Eucharist

"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.'" (John 6:35)
 

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Children typically prepare for their First Holy Communion during the second half of their second grade year and celebrate this sacrament of the Eucharist in late April or early May. Parents are asked to join in helping their child prepare by bringing them to Mass on Sunday, modeling reception of the Holy Eucharist, educating and informing themselves through parent communications, and sharing a love of God, His Word and prayer in their homes.  Please click here to fill out the First Communion registration form.

The Church recommends that children prepare for and celebrate Reconciliation prior to receiving First Communion. Children at St. Joseph prepare for this sacrament of healing in the fall and celebrate in early January.

Only participation in the St. Joseph school or religious education program or other pre-approved sacramental preparation program (pre-approved by the director of religious education and pastor) meets the requirements for First Communion preparation. 

• If your child(ren) attends another Catholic school, you must confirm sacramental preparation is included in the school's religion curriculum. At this time, Everest Academy includes approved sacramental preparation; Marist Academy and Notre Dame Prep do not include sacramental preparation in their curriculums.
• If your family is homeschooling, a detailed outline of the program you are using for faith formation-sacramental preparation must be submitted for approval no later than October 30, 2022, if your child wishes to celebrate the sacrament at St. Joseph Church.
• Students preparing outside of St. Joseph or Everest Academy will need to sign up for a brief informal interview/meeting with the pastor prior to celebrating the sacrament.
• All students must complete the First Communion retreat-rehearsal.

Holy Eucharist is the sacrament in which Jesus Christ gives his Body and Blood for us so that we, too, might give ourselves to Him in love and be united with Him in Holy Communion. In this way we are joined with the one Body of Christ, the Church.

After Baptism and Confirmation, the Eucharist is the third sacrament of initiation of the Catholic Church. The Eucharist is the mysterious center of all these sacraments because the historic sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is made present during the words of consecration in a hidden, unbloody manner. Thus, the celebration of the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life" (Second Vatican Council, Lumen gentium [LG], 11). Everything aims at this sacrament; besides the Eucharist there is nothing greater that one could attain. When we eat the Broken Bread, we unite ourselves with the love of Jesus, who gave His body for us on the wood of the Cross; when we drink from the chalice, we unite ourselves with Him who poured out His blood out of love for us. We did not invent this ritual. Jesus Himself celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples and therein anticipated His own death; He gave Himself to His disciples under the signs of bread and wine and commanded them from then on, even after His death, to celebrate the Eucharist. "Do this in remembrance of me" (1 Cor 11:24). (YOUCAT question 208)