Reconciliation: A Path to Catholic Renewal at the 2026 Good News Conference

Learn more about our conference theme—and why it is so vital to the heart of the Catholic Church.

Each year, the Good News Conference is guided by a central theme. This year, we are turning our focus to reconciliation. 

As Catholics, reconciliation is a sacred opportunity to reconnect with Jesus. It's often poetically translated to ‘eyelash to eyelash’—describing an intimate face-to-face encounter with Christ.

In this encounter, we open ourselves to His love, His mercy, and His truth, seeking to better understand how we are called to live out his message of eternal salvation.

Through reconciliation, we restore our relationship with God—but it’s more than just a simple confession. To truly reconcile, one must make real, intentional change. 

Together, these four steps of reconciliation can lead you to spiritual renewal:

Contrition 

Reflect on the moments where you have failed to live out the message of God. Have you been impatient with others? Have you failed to keep your word? Have you neglected opportunities to serve the less fortunate?

Contrition is that pressing feeling of remorse for something you have done wrong—often accompanied by a deep desire to make things right. 

Confession

This is where healing begins. In confession, we bring our sins before God through a priest to receive His mercy. At the Good News Conference, confession booths will be readily available, and we encourage all attendees to participate so they can leave renewed, at peace, and spiritually refreshed. Your confession will end with an Act of Contrition.

Absolution

Through the priest, Christ grants absolution, freeing us from our sins and restoring our hearts. We are then given a penance—an invitation to reconcile and start fresh. 

Satisfaction

Enact the penance imposed by the priest, whether through prayer, making amends, or changing our systemic behavior. This is our response to God’s forgiveness, and it brings us another step closer to fulfilling who He wants us to be. In Pope Francis’s words:  

“When one finishes Confession one leaves free, grand, beautiful, forgiven, candid, happy. This is the beauty of Confession!”

In the months leading up to the Good News Conference, we hope you embrace this Catholic sacrament and accept the invitation of renewal—preparing yourself for a deeper encounter with Christ during the weekend and beyond!