How do I do my first confession?

[susienelson]

I am a convert to the Catholic religion and have never been to confession. I was wondering if I have to try to remember every sin I have ever done and confess that? Or where do I start? I just converted a few months ago and I have never been baptized and really want to be but I can’t without confession. I am still in my classes right now, so can I go to confession at this point? I know there are many questions in this one but I really need some advice and any that I can get will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

If you have never been baptized, then you cannot go to confession until you are baptized because baptism is the gateway to the other sacraments. Your classes should teach you how to go to your first confession after baptism, including teaching you that baptism washes away all sin and so you only confess sins committed since baptism. When you go to confession for the first time following baptism is up to you. When I was baptized as an adult, I went to my first confession the following week just to get the experience of a first confession over with.

Funny side note: For my first confession I chose to go face-to-face. The priest recognized me as having been baptized the week before and explained that I didn’t need to confess pre-baptismal sins. I told him I understood that, but before I could explain that I just wanted the “learning experience,” he asked, “Did you have a really bad week?”

**Recommended reading:

The Little Catechism on Confession**