“Peace be with you!” With these words, the Risen Lord greeted his frightened Apostles in the Upper Room on the day of his Resurrection. They were troubled, anxious, and fearful—much like each one of us at some point in our lives. Christ repeated the words, “Peace be with you.” But then he added, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them” (Jn 20:19-23).

What an extraordinary gift! The Risen Lord was proclaiming that all the suffering he had just endured was in order to make available the gifts of salvation and forgiveness. He wanted the Apostles to receive these gifts. He wanted them to become apostles of this forgiveness to others.In the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, also called confession, we meet the Lord, who wants to grant forgiveness and the grace to live a renewed life in him. In this sacrament, he prepares us to receive him free from serious sin, with a lively faith, earnest hope, and sacrificial love in the Eucharist.

The Church sees confession as so important that she requires that every Catholic go at least once a year. The Church also encourages frequent confession in order to grow closer to Christ Jesus and his Body, the Church. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, we seek forgiveness and repentance, let go of patterns of sin, grow in the life of virtue, and witness to a joyful conversion. Since the graces of the sacrament are so similar to the purpose of the New Evangelization, Pope Benedict XVI has said, “The New Evangelization . . . begins in the confessional!”

(USCCB: God’s Gift of Forgiveness, A Pastoral Exhortation on the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation) 

“He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’” (Lk 15: 31-32)

Saturdays 3:30 - 4:30 pm in church.
By appointment, call the Parish Center at (650) 361-1411.

Please go to pius.org/cff for program and registration information.

For Children of St. Pius Parish, the preparation for First Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist is a one year program. The program is open to 2nd graders and above who have been registered in our parish for at least 6 months. Our program begins in the Fall each year. St. Pius School 2nd graders receive preparation in the classroom. For more information, please contact the Parish Center at (650) 361-1411.

For adults, please call our Parish Center for information about the Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA) program at St. Pius Church.