The third sacrament, and the heart of them all

The Easter Vigil holds three sacraments in one liturgy. After Baptism and Confirmation, the third gift is the Eucharist. For an adult convert, this is the moment everything has been preparing you for. The 171 candidates who attended the 2026 Rite of Election at Shrewsbury Cathedral, the 100 of 2025 and the 82 of 2024, were each walking towards this one moment: the first time the Body and Blood of Christ would be placed in their hands.

Bishop Davies returns to one phrase whenever he speaks of the Eucharist. He drew it from a 2021 letter of his own and from Saint John Henry Newman before that.

We are to find in the Eucharist the Church's entire spiritual wealth, Christ himself, so we will never have far to go to find him.

Bishop Mark Davies, Chrism Mass Homily 2026.

Christ himself. That is what you receive.

What the Church believes about Communion

The Catholic faith holds that, by the words of the priest at Mass, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. The substance changes, even when the appearances of bread and wine remain. The Catechism teaches: "The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it" (CCC 1324).

Jesus' own words could not be plainer. "Take, eat; this is my body" (Matthew 26:26). "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53). The early Church received this realism without softening it. So does the Church today.

How to prepare for the Easter Vigil

Preparation is both practical and prayerful.

• Fast. Catholics observe a one hour Eucharistic fast before receiving Communion. Water and medicine are always permitted. On Holy Saturday, many adult converts keep a longer fast through the day, breaking it only with Communion at the Vigil.
• If you have already been baptised in another Christian tradition and are being received into full communion, make a sacramental Confession in the days before the Vigil. For the unbaptised, Baptism itself takes away all sin.
• Pray with the readings. The Vigil's seven Old Testament readings, epistle and Gospel walk you through salvation history.
• Talk to your godparent or sponsor about how it will feel. The first reception of the Eucharist is often overwhelming. It helps to know that.

How to receive

When the moment comes, your priest or bishop will hold the consecrated host before you and say, "The Body of Christ." You answer, "Amen." That "Amen" is your whole Christian life made into a single word.

You may receive on the tongue or in the hand. Both are fully Catholic.

• On the hand: place one hand flat on top of the other to make a small throne. Take the host with the lower hand and place it in your mouth before you walk away.
• On the tongue: put your hands together in prayer, tilt your head slightly back and open your mouth, with the tongue resting on the lower lip.

If a chalice is offered, you may receive the Precious Blood. The minister will say, "The Blood of Christ." You answer, "Amen." Take a small sip. Return to your place. Kneel if you are able. Stay quiet.

The silence afterwards

The minutes after Communion are some of the most important of the Christian life. The Church does not fill them with noise. She lets you sit with the Lord. Newman wrote, of his own faith in the Real Presence, words that Bishop Davies has quoted in pastoral letters across the diocese.

At the heart of the Catholic Church, Newman found what he called "a Treasure unutterable," the Mystery of the Eucharist containing the Church's entire spiritual wealth: Christ Himself. As Newman reflected, "He is not past, He is present now. And though He is not seen, He is here."

Bishop Mark Davies, Pastoral Letter on Saint John Henry Newman, Doctor of the Church, All Saints 2025.

He is here. That is the only thing the silence after Communion has to teach you. Stay long enough to learn it.

The rest of your life

The Easter Vigil is your first Communion. Sunday Mass is your weekly Communion. The Eucharist is the daily and weekly food of a Catholic life. The Bishop has reminded the diocese that "every member of the Church must always be a convert." The Eucharist is how the Church keeps converting you.

Saint Joseph's, Stockport, dedicated by Bishop Davies in 2022 as a Shrine of Perpetual Adoration, holds the Blessed Sacrament before the diocese day and night. The Cathedral, too, keeps the Sacrament reserved in its tabernacle. He is here, in both places, waiting for you.

What to do next

• If you are preparing through OCIA, attend every Sunday Mass during Lent and stay for the dismissal.
• Visit Shrewsbury Cathedral on a Sunday and sit before the tabernacle for ten minutes.
• Speak to your local parish priest about your first Communion if you are an adult Catholic who never received it as a child.
• For diocesan support, contact Natalie Orefice at Natalie.orefice@dioceseofshrewsbury.org.