Holy Eucharist

The Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC 1322]

“At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Saviour instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet ‘in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us'” [CCC 1323]

"The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” [CCC 1324]

Of all the gifts that God has given his Church, the greatest is without question the Blessed Sacrament, for it is nothing less than the body, blood, soul and Divinity of Jesus himself. In the Eucharistic host, our Divine Saviour dwells among men in his fullness. He is truly God with us—what could be greater than this?

If the Blessed Sacrament is Jesus himself, and holiness is found in imitating Christ, then the Blessed Sacrament is a school of holiness and our sure highway to heaven.

Preparation of Candidates for First Holy Communion

Only those who have been baptised or received into the Catholic Faith (as baptised) can make their First Holy Communion. Our Parish preparation for this Sacrament takes place with children who are in school year 4+. Given the diverse and spread of schools from which young children and their families attend, our one parish community prepares or children to draw them into their one parish family of faith. Preparation is currently on a Sunday morning before Mass at St Joseph, and by request before Masson Saturdays at English Martyrs (numbers permitting). The Catholic schools within the parish follow a curriculum that supports the children's knowledge of the Eucharist, however their encounter of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist can only be found at Mass.

Things to consider regarding your children's readiness to receive the Holy Eucharist:

Regular attendance and participation in Sunday Mass. It is essential to participate with the worshipping Catholic community so that children can be at least familiar with the Mass. Children need to absorb the Faith just as much as being taught it. They cannot do this if they are not regularly coming to Mass. This is the responsibility of all Catholic parents who should themselves be attending. Sunday Mass is, after all, an obligation for Catholics. [CCC 2042] Now is a wonderful time for you to consider this again.
Regular prayer life. The prayers you have taught you children are important, the basic prayers they should now be able to recite (sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be). Your children should be able to respond, because of your sharing, coming to Mass and from school, to stories of our salvation as we find in Sacred Scripture. Now is a good time to double down on your prayer and bible reading with your children, or perhaps introduce it. You can find all sorts of help online to teach your children to pray or to teach them the story of our salvation.

Applications are normally available from late August until mid-October for First Confession and Holy Communion to take place in the next year.