My first Confession

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I have my first Confession is next Saturday and I am being Confirmed the next day…my question is, can I go to my first Confession somewhere else??? I will be SOOOOOOOOO embarassed to go to either of my priests the first time I spill my guts…😊 Believe me!!! I will just feel REALLY uncomfortable talking to them. And they WILL know who I am because of my thick hillbilly accent:doh2: even behind the screen, I seriously am the only person in my parish that talks like I do. 😊 And the deal is the RCIA class is all going at a earlier time than the rest of the parish so they really will know its me out of the 10 people that are in my class…any guidance will be MUCH appreciated!!! Thanks!!!
 
I have my first Confession is next Saturday and I am being Confirmed the next day…my question is, can I go to my first Confession somewhere else??? I will be SOOOOOOOOO embarassed to go to either of my priests the first time I spill my guts…😊 Believe me!!! I will just feel REALLY uncomfortable talking to them. And they WILL know who I am because of my thick hillbilly accent:doh2: even behind the screen, I seriously am the only person in my parish that talks like I do. 😊 And the deal is the RCIA class is all going at a earlier time than the rest of the parish so they really will know its me out of the 10 people that are in my class…any guidance will be MUCH appreciated!!! Thanks!!!
I know EXACTLY how you feel!! I just had my first confession a couple of weeks ago. I was so freaked out that they would know who I was ( not hard considering that only 1 woman was in the confirmation group for the next day, and it was my first confession… you do the math! And of course one of the priests knew my voice well) that I panicked. :eek: Really, total body sweat, dizzy, you name it. I didn’t do the best confession because I froze. He asked if there was anything else and it wasn’t that I said no - I was trying to gather up the courage and he moved on to the absolution for what I had confessed. By that evening I felt so incredibly guilty I can’t even describe it.😊 I *literally *kept waking up at night the next few nights upset that I had panicked like that. Soooo… yep, I went to a different parish were there was zero chance of being known and completed my confession. Not only what I had left out, but that I hadn’t really finished everything the first time around. Sigh… Any how, it is perfectly fine, you are still confessing to a priest acting for Christ.

I wholly recommend that you go to another parish if you feel the need to do so. Not everyone does, but it is so much better to give a complete confession the first time. Trust me on this. 👍 Now I feel fine with going to my regular parish for regular confession.
 
I am a cradle-Catholic, and have been going to confession since First Communion, which I had during my second-grade year. Granted, I did not go often (not even once a year) until Confirmation in 10th grade, and then until after I graduated high school, quit going to Mass regularly during college, and found myself re-awakened in my faith a little more than a year ago. I did confess at the Parish I was going to be attending regularly (even daily Mass), and I spilled EVERYTHING. When I left the confessional, almost in tears, the impact of the graces I received during that less-than-10-minute session was infathomable. I started going to confession at least once every two months.

I told that story to tell this one…the graces you receive from confession cannot be matched by any other Sacrament. Hands down. Other sacraments will have an equally strong impact, but nothing like you will experience after having been forgiven of all your sins. By Jesus himself.

I still try to go to confession regularly, but, being a youth minister, there are things that I feel apprehensive about saying (even behind the curtain) to the Priest at my Church. I do go to confession at other Parishes, and it is every bit as valid as if I went at my home Parish. I think it’s encouraged that you say confession at your home Parish, but I do not believe it’s an obligation. Confession - and absolution - to and from any Priest is just as valid as the Priest at your home Parish.

To put it short: Go to confession. Go often. Go wherever you want. Your absolution and sincere regret for your sins are what matter when going to confession.

On an additional note…I heard a Priest say that one of the graces given to Priests by God is that once a confession is heard, and absolution is given, God removes the sins from the Priest’s memory. The sins have been absolved, and have been passed to God. God will address any further penance once your soul reaches Purgatory. The priest’s duty (the role of Christ Jesus personally forigiving of sins to us on Earth) has been fulfilled, and the Priest actually cannot recall the substance of the confession.

Come to think of it, it’s time for me to go to confession, and I think I’ll go this week.

