How long does confession take?

Most confessions take about two to ten minutes once you're with the priest. A regular confession, a month or so after the last one, can be over in two or three. If it's been years, plan on longer, and that's completely fine. Often the wait in line takes more time than the confession itself.

How long does the confession itself take?

The sacrament has a simple shape, and most of it moves quickly. Here's roughly where the minutes go:

• The start. The Sign of the Cross, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," and how long it's been since your last confession. Under a minute.
• Your sins. Usually one to three minutes. This is the part that varies most.
• The priest's words. A short piece of advice or encouragement and your penance. A minute or two, sometimes more if he asks a question.
• The Act of Contrition and absolution. About a minute together.

If you want the full order step by step, see what happens in confession.

What if it's been years?

Then it may take ten, fifteen or twenty minutes, especially if you have questions or the priest wants to help you sort through things. That's normal. Priests hear these confessions often, and many say they're the ones they're happiest to hear.

You don't have to recount every year in detail. Say roughly how long it's been, confess the serious sins you remember, by kind and roughly how often, and let the priest guide you. Our page on going back to confession after years covers that first visit.

How long is the wait in line?

That depends on the parish and the day. Many parishes hear confessions for an hour or so on Saturday afternoon, and some offer times before weekday or Sunday Masses. On an ordinary week the line might be a few people. On the Saturdays before Christmas and Easter it can be twenty people deep.

A few things help:

• Come early. The first fifteen minutes of a confession time are usually the quietest.
• Avoid the busiest weeks if you can. The last week of Lent and the days before Christmas are the longest lines of the year.
• Look for a penance service. In Lent and Advent many parishes hold a penance service with several priests, so the lines move faster.
• Don't leave if the time runs out. Priests often stay to hear everyone already in line. If you're not sure, ask the person in front of you or, afterward, ask the priest.

Can I make an appointment for confession?

Yes. Call or email the parish office and ask for a time to go to confession. Most priests are glad to set one up. An appointment is a good idea when:

• It's been many years and you expect to need time.
• You're making your first confession as an adult.
• You have questions you'd like to talk through without a line behind you.
• The scheduled times don't fit your work or family.

You don't have to explain why you want to come. "I'd like to make a confession, and it may take a while" is enough.

What makes confession quicker?

Most of what makes a confession long is uncertainty: trying to remember in the moment, telling the story around a sin instead of the sin, or not knowing what comes next. A little preparation fixes nearly all of it.

1. Examine your conscience beforehand. At home or in the pew, go through an examination of conscience so the remembering is done before you kneel.
2. Write a short list. A few words per sin is enough. Reading from a note is perfectly fine.
3. Name the sin, not the story. "I lost my temper with my children, several times" says what's needed. Add context only if it changes the sin.
4. For serious sins, say what kind and roughly how often. That's what the Church asks for grave sins (Code of Canon Law, can. 988). For small ones, a general word is enough.
5. Leave out other people's sins. Only your own part belongs in your confession.
6. Know how it ends. Have the Act of Contrition memorized or written down, or just ask the priest to help you with it.

Am I holding up the line?

Almost certainly not, and even if you take a little longer, that's what the time is for. Nobody in line is timing you. Most of them are busy with their own preparation.

If you'd like a longer conversation about something that's been weighing on you, that's a gift too. It's just easier for you and the priest at an appointment, where neither of you feels rushed.

A simple plan

Check your parish's confession times and pick one this week. Spend five minutes preparing the night before, arrive a little early, and bring your list. Then let the priest set the pace. Many people walk out surprised at how short it was.