While all the sacraments are important for helping us grow in holiness, there is one sacrament that stands above the rest in importance for living a life of genuine holiness: the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is the sacrament in which the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ become present under the appearance of Bread and Wine. It is the very heart and center of our Catholic faith life, and it is the epitome of our expression of faith and the best way to share in the saving grace of Christ. When we receive the Eucharist, we are united with Christ who lived, died and rose again for our salvation, and we are united with one another. We become living Tabernacles; at no time are we more at one with Jesus than immediately after we receive the Eucharist.
The Mass, and reception of the Eucharist, is the source and summit of our Catholic lives. This should be taken seriously and emphasized at home with the understanding that weekly Mass is not only an obligation but an invitation by Jesus to meet him at the heavenly banquet.
The Diocese of Charlotte and Sacred Heart Catholic Church have established the following requirements for a student to be eligible for the Sacrament of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion:
- The Candidate must present evidence of their Baptism;
- Be at least 7 years of age;
- Must have attended two (2) years of previous Faith Formation with at least 85% attendance;
- More than four unexcused absences will automatically invalidate the year of Sacramental Conferral consideration;
- Must have attended all Sacramental Formation classes. Any absence must be made up within the week.
- The Candidate must know basic prayers, including: The Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary, Ten Commandments, Our Father, Doxology, and Act of Contrition;
- The Candidate must know the Rite of Reconciliation;
- The Candidate must understand the concept of sin and the need for sacramental forgiveness;
- The Candidate must understand the Seven Sacraments and Ten Commandments;
- The Candidate must understand the Mass and attend weekly Mass;
- The Candidate must understand Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist and our need for the Eucharist.
Parent’s Role
A parent’s role in a child’s life is that of the primary catechist and as such each of us is being called to manifest his New Life in our thoughts, words, and actions, especially in the life of the family. Parents are expected to attend all sessions with their child and to reinforce what was learned in the home.
There are no sponsors for First Holy Communion.
If a student demonstrates that they are ready for the reception of the Eucharist, the D.R.E. will meet with the student and their family to discuss delaying reception until the student is prepared to receive.Required documents for First Holy Communion include a copy of the child's baptismal certificate and the Parish First Communion Form.