Rite of Reconciliation is offered on Fridays in Lent on request. The reconciliation of a penitent is a sacrament in the Episcopal Church and refers to private confession. The Episcopal Church’s stance on such confession is usually talked about as something that “all may, none must, some should” engage in.

Here’s why I think it’s valuable, why most clergy make their confessions, and why you might want to consider it, too. Naming our faults and failings out loud in front of God and someone else is a way of stepping into a new honesty with ourselves and with God.  That naming becomes a way to combat our sins and helps us more readily break past habits or default practices that have separated us from our true life. Guilt from the sins we commit can make us feel all mixed up inside and can cause us to lose our peace and joy. Preparing for this rite, knowing that all we say will be held in strictest confidence, opening our hearts and hearing a priest’s encouragement and pronunciation of God’s forgiving words lifts a burden from our shoulders.  Afterwards, we can again feel the peace of heart and soul that comes from being in a closer relationship with God.

For more information or to schedule the rite, contact Lael.