The Eucharist is our communion with the Divine Life.

A child’s first Holy Communion is when the child continues their initiation into the church and receives the body of Jesus in the form of bread and wine at Mass for the first time. It is a time to deepen their personal relationship with Jesus and give a deeper appreciation of Mass and the church as a community.

When a child is baptised, he/she is welcomed into the family of the Church. Holy Communion is the Sacrament which binds us together as God’s family, providing strength and spiritual nourishment for our journey in faith together.

A preparation programme is run over several months to prepare your child for this special Sacrament. In this programme, the parent and child will be asked to reflect on their faith and continue the faith commitment that was made in the child’s name when he or she was baptised.

In order for a child to receive the Sacrament of First Holy Communion, they need to have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession); part of the First Holy Communion programme is in preparation for this.

In our Diocese, the usual age for receiving this Sacrament for the first time is 8 years of age (children in Year 4 or above).

If you are wishing for your child to start their First Holy Communion please contact us.