Eucharist

The Eucharist is the "source and summit" of the Catholic faith because it is where we encounter Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Christ instituted this great sacrament of grace at the Last Supper when he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins" (Mt 26:26-28).

Staying true to Scripture and to the Tradition of the Church handed down from the Apostles, we believe that, although under the appearance of bread and wine, in the Eucharist Jesus is really, truly and substantially present. As Jesus said in John, chapter 6: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me, and I in him."

During Mass, when the priest says the words of consecration, the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ occurs. Receiving His Body and His Blood worthily (in a state of grace), increases our union with Jesus, strengthens our unity with Christ's Mystical Body, the Church, and helps us fight against sin.

If you are interested in First Communion and First Reconciliation for your child, please contact the Faith Formation Office at 608-755-1476 or visit the Religious Education for Children page.

For more information on the Eucharist, please visit the following:
The Sacrament of the Eucharist, The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Eucharist and the Mass, Catholics Come Home
The Real Presence, Father John A. Hardon
The Real Presence in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, USSCB
Christ in the Eucharist, Catholic Answers
Questions about the Holy Eucharist, EWTN
Early Christian Writing on the Real Presence, Catholic Answers