During the last century the Catholic Church has admitted children to First Communion between the ages of seven and eight. The First Communion precedes the Confirmation during the early teens. It is the Catholic parish priest who has the responsibility of seeing that the baptized children of the parish are properly prepared to make their First Communion. But the parish priest does not make the decision when the child is psychologically ready for First Communion. Only the parents really know this, and they have the final decision as to when their child has his First Communion.

Holy Communion is at once a sharing with the risen Lord and a sharing with the human community in which he dwells. So for children as well as for parents any real sharing in and with the Christian community will press for sharing in the Eucharist, both to celebrate the bond of unity that is already there and to deepen it.