Holy Name & St. Martin of Tours Catholic Parish | First Communion

First Communion

The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist:

The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is the completion of initiation into Christ and His Mystical Body, the Church. It is "the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries... are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church namely Christ himself" (CCC 3324). Catholics may receive the Eucharist i.e. Holy Communion) during the Mass every day, and are expected to participate in the Mass every Sunday or Saturday evening.

The Real Presence of Christ:

Catholics believe that Christ becomes "really present" in the Eucharist when a priest prays the Eucharistic Prayer "in the person of Christ." This is because Jesus Christ is truly God, and when God speaks, His Word is effective. bread and wine. When He says, "This is my Body... this is the Cup of my Blood," the substance of the bread and wine are transformed (transubstantiated) into the Body and Blood of Christ.

When Catholics receive Holy Communion, we are intimately united with Jesus Christ. We abide in Him and He abides in us (cf. John 15: 4). We are also expressing our union with all Catholics who believe the same doctrines, obey the same laws, and follow the same leaders. This sense of participation in a larger community is why Catholics (and Eastern Orthodox Christians) have a strict law that only people who are in communion with the Church can receive Holy Communion.

First Communion for Children:

At Holy Name,

children (2nd-5th grades) are prepared for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, & 1st Communion though a

Family Based Faith Formation

1st Sunday of the Month

10am-12pm

(October-May)

For a letter of explanation from our Pastor & the Faith Formation Team, click here.

First Communion for Adults:

Adult Catholics may receive their First Communion whenever they are sufficiently prepared, with the approval of their parish pastor. They may receive Holy Communion at any Mass agreed upon by the pastor.

Adults who wish to convert to Roman Catholicism are usually prepared for First Communion through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) which extends for 7 - 12 months. The Eucharist is typically offered to them after they receive Confirmation at the Easter Vigil or during the Easter season. If the convert has not received a Christian baptism, then they are first Baptized so as to receive all three Sacraments of Initiation during the same liturgy.

At Holy Name and St. Martin's,

adults are prepared for any of the

three Sacraments of Initiation during the

RCIA class on Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8 pm.