Reconciliation
RECONCILIATION TIMES
St. Joseph:
•Sun, 3:30 – 4:30pm
•Tue, 4:30 – 5:45pm
•Fri, 8 – 8:45am
Mary, Queen of Peace:
•Wed, 4:30-5:45pm
•Fri, 8 – 8:45am
•Sat, 9:45-11am
Our Lady of Sorrows:
•Sat, 3:30 – 4:30pm
If you are in need of immediate pastoral care and it is during regular office hours (Mon – Thur, 8am-4pm, Fri 8am – 12pm), please call our office at (425) 392-5516. After hours please call the Priest on Call line at 425-655-3200.
Not only does the Sacrament of Penance free us from our sins but it also challenges us to have the same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us. We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight into the words of the Prayer of St. Francis: "It is in pardoning that we are pardoned."
Jesus entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to the Church. The Sacrament of Penance is God's gift to us so that any sin committed after Baptism can be forgiven. In confession we have the opportunity to repent and recover the grace of friendship with God. It is a holy moment in which we place ourselves in his presence and honestly acknowledge our sins, especially mortal sins. With absolution, we are reconciled to God and the Church. The Sacrament helps us stay close to the truth that we cannot live without God. "In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults | en español
First Sacraments Preparation - Year 1
Thursdays | 6 -7 pm | St. Carlo Acutis Room | Grades 1-3
Registration for 2026-27 formation year will be available July 1-August 31
As children begin their Sacrament Preparation journey with their parents, our first year of preparation is for those who are enrolled in a non-Catholic school and also for families that would like the added preparation of the 1st year program.
Sacramental preparation is a parent & child endeavor. The church recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children in their Catholic faith. This format reinforces this parental role through the partnership of the parent and child in each session.
In this first year, children come to understand the expression of God's love and mercy as we discuss Jesus, the Son of God, brought into the world to be our Savior through the power and working of the Holy Spirit. We will also introduce prayer and its importance as we learn foundational Catholic prayers. Finally, we will spend time exploring the Mass.
First Sacraments Preparation - Year 2
Mondays | 6-7 pm| Fr. McGirl Hall| Grades 2-5
Registration for 2026-27 formation year will be available July 1-August 31
Our First Sacraments program includes formation for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Children in grades 2-5 who were baptized in the Catholic Church are eligible to enroll.
Program Requirements:
Families are asked to submit their son/daughter's baptismal certificate if baptized in another parish. Due date: February 1, 2027.
One parent must accompany and participate with their child at all sessions.
Full participation is required. We ask that families do not miss more than 3 sessions.
Families should be active in the Catholic faith; attending Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation.
Those not enrolled in Catholic Schools or Home-schooled in the Catholic Faith must complete Year 1 formation as a prerequisite.
CHILDRENS LITURGY OF THE WORD
Sundays | 10:30AM Mass
Children's Liturgy of the Word happens at the 10:30AM Sunday Mass at St. Joseph. This Mass experience presents the Liturgy of the Word in a way that allows children, ages 5-9 years old, to understand and respond to God's Word and to be nurtured and challenged by its power. After the opening prayer, this age group will be dismissed from the Worship Space with adult leaders to attend C.L.O.W in the St. Francis Room. They will return to their families just before the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
For questions on these programs, please contact Pastoral Assistant for Family and Youth Formation, Maureen Fellez at (425) 392-5516 ext. 226 or mfellez@sjcissaquah.org
Penance is an experience of the gift of God's boundless mercy.