ADMISSION TO COMMUNION 2024
Admission to communion in 2024 will probably take place on Corpus Christi Sunday, in June. There will be a preparation session beforehand.
Children of the age of 8 and older may be admitted. They must be attending church at the moment, and will need to have been baptised and show their baptism certificate. Those wishing to be admitted please fill in a form available from the Parish Office or back of church.
What is Holy Communion or Holy Eucharist?
- The Holy Communion is one of the 7 sacraments acknowledged by the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox Churches.
- The Mass, Holy Eucharist or Holy Communion service is the celebration of the Sacrament of Communion.
- In Holy Communion the life that we received at Baptism is fed and sustained with the body and blood of Jesus Christ: it stresses the ongoing nature of our Christian lives.
- The bread that is broken signifies the real presence of the body of Christ as it was given in death on the cross. The wine that is poured out signifies the real presence of His blood that was shed on the cross. The death of Christ facilitates our salvation, and our deliverance from sin and death.
- Holy Eucharist establishes our unity with Christ, and the bond between ourselves and other Christians.
Why are children admitted to receive Holy Communion before Confirmation ?
- The Anglican Church has joined the Catholic and Orthodox churches in allowing the Baptised to be admitted to receive Communion. In our Diocese, our first Bishop, Bishop David Beetge, set the age limit at which children may be admitted to receive communion at 8 years old. This still stands.
- The new life which the children received at Baptism is fed and nurtured through receiving the body and blood of Christ.
- Children who are part of the worshipping community of the Church are part of the Body of Christ, and so it is right that they share in the sacrament of Holy Eucharist which is a celebration of the unity of Christians with God, and with each other.
What are the responsibilities of the parents and Godparents ?
- Parents are expected to attend Church frequently, and so share in the life of the Body of Christ.
- Parents are expected to be frequent communicants within the Parish.
- Parents and Godparents are expected to pray for their children, and encourage them to attend Church regularly and so grow in their Christian faith until they come to confirmation.
What must we do to arrange for our child to be admitted to receive Holy Communion ?
- Complete the relevant form and return it, together with the child’s Baptismal certificate, to the Parish Office.
- Children (and parents) must attend a preparation course to learn about the meaning of Holy Eucharist.