First Holy Communion — 16th April 2026 Holy Family Co-Cathedral, Kuwait City | April 16, 2026
On Thursday, 16th April 2026, our parish community gathered with great joy and solemnity to celebrate the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. The Holy Mass was presided over by Bishop Aldo Berardi, with Fr. Nelson Lobo and Fr. Gasper, Parish Priest of Holy Family Co-Cathedral, as co-celebrants. It was a profoundly moving occasion as our young children received the Body of Christ for the very first time, surrounded by their families, godparents, and the entire parish family.
The ceremony took place during the joyful season of Easter — a most fitting time, as Bishop Aldo reminded us, since the Resurrection of Jesus is the very foundation of the Eucharist. “Jesus is risen. He is alive. And because the power of God through the Holy Spirit has no end,” the Bishop proclaimed, explaining to the children why it is possible for the bread and wine to truly become the Body and Blood of Christ. The First Communion was not merely a personal milestone, but a celebration of the entire Church’s faith and tradition.
In his heartfelt homily directed especially to the children, Bishop Aldo Berardi drew upon the Easter mystery to explain the profound reality of the Holy Eucharist. He reminded the children that during Holy Week, the Church relived the Last Supper, the condemnation, the crucifixion, the death — and most importantly — the Resurrection of Jesus. Through the Resurrection, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and a new life, making us children of God.
The Bishop explained the mystery of Transubstantiation in simple yet powerful words: the bread and wine will not change colour, and the taste will remain the same — but by the power of the Holy Spirit, it truly becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus. “This is a question for 2,000 years,” he said, “but Jesus is risen, and His power is forever.”
He then guided the children on how to receive Communion with reverence: when the priest or bishop says “The Body of Christ,” we respond “Amen” — meaning “I believe. Truly.” After receiving, we return to our seats, kneel, and pray, thanking the Lord for being with us.
Bishop Aldo also emphasized that First Communion is the first, not the last. Every time we come to Mass with a pure and ready heart, we can receive the Lord. He encouraged the children to go to Confession whenever they fall, so that Jesus may wash away their sins and make them worthy again — because “Communion means being in union with God.”
