Do I need to confess old mortal sins when returning to the faith?

[Joe55]

I stayed away from the Catholic Church for few decades during my younger days. Now I have come back to the Catholic Church and have confessed my recent sins, that I know of, ever since I came back to faith. Do I need to confess all my old mortal sins committed during those agnostic years to a priest now? I would be embarrassed to describe my old way of life to another person.

 

[Augusta_Crowley]

The following links should assist you in better understanding the process of coming back to the Church after so many years. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please [contact Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/contact/contact-us) directly.

**Recommended Reading:
**

• After sixteen years, can I return to the Church?
• Where do I begin…?
• How do I make my first confession in fifteen years?
• How do I best prepare for confession after being away for 43 years?