Download free confession guide PDFs below. Unlike most other guides available on the internet, these have received Catholic approval to be printed and published (Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur). The guides are age-appropriate and can be printed on one sheet of ordinary paper. This makes them ideal for use at parish penance services.
These guides respect the broad range of needs that penitents have based on their age. The elementary guide aims at simplicity. This makes them more useful for young children, even those making their First Reconciliation. The middle-school guide includes some additional catechesis and a more detailed list of sins while still remaining sensitive to innocence of this age group. The high-school guide includes further catechesis and examples of sins that young people are likely to be exposed to at this age. The adult guide includes sins only relevant to this age group such as marriage, parenting, and work. And finally the guide for elderly persons was developed especially with the homebound in mind.
Printing Directions: The “For Printing” version of this guide is printer friendly. It prints on one ordinary sheet of printer paper (8.5 x 11 in) and folds once to make a booklet. After checking “print on both sides of paper,” remember to select “flip on short edge” to avoid printing the inside pages upside down. (On Mac, I think this printing option is called “short edge binding”). You can download the free version Adobe Acrobat if you need a program to print PDFs.
Click text links below to download PDFs
***For a version these guides with the traditional act of contrition, please click here.***
Confession Guide for Adults
Adult Guide (formatted for viewing) Adult Guide (formatted for printing)Confession Guide for Elementary Age Children
Children’s Guide (formatted for viewing) Children’s Guide (formatted for printing)Confession Guide for Middle School Age Youth
Middle School Guide (formatted for viewing) Middle School Guide (formatted for printing)Confession Guide for High School Age Youth
High School Guide (formatted for viewing) High School Guide (formatted for printing)Confession Guide for Elderly Persons
Guide for Elderly Persons (formatted for viewing) Guide for Elderly Persons (formatted for printing)Tags: Confession Guide, Reconciliation Guide, Church Approved