin of our past life which we confess.

Why should we have contrition for venial sin? We should have contrition for venial sin because it is displeasing to God, merits temporal punishment and may lead to mortal sin.

How many kinds of contrition are there? There are two kinds of contrition: perfect contrition and imperfect contrition.

When is our contrition perfect? Our contrition is perfect when we are sorry for our sins because sin offends God, whom we love above all things for His own sake.

When is our contrition imperfect? Our contrition is imperfect when we are sorry for our sins because we feel guilty and fear God’s punishment.

To receive the sacrament of Penance worthily, what kind of contrition is sufficient? To receive the sacrament of Penance worthily, imperfect contrition is sufficient.

Should we always try to have perfect contrition in the sacrament of Penance? We should always try to have perfect contrition in the sacrament of Penance because perfect contrition is more pleasing to God, and because with His help we can always have it.

How can a person in moral sin regain the state of grace before receiving the sacrament of Penance? A person in mortal sin can regain the state of grace before receiving the sacrament of Penance by making an act of perfect contrition with the sincere purpose of going to confession.

What should we do if we have the misfortune to commit a mortal sin? If we have the misfortune to commit a mortal sin, we should ask God’s pardon and grace at once, make an act of perfect contrition, and go to confession as soon as we can.

May we receive Holy Communion after committing a mortal sin merely if we make an act of perfect contrition? We may not receive Holy Communion after committing a mortal sin if we merely make an act of perfect contrition; one who has sinned grievously must go to confession before receiving Holy Communion. The Church permits an exception in the case of one who has an urgent need to receive Holy Communion (which rarely happens) and cannot get to confession; such a person an act of perfect contrition.

What is the firm purpose of sinning no more? The firm purpose of sinning no more is the sincere resolve not only to avoid as far as possible the near occasions of sin.

What purpose of amendment must a person have if he has only venial sins to confess? If a person has only venial sins to confess, he must have the purpose of avoiding at least one of them.

What is confession? Confession is the telling of our sins to an authorized priest for the purpose of obtaining forgiveness.

Why must we confess our sins? We must confess our sins because Jesus Christ obliges us to do so in these words, spoken to the apostles and to their successors in the priesthood: “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

How do these words of Christ oblige us to confess our sins? These words of Christ oblige us to confess our sins because the priest cannot know whether he should forgive or retain our sins unless we tell them to him.

Is it necessary to confess every sin? It is necessary to confess every mortal sin which has not yet been confessed and forgiven; it is not necessary to confess our venial sins, but it is better to do so.

What are the chief qualities of a good confession? The chief qualities of a good confession are three: it must be humble, sincere, and entire.

When is our confession humble? Our confession is humble when we accuse ourselves of our sins with a conviction of guilt for having offended God.

When is our confession sincere? Our confession is sincere when we tell our sins honestly and frankly.
When is our confession entire? Our confession is entire when we confess at least all our mortal sins, telling their kind, the number of times we have committed each sin, and any circumstances changing their nature.

What are we to do if without our fault we forget to confess a mortal sin? If without our fault we forget to confess a mortal sin, we may receive Holy Communion, because we have made a good confession and the sin is forgiven; but we must tell the sin in confession if it again comes to our mind.

What happens if we knowingly conceal a mortal sin in confession? If we knowingly conceal a mortal sin in confession, the sins we confess are not forgiven; moreover, we commit a mortal sin of sacrilege.

What must a person do who has knowingly concealed a mortal sin in confession? A person who has knowingly concealed a mortal sin in confession must confess that he has made a bad  confession, tell the sin he has concealed, mention the sacraments he has received since that time, and confess all the mortal sins he has committed since his last good confession.

Why does the priest give us penance after confession? The priest gives us a penance after confession that we may make some atonement to God for our sins, receive help to avoid them in the future, and make some satisfaction for the temporal punishment due to them.

What kinds of punishment are due to sin? Two kinds of punishment are due to sin: the eternal punishment of hell, due to unforgiven mortal sins, and to temporal punishment, lasting only for a time, due to venial sins and also to mortal sins after they have been forgiven.

Does the sacrament of Penance, worthily received, always take away all punishment? The sacrament of Penance, worthily received, always takes away all eternal punishment; but it does not always take away temporal punishment.

Why does God require temporal punishment for sin? God requires temporal punishment for sin to satisfy His justice, to teach us the great evil of sin, and to warn us not to sin again.

Where do we pay the debt of our temporal punishment? We pay the debt of our temporal punishment either in this life or purgatory.

What are the chief means of satisfying the debt of our temporal punishment, besides the penance imposed after confession? Besides the penance imposed after confession, the chief means of satisfying the debt of our temporal punishment are: prayer, attending Mass, fasting, almsgiving, the works of mercy, the patient endurance of sufferings, and indulgences.