5Many today suggest that the sacrament of reconciliation is in crisis. The number of practicing Catholics who seek out the sacrament has, according to many studies, greatly diminished in recent years. No one is suggesting that the need for forgiveness and reconciliation has diminished. Bishops, priests, and other pastoral ministers are often frustrated in their efforts to invite Catholics to the sacrament. Confessors are often left wondering about their role in the crisis. Father Kurt Stasiak offers a major contribution to the dilemma with this very practical, contemporary, and realistic guide, now revised and expanded, for those who hear confessions. Written with the perspective of modern sacramental theology and the best insights of pastoral care today, this book will help confessors to revive their own interest and commitment to the sacrament. This book has received an imprimatur from Most Reverend Daniel M. Buechlin, OSB, archbishop of Indianapolis. Priests, whether newly ordained or veterans, seminarians, and professors in seminary who teach courses on the sacrament of reconciliation, will find this to be an indispensable help in their work. +