Catholic Parish of Guildford

Bibles and stories from the bible

Cafod Celebration Fund

A Celebration Fund is a personalised online giving page where you can celebrate your child's First Holy Communion by inviting family and friends to donate instead of giving presents and share a little happiness with those who have less.

Logistics of the FHC Mass

31/5/2022

Masses: 4th, 18th, 25th June

Mass starts at 10am or 2pm
Please arrive between 9.10–9.45am or 1.10-1.45pm
The entrance is through the main hall doors
Allocated a pew each
Some room downstairs with Mass livestreamed
NO PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALLOWED during the Mass. A professional photographer will be present to take a photo of your family before Mass and of your child receiving Communion. The cost per mounted photo is £12 or £30 for 3. (Card accepted)
At the end of Mass, you will be invited to take a seat in your pews. One rep from your pew will be asked to go down

purchase the photos. The rest of the pew invited to leave church through the main church doors.

Stewards will be on hand to invite your child and then your household to receive Communion.
If you or anyone in your household displays symptoms of Covid-19 then please do not attend. We can arrange another time for your child to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. Please let us know if you are not coming.
Please let us know if you have any special requirements e.g. needing a gluten free host or wheelchair access
Here is a link to the Live Stream: https://www.cpg.church/live.html
Please note that the Mass will not be recorded.

What to wear?

It can feel like a lot of pressure to get your children the "right" clothes for their first Holy Communion. Some girls don't like wearing dresses and some boys hate the idea of wearing a tie or suit. Below are just some recommendations based on tradition and are not set rules imposed by the church.

It is traditional for the children to wear white; for girls a white dress and for boys a white shirt and smart trousers. Wearing white recalls the day of their Baptism when they first wore white to show that they were "clothed in Christ". The celebration of First Holy Communion completes what began with the first Sacrament, Baptism.

You do not need to purchase dresses or shirts from a first Holy Communion store that generally over-charge. There are many clothes shops in the area that sell white dresses.

Other items such as accessories, the colour of shoes, the colour of ties, the choice to wear a suit jacket or waist coat, the choice of socks or stockings are all at the discretion of parents.

CERTIFICATES

We no longer issue 1st Reconciliation and 1st Holy Communion certificates. This is because we have found that this has caused confusion with regards to the purpose of the preparation and of receiving the Sacraments. In the past Secondary Schools used to ask for proof of 1st Holy Communion but this is not the case anymore. You do not need to have received Holy Communion in order to apply to the local secondary schools. St Peter's Secondary School (Guildford), as well as All Hallows (Farnham), St John the Baptist (Woking) and St Andrews (Leatherhead) only require proof of Baptism.

Not just that, the Church does not officially document anyone's receiving of the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion for the first time. The only official records kept are for the sacraments that can only be received once in your life: Baptism, Confirmation and Marriage.

If you do require a proof that your child has been prepared for the sacraments and have received them then we can issue you letter on a request basis.

You may want to commemorate the day your child receives Reconciliation and Holy Communion for the first time yourselves.
If you visit a card company like Funky Pigeon they offer personalised Holy Communion Cards.
This is the design I have used for my own children which I personalised and then framed.

Dates for the 1st Holy Communion and Reconciliation Programme 2022/2023

Ideas for FHC Gifts

Bibles and stories from the bible

Devotional

Informative

Miscellaneous

To remember the day

Cafod Celebration Fund

Logistics of the FHC Mass

Masses: 4th, 18th, 25th June

What to wear?

FHC 2023

Archives

Categories

Get in Touch...

About Sacramental Preparation.

Dates for the 1st Holy Communion and Reconciliation Programme 2022/2023

Ideas for FHC Gifts

Bibles and stories from the bible

Devotional

Informative

Miscellaneous

To remember the day

Cafod Celebration Fund

Logistics of the FHC Mass

​Masses: 4th, 18th, 25th June

What to wear?

FHC 2023

Archives

Categories

Get in Touch...

About Sacramental Preparation.

Masses: 4th, 18th, 25th June