Sacred Heart Exeter
First Holy Communion
"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."
Jesus Christ, John 6:54-55
In the Sacrament of Holy Communion, also known as the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we receive the real presence of Jesus Christ Himself into ourselves. It is known as the 'source and summit of the Christian life'. 'Source', because it is from Holy Communion that we receive the healing and power of Jesus that we need to live as Christians. 'Summit' because Holy Communion expresses the unity in Jesus to which our lives as Christians leads. It is the most precious gift of God to us.
Preparation for First Holy Communion is an activity for the whole family, not just a child who is put forward by his/her parent(s). To receive Holy Communion is to be part of the Catholic family, therefore preparation to receive it grows out of a family’s participation in the Catholic community through celebrating Mass with us on Sundays, engaging in Growing In Faith Together (GIFT), and participating in wider life of our parish family. We no longer base ‘readiness’ for receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion simply on a child reaching the age of 8 (academic Year 3).
If you would like to explore preparing for First Holy Communion then we are delighted to support your family! As a parent, you are responsible for preparing their children to receive Holy Communion. Our GIFT team of priests and lay people will support you in discerning when the time is right for you to prepare your children. Please sign up to GIFT below to begin the process. We will support you at this time with separate parent sessions and parent friendly resources for you to use to prepare your children.