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The Sacrament of Confession is available for parishioners and visitors every Saturday, from 2:30 – 3:45 pm, in St. Gregory the Great Church.Â
If you wish to make an appointment with a priest for Confession, please call the Parish Office during business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm) prior to stopping by: (716) 688-5678.
Jesus Himself gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as the Sacrament of Confession or Penance. This sacrament helps us to restore our relationship with God and the Church. Jesus gave the Apostles, and all priests, the authority to forgive sins in His name.
Absolution can only be given through the priest, who sits in the “person of Christ” while administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
By confessing our sins to a priest, we can experience true forgiveness from even mortal sins and receive an abundance of grace and strength to overcome sin in our lives.
Catholics who have reached the age of reason (around age 7) are under obligation to confess grave sins at least once a year, preferably during Lent. We must also always confess any grave/mortal sins before receiving Holy Communion.
However, Catholics are encouraged to go to Confession more frequently and to confess even venial sins. It is an opportunity to receive God’s love! Many Catholics go to Confession on a regular schedule of every month or every week.
Children in the Diocese of Buffalo typically make their First Confession, or First Reconciliation, in Grade 2.
The confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord's Mercy motivates us to do better.
The Sacrament of First Reconciliation is celebrated in the spring of Grade 2. Parents attend a Parent Workshop to help them prepare their children for the sacrament. Students are prepared at home, and their lessons are reinforced in their Family Faith Formation sessions. The students and their families come together at the First Reconciliation Mass of Enrollment.
For registration, important dates, and downloads from Family Faith Formation, please click here.