Our Lord instituted the Sacrament on the day of His Resurrection when He entered the Upper Room and gave the Apostles the power to remit sin by saying: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain they are retained."
Want to learn more please watch this 3 Minutes: Penance and Reconcilation Video where Msgr. Rick Hilgartner, with the office of Divine Worship, explains what the sacrament of confession offers to people.
At St. Mark, children usually are prepared to participate for the first time in the Sacrament of Reconciliation (sometimes referred to as Confession or Penance) in the second grade. This is also the year children are prepared to receive Communion. Older children, of course, also can be prepared to participate in Reconciliation. For more information, please contact Deacon Scott (deaconscott@stmarktampa.org) (813-907-7746 x317)