Catholic Identity and Religious Education News 

Great news, we have five children within our community who are currently preparing for their First Communion. Please keep these children in your thoughts and prayers as they complete the preparation program with their families and supported by our school and Parish :-

Patrick Shaw, Jessica Boyd, Lavinia Ross, Archie and Xavier Stringer.

What is Eucharist?

Eucharist is the sacrament that completes the process of initiation and is when one can fully participate in the Eucharist by receiving Holy Communion. 

Eucharist is unique among the sacraments as it is at the heart of our faith. For Catholics, the Eucharist, or Mass, is the most powerful way we encounter the real presence of Jesus Christ. Sunday after Sunday (some, of course, gather everyday), Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, the ritual in which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. We who celebrate are also transformed, becoming Christ’s presence to others, and recognising the presence of Christ in others.

Children are invited to prepare for their First Holy Communion- usually in Grade Four . It is the choice of the parents as to when they think their child is ready to receive the sacrament. For a child to be ready, they must be familiar with the religious rituals of the Church. This means they must have some understanding as to why we celebrate the Eucharist, what it means to receive Holy Communion and why they have a desire to participate in this experience.

The Mass is a ritual representation of the last supper of Jesus and takes the form of a meal.  Yet the Last Supper ( which we now recall on Holy Thursday evening before Good Friday and each time we celebrate Mass ) gains its true significance from the fact that Jesus associates his words and actions at that supper with the sacrifice of his life on the cross that he would make on the next day.