Sacrament of Eucharist during COVID-19

WELCOME! You are beginning to prepare to receive the First Eucharist. This is one of three sacraments of initiation in the Roman Catholic Church.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1212 The sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist - lay the foundations of every Christian life. "The sharing in the divine nature given to men through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and receive in the Eucharist the food of eternal life. By means of these sacraments of Christian initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of the divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity."

1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."

1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."

1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.

1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."

REGISTRATION

If your parish has a website with online registration for the sacramental preparation program, please register there.

If your parish does not have online registration for the sacramental preparation program, please follow the directions and link below.

If you have not already completed a registration form for both sacraments - First Reconciliation and First Eucharist - please follow the links below.

Please click the Form below to register your child for the online First Eucharist sacramental preparation program through your parish. You will need to print, fill in, and submit the registration form to your parish.

Registration Form for the Sacrament of First Eucharist

When you register with your parish, you will be informed about the delivery or pick-up of the Celebrate and Remember Eucharist textbook, the program offering to cover the cost of the textbook, and the measures your parish is putting in place to support your learning and to accompany you as you journey toward receiving the Sacrament of Eucharist.

ONLINE SACRAMENT OF EUCHARIST PROGRAM

REQUIREMENTS

Celebrate and Remember Eucharist - Chapters 1 to 10
Prayers and Practices on pages 101 to 119 from Celebrate and Remember Eucharist.

NOTE: During the pandemic, there is NO requirement for a day of communal retreat.

Parents are encouraged to talk with the parish priest about the plan and timing for the reception of the sacraments. The timelines can be adjusted in the conversation between the family and the parish priest.

Home Program Child's Book

HOME GUIDE CHILD'S BOOK * (available from your parish)

* IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do NOT buy the child's book online. It is available from your parish.

Parents may wish to purchase the Celebrate and Remember Eucharist Home Guide. If so, please lick "HOME GUIDE" above in red font.

Introduction

During this COVID-19 pandemic while we await the discovery of a vaccine and a cure, gathering in groups is not advisable. For this reason, the resources to support this program have been developed by Fr. Craig Cruikshank and the Sacramental Preparation Team from St. Joseph Parish in Bowmanville. The parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough follow the Celebrate and Remember Eucharist program to prepare young people for the Sacrament of Eucharist.

The parishes of the Diocese offer 5 sessions to prepare for First Eucharist. Each session focuses on two chapters from the book, Celebrate and Remember Eucharist. Since the sessions will not be offered in the parishes, the children and their families will purchase the Celebrate and Remember Eucharist textbooks and follow the sessions online. Please check the links under each chapter heading that follows to view the videos.

Once a vaccine and cure for the COVID-19 coronavirus are discovered, this online web page for sacramental preparation will be removed and the sessions in the parish community will be restored.

Chapter One - In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit

To begin, help your child turn to page 2 in the green coloured First Communion Preparation workbook, "Celebrate and Remember: Eucharist", and watch the video below together. The video is about 9 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 3, help your child turn to page 4 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 4 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 5, help your child turn to page 6 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 4 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 7, help your child turn to page 8 in the workbook and then watch the video below. After the video, help your child through the final activity on page 9. The video is about 4 minutes long.

Help your child complete the activity on page 9.

Bonus: Trinity Song

Bonus Activity: Praying with Five Fingers

Chapter Two - The Lord Be with You

To begin, help your child turn to page 12 in the green coloured First Communion Preparation workbook, "Celebrate and Remember: Eucharist", and watch the video below together. The video is about 7.5 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 13, help your child turn to page 14 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 4 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 15, help your child turn to page 16 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 2.5 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 17, help your child turn to page 18 in the workbook and then watch the video below. After the video, help your child through the final activity on page 19. The video is about 5 minutes long.

Help your child complete the activity on page 19.

Bonus: Game - Match up the parts of the Mass

Bonus Song: Five Loaves and Two Fish

Chapter Three - Lord, Have Mercy

To begin, help your child turn to page 22 in the green coloured First Communion Preparation workbook, "Celebrate and Remember: Eucharist", and watch the video below together. The video is about 5 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 23, help your child turn to page 24 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 4 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 25, help your child turn to page 26 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 3.5 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 27, help your child turn to page 28 in the workbook and then watch the video below. After the video, help your child through the final activity on page 29. The video is about 3.5 minutes long.

Help your child complete the activity on page 29.

Bonus Activity: Bread of Life Word Search

Bonus: Table of Plenty

Chapter Four - Glory to God

To begin, help your child turn to page 32 in the green coloured First Communion Preparation workbook, "Celebrate and Remember Eucharist", and watch the video below together. The video is about 8 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 33, help your child turn to page 34 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 4 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 35, help your child turn to page 36 in the workbook and then watch the video below. The video is about 5.5 minutes long.

After your child has finished the activity on page 37, help your child turn to page 38 in the workbook and then watch the video below. After the video, help your child through the final activity on page 39. The video is about 5 minutes long.

Help your child complete the activity on page 39.