How to Go to Confession

Confession Prayers

Prepare honestly, tell the priest your sins, receive his guidance and absolution, and carry out your penance. If you cannot remember the prayers or have been away for years, say so at the beginning. You can ask for help.

Before you go

  • Check parish confession times. For a long absence or complicated question, ask for an appointment.
  • Use an examination of conscience. Consider your choices since your last good confession.
  • Ask God for sorrow for sin and the intention to change. A sincere resolution is not a prediction that you will never struggle again.
  • Confess remembered grave sins not already confessed individually, in kind and number as best you can. If a number is uncertain, identify it honestly as an estimate.

What to say

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been [approximately how long] since my last confession.”

State your sins plainly. Include circumstances needed to explain their nature, without unnecessary names or graphic detail. Explain uncertainty rather than pretending to know. Do not deliberately conceal a grave sin out of embarrassment.

  • Listen to the priest and accept the penance. Tell him if you cannot reasonably perform it.
  • Pray an Act of Contrition when invited. You may read it or ask for help.
  • Receive absolution and respond “Amen.”
  • Thank God afterwards, do your penance, and choose a practical step toward the change you intend.

An Act of Contrition

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

Questions people often have

Can I bring a list? Yes. Keep any notes private and dispose of them securely afterwards. This website does not ask you to type or submit your sins.

Do I need to confess every day? No. Canon 989 concerns confession of grave sins at least annually after reaching the age of discretion; it is not a command that everyone confess weekly. Regular confession of venial sins is encouraged. Ask your confessor about a suitable rhythm.

What if I am ashamed? You can begin by naming that difficulty: “Father, I am afraid to say something. Please help me.” The sacramental seal protects the confession.

Returning after years away · What if I forgot a sin?

Sources and further reading

Prepared by Catholic Repository. Sources checked 12 September 2026. A lay educational resource, not an official Church publication.