Leadership Communication

First Holy Communion – A Special Moment in our Faith Journey

Over this weekend and next, many of our Year Four students will celebrate their First Holy Communion, a significant milestone in their journey of faith and an important moment in the life of our Catholic community.

For Catholics, the Eucharist is at the very heart of faith and worship. At the Last Supper, Jesus shared bread and wine with his disciples and asked them to continue to gather and remember him in this way. Each time Catholics celebrate Mass, this story is brought into the present as the community gathers around the table, listens to the Word of God, gives thanks and shares in the Eucharist.

Central to Catholic belief is transubstantiation. Catholics believe that during the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, through the action of the Holy Spirit and the words of consecration, the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ, while still appearing to us as bread and wine. The Eucharist is therefore not understood simply as a symbol or reminder of Jesus. Catholics believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.

This helps us understand why First Holy Communion is such a significant moment for our young people. Receiving the Eucharist for the first time is much more than completing a sacrament. It is an enactment of belonging, relationship and faith. Our young people move from learning about the Eucharist to participating in this ancient practice of the Church and are invited to consider what receiving Christ means for how they live, love, forgive, serve and encounter others.

For families who are not Catholic, First Communion can also be understood as an important rite of passage. It marks a young person's growing understanding of the beliefs and traditions of the Catholic faith and their place within a faith community. It also invites all of us to reflect on deeply human experiences, gathering around a table, sharing with others, remembering important stories, giving thanks and committing ourselves to living with love and compassion.

We congratulate all of our students celebrating their First Holy Communion on Sunday 13 September and Sunday 20 September. 

We wish them and their families two beautiful celebrations and ask our whole community to keep them in their thoughts and prayers as they take this important step in their faith journey.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Sarah Chappell 

Acting Deputy

PS Time to get our hats out again for outside play!