The Sacrament of The Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is the most august sacrament, in which Christ himself is contained, offered and received, and by which the Church constantly lives and grows. The Eucharistic Sacrifice, the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated over the centuries, is the summit and source of all Christian life and worship; it signifies and effects the unity of the people of God and achieves the building up of the Body of Christ.
It is a sacrament and a sacrifice. In the Holy Eucharist, under the appearances of bread and wine, the Lord Christ is contained, offered, and received.
The whole Christ is really, truly, and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist. We use the words "really, truly, and substantially" to describe Christ's presence in the Holy Eucharist in order to distinguish Our Lord's teaching from that of mere men who falsely teach that the Holy Eucharist is only a sign or figure of Christ, or that He is present only by His power.
First Holy Communion
As children reach the age of reason, generally around age seven, the Church extends to them an invitation to celebrate the sacrament of Eucharist. The initiation into the Christian community that took place at Baptism is further extended by inviting children to enter fully into the heart of Christian faith through participation in the Eucharist.
First Communion (reception of the Eucharist for the first time) is celebrated in the spring of each year for the young people of our parish, most commonly during second grade. Some of the sacrament’s preparatory activity is completed during school days for our school students and through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, our children's faith formation program.
For information, contact the parish office at 414-258-2604.