The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1324-1327)

Before he was arrested and put to death, Jesus celebrated a last supper with his apostles where he instituted the Eucharist, the sacrament of his very body and blood. Jesus transformed bread and wine, mere ordinary food and drink, into his body and blood when he said “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you” and “Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of my blood…“

When Jesus said “Do this in memory of me,” he was not speaking symbolically or metaphorically. What God says, God does, and he said to his disciples to go do the same as him. Thus, in every mass, at every Catholic Church throughout the world, Jesus makes himself present in the Eucharist through the words of consecration said by the priest.

In order to receive Holy Communion, one must be Catholic and in good standing with the Church, that is, in a state of grace. Children who have not yet received their First Communion should enter the parish Religious Education program. Please contact the parish at (757) 245-5513 for more details.