At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ’s Body and Blood. Faithful to the Lord’s command the Church continues to do, in his memory and until his glorious return, what he did on the eve of his Passion: “He took bread....” “He took the cup filled with wine....” The signs of bread and wine become, in a way surpassing understanding, the Body and Blood of Christ; they continue also to signify the goodness of creation. Thus in the Offertory we give thanks to the Creator for bread and wine,154 fruit of the “work of human hands,” but above all as “fruit of the earth” and “of the vine” — gifts of the Creator. The Church sees in the gesture of the king-priest Melchizedek, who “brought out bread and wine,” a prefiguring of her own offering. - Catechism of the Catholic Church - 1333

Seven is the typical age to receive First Communion. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Pastor in consultation with the child's parents and the First Communion teacher.

At Christ the King, we utilize the Signs of Grace curriculum from the Augustine Insititute to prepare our youth to receive their first communion and reconciliation. You are Loved includes eight sessions. Each presents the teachings of the Church on the Sacrament of the Eucharist with a focus on helping the children understand intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally that the Sacrament of First Holy Communion is a real encounter with Jesus Christ who desires to unite himself to us at the deepest levels of our humanity.