“[Jesus] said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.'” (Jn 20:21-23)

Also called penance or confession. Our God who created us, knows our weaknesses. He constantly offers his forgiveness to us, through his minister, the priest. Jesus himself gave this authority to his priests as he instituted a way to restore relationship with him. The more we go to this sacrament of God's mercy and love, the more we get molded and shaped into the perfect child God intended us to be. “Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more," how great is our joy that God searches for us when we stray from the fold. He tells us “not to be afraid," He is waiting with open arms…in the confessional

Traditionally, children in the second year of religious formation are considered at the age of discretion (around 7 years old) by the Catholic Church. According to the document, The Sacraments of Initiation Policies for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, which was promulgated by then Bishop Donald Wuerl in 1995, "... candidates for First Communion are to received appropriate catechesis concerning the sacrament of Penance and are to be helped to develop and examine their consciences as they are led to celebrate sacramental reconciliation in readiness for Eucharist." Therefore, children enrolled in Faith Formation classes at St. Benedict the Abbot Parish, as well as children enrolled in Catholic schools will begin diligent preparation for the sacrament of Reconciliation. Parents must recognize the unique role they share in the Christian formation of their children, especially in regards to moral development. For this reason, parents are required to attend one parent session for each child who is engaged in preparation for the sacrament of Penance.