First Eucharist

Eucharist comes from the Greek eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving. Ever since Pentecost, when the Church, the People of God, began building a church, they were sustained with the spiritual food in times of trialsl and in time of celebration. Eucharist is that food, the real presence of the risen Lord. The Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Church, rightly proclaimed that the eucharistic sacrifice is “the source and summit of the Christian life.”The Eucharist is, for Catholics, both a meal and a sacrifice. The Lord gave us the Eucharist at the Last Supper because he wanted us to share in the life of the Trinity, the loving communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We become united to God at our baptism, and receive a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit at our confirmation. In the Eucharist we are nourished spiritually, brought closer to God, again and again: “By eating the Body and drinking the Blood of Christ in the Eucharist we become united to the person of Christ through his humanity,” write the bishops. They remind us of the words of Jesus in John’s Gospel: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (Jn 6:56).

The First Eucharist for our children also has meaning for the whole community. We smile at the children in their first Communion finery-not just because they look cute, but because they are joining us at our family table: the table of God’s family.

Get Ready for First Eucharist

We are happy to have you with us as we journey with your second grader during this important year.  

Preparation for the reception of First Eucharist occurs as part of 2nd grade CREED,  our parish program for children grades PreK-5 who attend area public schools.  Therefore CREED enrollment is a requisite for your child to receive his or her first Eucharist.  

 Register for CREED Here 

Our second grade program , 'Go! Seek! Find!',  will prepare your child for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist using St Mary Press’ Sacramental prep program.  Instead of using traditional textbooks, we will use the Catholic Children’s Bible, fun activities, and instruction. 

All along this journey, we hope to accompany our families with take-home projects, a retreat, and preparation so that the whole family feels comfortable with the celebration!  It will be a busy but exciting year for your second grade student!  The following lists some important dates for your family this year.
 

Save these important dates. 

• Tuesday, October 22, 2024,  5:45-6:45pm:  Informational Meeting – Bring the family for dinner to hear our plans and have your questions answered, followed by mass at 7pm.
• Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:00 am: Reconciliation Service – A special Reconciliation service for second graders and their families as a culmination of our lessons on Reconciliation
• Saturday, April 5, 2025, 9:00am-1:00pm  First Eucharist Retreat – a special afternoon of Eucharist activities for you and your child
• Sunday, April 27, 2025, 2:00pm or Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 11am: Families will have their choice of dates for the group mass.  

 

VERY IMPORTANT: Your child must be enrolled in a 2nd grade CREED class and be attending Mass on a weekly basis in order to receive this sacrament.

  

Christian Initiation of Children (CIC)
-Sacramental Preparation for children in grades 3-5    

When Jesus saw the two disciples following him, he turned to them and said, “What are you looking for?”  They said to him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” and he said to them, “Come and see”, and they stayed with him that day (John 1:38-39). 

Christian Initiation of Children (CIC) is for families of children (grades 3-5) needing the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist. Children will also attend CREED for continuing grade level religious instruction. Please contact Peggy at [email protected]  for more information.