Please do not feel hesitant about confessing your sins. If a Priest does recognize your voice, he will not “hold it against you” for doing whatever it may have been that you confessed. If he does recognize that you are routinely confessing the same sin, the Priest would offer help, to assist you in reforming your actions to lead a better life as a Catholic Christian.

This brings me to another point: It does not matter which Priest you confess you, because if you confess, and you are not truly sorry for your sins, and have no intent on turning away from a repeated sinful action, God will act. He knows whether you are truly regretful of your thoughts, actions, and/or lack of action. He knows if you are worthy of absolution. And, I believe, that since He knows this, regardless of which Priest you confess to, the Priest - acting as a representative of Christ - will pass God’s message to you. I wouldn’t be surprised if I confess a sin which I have repeated to a Priest which I have never confessed to asked me, “Have you turned away from this? Do you truly commit yourself to avoid committing this sin again?” This is the basis of confession, and true regret and sincere reconciliation with God is the root of this Sacrament.
 
First priority; go where you feel comfortable and feel free to tell it all.
 
Your priests may well know it’s you, no escaping that. The one thing they can never do is let on that they know, either inside or outside the confessional, unless you give them permission, for example by choosing to confess face-to-face.

Sometimes by some of the comments of my priests I have a feeling they know it’s me (my voice is somewhat unusual too), but they would never say so specifically inside or outside the confessional, so 🤷

Believe you me, they’ve pretty much heard it all in any event. I say this so that you don’t get scared off of going to see them in the event you need confession urgently.

As you grow in your faith you’ll probaby find that confessing face-to-face and finding a regular confessor is a great help - sure he knows your worst sins, but that only adds to his ability to help.

Mind you, I’m not yet at that point myself :o
 
My first confession was in an office face to face with the priest.
He didn’t look at me funny or treat me different after.
It won’t be so bad if the priest knows its you. However, there is nothing wrong with finding another priest in another parish. I almost always confess in a different parish, one with a priest I am comfortable with.
 
By all means, go to another parish if you would be more comfortable. Just be sure to let the priest know it’s your first confession. He will be happy to help you with it.

I made my first confession after 30 years away from the Church in the priest’s office face-to-face. He didn’t bat an eye at anything I said, nor did he treat me differently afterward. They really have heard everything.
 
i had my first confession this year and i know what you are going through but now i like going to my regular priest to confess. it’s not like anything i have done they haven’t heard before. they are not going to judge you or anything. as awkward as it is to confess before them, it’s such a great feeling afterwards to know that Gods mercy is never ending and you forget about how weird it was to go in the first place.
 
You need to understand that the priests hear every kind of sin imaginable. They know exactly what human nature is capable of, and there is nothing you can tell them that would surprise them or cause them to judge you in any way. Please understand that confession is not like just going and telling your best friend the terrible things you have done. It is going to Jesus Christ in the person of your priest. And Jesus Christ nailed all your sins to his cross.

It is true that there is nothing like the freedom you will feel once you have confessed your sins. And this may sound kind of strange, but I think when you completely and honestly bare your soul to your priest, he will only have more love for you, just as Christ Himself does.

Confession is a sacrament, which means Jesus Christ is there in the confessional. He is the one hearing your sins and forgiving you. This not just a tell all Jerry Springer show. It is holy and scared and there is nothing else on earth like it.

Yes, you can go to any priest you want, but if you confess to your priest, the one who knows you, then you will feel even more the love of Christ.

Mary
 
I have a while still until mine, but I get really nervous about things like that. I know I will just make myself sick. I would like the first one at least to be with a priest that doesn’t know me, for my own comfort. I don’t think my case is unusual, just embarassing :o and probably lenghty. There is no way for me to know how many times I have done a lot of things I shouldn’t have…It will be interesting.
 
. . There is no way for me to know how many times I have done a lot of things I shouldn’t have…It will be interesting.
It’s not a math test. Just give him an idea of how serious and extended it was - e.g. about twice a week for five years.
 
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