In Podcasts, The Inner Life

Confession – The Inner Life – July 7, 2026

Patrick Conleyby Patrick Conley

Father Tom Wilson joins Deacon Patrick Conley to discuss Confession

  • Why is Confession Important.
  • (6:08) What is the process of confession?
  • (17:00) How do priests feel about people coming to confession?

(20:14) Break 1

  • (21:40) Denise – Sometimes hard to confess. I feel the more I go, the easier it gets to confess the sins. Just being vulnerable and saying the sins…just feel better like a weight has been lifted. Really encourage all to go to confession. I don’t want to be in mortal sin.
  • (35:12) Diane – I suffer from scrupulosity. 2 years ago I came back to the church after being away for 30 years. How do you determine difference between temptation and actual sin? Something in the news recently aroused me and I don’t know if it was temptation or sin. It wasn’t pornography.

(38:50) Break 2

  • (39:55) Patrick – How does Father feel about receiving communion when you are aware of a minor sin, not a major sin?
  • Email – What is the relationship between venial sins and confession?
  • (44:50) Marie – How do I clarify for a friend that confession is about confessing sins and not a counseling appointment? Also, I have some very protestant relatives and couldn’t understand the value of confession. How do I answer that question?

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Patrick Conley

Patrick Conley

Patrick Conley was born, raised, and baptized in Wisconsin in a Protestant tradition. After meeting his wife, Kendra, through an Evangelical ministry at the University of Minnesota, they entered the Catholic Church in 2010. They listened to Relevant Radio, specifically The Inner Life, while preparing to enter the Church. Conley now holds a degree in theology from Oxford University and has served the Church in both academic theology and grassroots pastoral ministry. Conley teaches religion classes in a Catholic elementary school, serves as his parish Director of Religious Education, and is in formation for the permanent diaconate. He also hosts Practicing Catholic on Relevant Radio, exclusive to the Minneapolis area’s airwaves, and is a traveling presenter for the Catherine of Siena Institute apostolate. He lives in rural Wisconsin with his wife and their bulldogs, Georgie and Bingley.