St. Thomas the Apostle Parish at 1449 Wilcox Park Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 US - Reconciliation

Personal Confessions are scheduled for Saturdays between 3:30 & 4:30 p.m. Other times may be arranged by appointment with the pastor. Our parish family communally celebrates the Sacrament of Reconciliation twice a year during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Children enrolled in our Monday evening Education and Formation classes are given the opportunity to participate in the Sacrament as a class during the year. Those enrolled in St. Thomas the Apostle School are given the opportunity to participate in the Sacrament twice during the school year, generally once in Advent and once in Lent. Reconciliation is celebrated with the children in two separate forms ("Form A" and "Form B") as allowed in the Roman Ritual of Penance. This practice began a several years ago as a way to introduce our students to a life-long process of self-reflection and reconciliation in an age appropriate manner. We feel this promotes a way of thinking which suggests that reconciliation is a regular part of our lives a Catholics rather than a scary, one-time event which happens to you in grade school. Students receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in kindergarten (St. Thomas School) or first grade (Monday evening Religious Education and Formation), and in subsequent years until fourth grade in Form B. Form B simply means that students gather as a class with Father. Father reads to the children from the Word of God and then leads them through an examination of conscience, which is age appropriate. The students then approaches Father individually for the confession of sin and to receive absolution. For the final portion of the service, the students and Father gather together once again.

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