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Practice makes perfect as children prepare for rite of passage

The First Communion is a milestone event in the Catholic Church.

In Scotland, around 8000 children take their First Holy Communion every year. The ceremony marks a significant moment for boys and girls from around the age of eight, and signals their commitment to the Catholic faith.

As My First Communion highlights, it can be both an exciting and daunting rite of passage, when the children accept wafers and wine representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ for the very first time.

Rehearsing the First Communion

Children are shown what to do during the service.

The children spend the weeks prior to the service learning about the tradition of Communion, as well as visiting chapel to rehearse the the big moment.

There's a lot of fun to be had at this time, too, because while First Communion is an important milestone event in their young lives, it's also a huge celebration for their families.

There are parties to plan, spectacular cakes to order and, for those with young girls, fairy tale dresses to be bought.

But while the weeks approaching the Communion can be a whirlwind, underneath it all the children are acutely aware of its significance, as youngster Mia reveals on the programme:

“[In years to come] I’m not going to remember what my dress looks like or what my party was like but I will remember receiving the sacrament because I’m going to do that every Sunday and the Sunday after that.”

My First Communion

In this humorous and heartwarming film, we follow four very different little girls and their families in the months leading up to their First Holy Communion.