The Rites Of Passage

St Paul’s Roman Catholic Church
Saturday May 12, 2007-11:30am



CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST

Holy Communion is a sacred day among Catholic children who are prepared to receive the Eucharist which is considered to be the “source and summit of the Christian Life”.
It is the first time that these students are allowed to receive this sacrament which is an reenactment of the Last Supper as depicted in the New Testament in which Jesus responds to His apostles saying “this is my body” (which is represented by the host) and “this is my blood” (which is represented by the blessed wine). This is a rite for celebration and a ceremony that many parents and their children take very seriously.

Entering a Catholic Church is a sensual perception of one’s faith. The smell of the wood oil that is used for the pews, the scent of fresh cut flowers, the sight of light shining through the fragmented colored pictorial pieces of stained glass, the haloed glow of many lit candles, the sound of a piano playing while a choir sings a soothing hymn. The inside of the church is mostly constructed of wood. The walls and ceilings are wood-planked with large curved wooden beams stretching upwards toward the pointed ceiling.



Many parents and relatives were in attendance that weekend and the church was filled to full capacity. There were 21 First Communicants that afternoon and around the same number of students earlier that morning in the first ceremony. A second service was required to accommodate all the children who were celebrating this year. The choir was assembling on the altar and this entourage consisted of 6 members, a guitarist and a keyboardist.

Deacon Patrick McGuigan directed the services and dressed in a very special white robe for the occasion. Deacon McGuigan was a man in his middle 40’s and had been performing the services for years at St. Paul’s. From what I learned, Deacon McGuigan didn’t talk down to the children but adjusted his position so that everyone was on the same level. He spoke softly and patiently with them and often included himself in many of the children’s activities. He understood the generation and the kids appeared to admire him for this.

THE CEREMONY
This Catholic service is somewhat different from the regular Sunday masses and I will try to describe the actions as well as the different sections of the ceremony.

(SEATED) The pianist played the hymn “The Celebration of First Communion” as the children filed in from the entrance of the church. The boys are dressed in black suits and the girls in ceremonial white dresses. Parents were allowed to take pictures but not while the children were receiving communion. The children took their seats with their parents in the pews reserved up front. Deacon McGuigan gave a small introduction and commented on the fine weather that blessed this event.

(STAND) The Choir sings the hymn “Gloria” and the Opening Prayer is recited.

(SEATED) One of the boys read a passage from the Gospels. A responsorial of “taste and see” is pronounced while the child is speaking.

(STAND) The Communion hymn, “I am the Living Bread” is sung and a young boy recites the Holy Gospel According To John. The responsorial to this passage is “Halleluiah.”

(SIT) Deacon McGuigan gives a small talk on the young students receiving communion, about preparing their hearts and talks to the parent’s about this special day. He discusses the faith of the parents and how important it is teaching their kids their faith. Two girls present the prayers of the faithful.
Then the bread and wine is prepared. Hymn “We Come to Your Feast” is sung.

Two boys and two girls bring in the bread and the wine and other preparations needed for the Sacrament. The Deacon prepares the bread and wine (at this point the ceremony seems to continue like the regular masses that are prepared for Sunday mornings).

(STAND) Prayer and blessings and thanks are given.
The Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord” is sung with audience participation.

(KNEEL) A scriptural recount of the Last Supper is pronounced.

(STAND) The parishioners are invited to recite the Our Father prayer.
The offering of peace and tidings are encouraged by shaking hands with nearby congregation members.

The children and parents go first before the congregation members. The priest reminds the worshippers that this “is a very special moment in a young child’s life. That the very blood and body of Christ shall be coursing through their veins” and also to refrain from taking pictures as the camera flashes distract the children “from the moment”.

(SIT) Once communion is finished, there is a brief hymn while the priest cleans up
(An apology is also made for the air conditioning)
Deacon McGuigan gives a message of thanks to everyone who participated in the celebration. Parents must now stand and recite the following prayer:

“God our father, we thank you for the gift of our children and for the trust you have placed in us, to raise them, to love them, and to journey with them in faith. We thank you also Lord for this day and the great gift we have sheared with our children as they received Your Body and Blood for the first time.”

“We pray Lord for your help as we continue our faith-journey. Help us to be faithful to the promises we made at our children’s Baptism to raise them in the Catholic Faith, to worship with them at Mass, and to grow in the community life of our parish, here, at St. Paul’s. We ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

(STAND) Closing prayer with the hymn “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”

IN CONCLUSION…Everyone exits but are allowed to return in the church to take pictures of the children in a group on the altar. Prideful parents return home to scheduled parties and further celebrations.



This service was a very fond remembrance for me. For the author also fulfilled First Communion and I also went on to complete my Confirmation in the Catholic faith. Returning to the Catholic Church, I realized that much hadn’t really changed since I last attended (with the exception that I noticed that they are now incorporating altar girls). The Catholic Church relies much on Tradition and the ritual must be followed faithfully by the book. Considering the manner of the service, I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to the Deacon or many of the parishioners but maybe a return visit might be in order. This was a day for the children and it was an important accomplishment for them and I was pleased to see that every child was confident and proud of their commitment to the Church and their faith.

For more information on the Catholic Church visit:
http://www.vatican.va
Would you like to visit a Catholic Church near you?
http://national.citysearch.com.

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"There is one thing that organized religion is not qualified to teach and that is an individual's purpose."-GOD

Thank you, Mr. C. for the very detailed report. I felt like I was there. Wonderful report.

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