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FIRST EUCHARIST--A Sacrament of Initiation
Essential Conditions for the Reception of First Eucharist It is necessary that a child:
Believe that the Eucharist IS TRULY the BODY and BLOOD of Jesus, and have a DESIRE to receive Him.
Preparation for receiving the Eucharist begins in the first grade, and continues through second grade; however, preparation to receive the sacrament is ultimately the parents' responsibility.
Checklist for First Eucharist:Parents must:
- Attend Saturday or Sunday Mass with their child every week.
- Bring child's Baptismal certificate by the CM office.
- Attend (one parent) one of the First Eucharist meeting planned in January.
- Help prepare their child for First Eucharist by doing the "At-Home" study program. (The “At home” activities come from the book, The Gift of Eucharist, published RCL Benziger)
Children must:
- Attend Mass on Saturday or Sunday.
- Be Baptized.
- Have attended RE in first grade or year one sacrament preparation class.
- Be faithful in attending Religious Education classes or attending a Catholic school where religion is taught daily.
- Complete the “At Home” study given at the parent meeting. (The “At Home” activities come from the book, The Gift of Eucharist, published by RCL Benziger)
- Attend the First Eucharist Retreat.
Completed yellow folders are due: TBACommonly Asked Questions About First Communion Preparation
1. How can I tell if my child is ready for First Communion?
Here are some indicators that your child is ready to celebrate the sacrament:
- Does your child have sufficient knowledge to understand the mystery of Christ according to his or her capacity and can he or she receive the Body of the Lord with faith and devotion?
- Does your child and some other family members regularly attend Sunday Mass?
- Is prayer a part of your child’s daily life?
- Does he or she show a reverence for God?
- Does your child have a relationship with Jesus?
- Does he or she know the difference between ordinary bread and wine and the Body and Blood of Jesus?
2. What should my child wear for First Communion Day?
- For girls: It has been a tradition for girls to wear white on First Communion day. The dress may be long (above the ankle), or short (to the knee). If the dress is sleeveless then a white sweater should be worn. They may wear a veil, a crown of flowers, or a head band on the head. Shoes should be white with a low heel and a strap around the back of the foot.
- For boys: Traditionally, it has been awhite shirt, dark tie and slacks. At St. Jude some boys wear suits while others wear a vest with a shirt. The color of slacks depends on the desire of the child and his parents (kahki, black, blue).
- Gifts received such as, gloves, purses, bibles must remain with the parents during the mass.
First Eucharist Retreat
To be announced
First Eucharist Celebrations
To be announced