Sacrament of 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).
"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior 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." (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
"In the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch. The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit." (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
"Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all. In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking." (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
If you are an adult who is seeking more information on how to become a member of the Catholic Church, or if you are a baptized Catholic who has never received First Holy Communion, please click on Adult Education, where you will find good information on what that process is and also the contact information for the person who can tell you more about it.
If you are visiting our site because your child is approaching second grade, or a little older; and you want to know the process for your child to receive First Holy Communion, we say welcome! We know what a busy and exciting time this is for your family, and we want to continue to assist you in raising your child in the faith.
Now, you want to know what is necessary for your child to receive First Holy Communion. Below are some frequently asked questions to get you started. If your question or situation does not fit neatly into these answers, don’t panic. Life happens! Please call the Religious Education office at (847) 587-2301.
For a child to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion they must be baptized in the Catholic Church, or another Christian denomination recognized by the Catholic Church. In other words, they must have been baptized with water and “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” They must also have received at least one year of religious education instruction before second grade. Enrollment in St. Bede School or enrollment in our Religious Education Program is the norm. If your child is older than second grade, please contact our Religious Education Office at (847) 587-2301 for additional information.
"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).
"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior 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." (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
"In the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch. The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit." (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
"Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all. In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking." (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
If you are an adult who is seeking more information on how to become a member of the Catholic Church, or if you are a baptized Catholic who has never received First Holy Communion, please click on Adult Education, where you will find good information on what that process is and also the contact information for the person who can tell you more about it.
If you are visiting our site because your child is approaching second grade, or a little older; and you want to know the process for your child to receive First Holy Communion, we say welcome! We know what a busy and exciting time this is for your family, and we want to continue to assist you in raising your child in the faith.
Now, you want to know what is necessary for your child to receive First Holy Communion. Below are some frequently asked questions to get you started. If your question or situation does not fit neatly into these answers, don’t panic. Life happens! Please call the Religious Education office at (847) 587-2301.
For a child to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion they must be baptized in the Catholic Church, or another Christian denomination recognized by the Catholic Church. In other words, they must have been baptized with water and “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” They must also have received at least one year of religious education instruction before second grade. Enrollment in St. Bede School or enrollment in our Religious Education Program is the norm. If your child is older than second grade, please contact our Religious Education Office at (847) 587-2301 for additional information.