Eucharist

The initiation of children into the sacramental life of the Church is primarily the responsibility and concern of parents (CIC 890, RC 3).  Although the child has reached the age of reason at the time of preparation for First Eucharist, they have not yet been fully initiated.  They joyfully await to receive the nourishment of Jesus' Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist.  As parents are called to assist their child in the life of holiness, we are here to support your efforts in every way possible. 

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION AND FIRST PENANCE REQUIREMENTS 
First Holy Communion Registration

1. BAPTIZED CATHOLIC (Baptismal Certificate required) 
2. WEEKLY INSTRUCTION (Parish school, School of Religion, non-parish Catholic school or home instruction. Contact DRE for further information ) 
TUESDAY DATES FOR FIRST COMMUNION CANDIDATES 
OCTOBER 5TH  2021
OCT 19 
NOV 2ND 
NOV 116TH 
DEC 14 
JANUARY  4TH 2022
JANUARY 18   
FEBRUARY 1ST 
WEDNESDAY FEB 16 (ASH WEDNESDAY) 
MARCH 1ST 
MARCH 22ND 
APRIL 5TH 
MAY 3RD (FOR THOSE RECEIVING FIRST COMMUNION THE NEXT SATURDAY)
MAY 10TH (FOR THOSE RECIVING FIRST COMMUNION THE NEXT SATURDAY) 
MAY 17TH (FOR THOSE RECEIVING FIRST COMMUNION THE NEXT SATURDAY) 

3. Attendance at Parent Meeting for First Penance & First Holy Communion
Sunday OCTOBER 17TH 4:00 P.M. 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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4. TEACHING MASS  will be held in the SPRING 

FIRST PENANCE WILL BE RECEIVED ON THE SAME DAY AS FIRST HOLY COMMUNION.
EXACT DETAILS TBA.

 19 FOR THE 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR WE ARE NOT REQUIRING TWO YEARS OF PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENTS OF PENANCE AND FIRST EUCHARIST. 
RISING 2ND GRADERS WITHOUT PRIOR 1ST GRADE FAITH FORMATION WILL BE PERMITTED TO ENROLL IN OUR SECOND GRADE SACRAMENTS CLASSES. 

 If your child is older and has not received First Eucharist, please contact Jane Baily, Director of Religious Education, as soon as possible to enroll your son or daughter in our Special Sacramental Classes for older students. To share in Communion for the first time children must have “sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so as to understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity” (Code of Canon Law 913).

If your child is in need of School of Religion classes (i.e., is not enrolled in a Catholic school) for First Eucharist and First Reconciliation, please contact Jane Baily, Director of Religious Education, at 202.449.3989 or jbaily@blessedsacramentdc.org.

If you or someone you know is homebound or in the hospital, please contact Father Bill Foley at 202.966.6575.  Our goal is to ensure that everyone who desires to receive the Eucharist but is unable to come to Mass is visited by a priest, deacon, or an extraordinary minister of communion. 

For the homebound, Blessed Sacrament has a homebound ministry, which ensures that those parishioners confined to their homes are visited on a regular basis by an extraordinary minister and by a priest once a quarter.

Priests and deacons visit local hospitals on a regular basis. If we know a parishioner is hospitalized, we will arrange a visit as soon as possible.   In addition, Sibley Hospital is staffed by two Catholic chaplains. Suburban Hospital is cared for by the priests and extraordinary ministers of St. Jane de Chantal Parish in Bethesda.  Georgetown University Hospital is cared for by the Jesuit Community of Georgetown University.