Where is the confessional in a catholic church

I am not sure how to term what I want. I know I feel the need to go to confession but yet having never done so before I feel lost as to what to do. Can I just go to church at anytime and ask to confess or is it just at certain times? Can the priest guide me though or do I need to go knowing what to say and when? Best way; Ring a catholic priest, and arrange a private appointment at his house for a general confession.

Write down your sins before you meet Him. Google ; catholic examination of consciconscience, and list of catholic mortal sins serious sins. All serious sins ever committed in your life need to be mentioned, hiding one makes the confession sacreligious and means nothing is forgiven. I confess in my quiet place to God and after I feel cleansed of my wrongs and I know I better not repeat those wrongs.

Do u always have to go for confession so your sins can be forgiven? One should feel like going to confession. Similar to people going to Counseling where they pour out their heart. Catholic community is a confessing community where we accept our fault when faulted as it is no defending we do it individually we do it as a community.

Sacrament of confession stands for the same where we empty ourself. If we can empty ourself before man we can empty ourself before God. One MUST confess all mortal sins to a priest. One who dies in a state of mortal will go to hell. For example watching pornography is one that is usually a mortal sin.

So the grave matter part with the porn example, one must know that it objectifies women, causes them to become neurologically dependent on it, along with all the other negative attributes that go with it. One has to have to have full knowledge of what they are doing. This is not having full knowledge. Or if they google something , and it comes up with porn, not full knowledge. Full consent boils down to someone has porn up and they try to show someone.

Or another one would be if someone was addicted to porn or masturbation since to two usually go hand-in-hand. If one has to watch porn because they are addicted or masturbate for the same reason, this is not having full concent due to an addiction.

Since the full knowledge is there, it would be a venial sin. For more info on this, check out CCC Pay close attention to the last part of the paragraph. So it is because of situations like these that mortal sin, and sin in general is a very touchy topic. We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons…By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance.

In the past few years I have come back to church. Then life hit me hard. Friends say I should write a book about my last 25 years or so, all the good, bad and the ugly.

I just want God to forgive me for not going to church for so long. I just recently started going to church; probably cause I feel that my life is short and I want God to know I love him and believe in our lord Jesus Christ. I never thought I would go to church by myself but I did and do. Well I feel God has forgiven me cause I feel it deep in my heart but still the part of me is questioning if he really has. The last time I went to confession was in , so I have a huge amount of sins to confess.

I just want to know if I should, need, have to go? I try to stay strong by praying and I encourage others to believe in the power of prayer! Thanks for listening. As to what you should say, u should talk to the priest and say everything you have just said as it is. Remember the story of the prodigal son Luke Hi George- thank you for sharing.

I just converted a few years ago and never did the confession- yes I was told to do it and did not! I am still very nervous about it but decided this year during lent I was going to give my sins up to God.

I did have someone suggest to ask for forgiveness for my bad choices and how my sins have affected those I love. I liked that a lot. So I wish you luck and I am heading to church this Sunday evening for the penance service and confession! God will guide me and my heart. He loves us regardless and wants to give US peace by confession. He is our saving Grace. God loves you. He loves you through and through. He respects you, and understands your confusion and your pain.

Offer it all up to Him and He will guide you where you need to be. If you decide to go to confession, God will be with you. He is with you everywhere in this world that He created for His children. Several years ago I experienced the same anxiety it seems you have regarding confession. I too was separated from the church for many years and had quite a bit on my plate in need of forgiveness. I would ask you to review the following. The Lord freely gave this ability to forgive sins to men.

Place your trust in God, a merciful Father who wants to forgive you. I am sorry for these and all my sins. The priest will assign you a 5 penance. The penance takes into account your personal situation and supports your spiritual good.

It may be a prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service, or sacrifice; whatever the penance, the individual is joined in some way to Christ and the cross. The penitent will then pray an 6 Act of Contrition. The priest might then talk to you and give you some advice. He will give you a penance to do a prayer or action that expresses your sorrow and your desire to put things right and live a new life. The priest will then ask you to make an Act of Contrition. The priest then says the prayer of absolution, which is the moment when God forgives your sins.

He may add some other prayers as well. If it is possible now, do your penance in the church before you leave; e. You might feel relieved and peaceful and full of joy. Or you might feel dry and empty. What matters is that we have been forgiven and been given new life. The Lord has touched us — even if we do not feel it. If we remember, later on, any mortal sins from earlier in our life, we can bring them to our next confession.

An Examination of Conscience is simply a list of some of the ways that we can love God and our neighbour, and some of the ways we can fail to love through sin. Reflecting on an Examination of Conscience helps us to be honest with ourselves and honest with God. It is not meant to be a burden. It helps us to examine our lives, and to make a good confession, so that we can be at peace with Christ and with one another.

The important thing, of course, is to love, and to live our Catholic faith with our whole heart. But now and then it is useful to spell out what this really means, and to make sure that we are not kidding ourselves. This Examination of Conscience is not to be used every day, or even at every confession — we do not need to go through a checklist every time. It is here for us to look at every now and then.

It is based around the Ten Commandments. As we reflect on it, we can ask the Lord to shine his light into our hearts. Some things will not apply to us; but if something in particular touches our conscience, then we can bring it to confession. His love never fails or changes. He loves us passionately, with infinite kindness and tenderness. The only reason we remember our sins is so that we can turn to him and receive his forgiveness, and learn to love him in a new and deeper way.

Remember that God loves you - He wants to give you this free gift of His mercy and His love. Listen to this homily - A priest reminds us about the amazing love of God in the confessional.

Listen to the Homily Here. The Sacrament of Reconciliation may be face-to-face or anonymous, with a screen between you and the priest. Choose the option that is the most comfortable for you. When you enter the confessional, the priest will give you a blessing or greeting. He may also share a brief Scripture passage. Confess all of your mortal sins to the priest in number and kind.