The Second Sacrament: Holy Communion alive in Chile

Carrying a lit candle, Benjamin Ignacio O’Ryan Blazquez walked down the aisle of his incense-filled church on Sunday after his First Communion.  

At 10 years old, he, along with 30 other children in his grade at San Pedro Nolasco School, celebrated their First Communions.

“It was nice ... And the wine was black but it tasted pretty good,” he said.  

The children at San Pedro Nolasco spent two years preparing for this day, which is typical for the Catholic churches in Santiago. They went to class with their priest for an hour and a half every Saturday – even during holidays and vacations.

It is very important to the people of the Catholic church that the children understand what exactly Holy Communion is before receiving it. In these classes, like many in the states, they learned all about Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Last Supper and how communion is a time to remember and be thankful for what Christ has done for them.

It is the Second Sacrament; the first is baptism.

On Sunday, the boys and girls both wore their navy blue school uniforms. The girls had on plaid skirts and high socks, also wearing a crown of white flowers, signifying the innocence of their age. The boys had on long pants and held small prayer books.

Like the boys and girls in the U.S. today, the girls used to wear long, beautiful, white
dresses. However, in present-day Chile, Catholic churches changed this tradition to promote a sense of equality among everyone. It had often been obvious in the past which families carried more money than others.

“There is only one church I know of where they still wear all white on communion days and that’s an English Catholic school where only the sons and daughters of ambassadors and very important people attend,” my host mother Sara Plaza said. “I think it’s better with the school uniforms. Everyone is equal and the class distinctions are less obvious. It’s better.”

After the sermon, the kids lined up for their first communion as proud parents snapped pictures, people sang hymns and little kids crawled around the extremely crowded church.

Afterward, the priest had all of the kids go to the altar as he said a prayer that they receive communion with thanksgiving. Finally, they all lit their candles and walked down the center aisle to the back of the church, where they then rejoined their families.

After Benjamin received his First Communion and the service ended, all of his extended family gathered over lunch, wine, drinks and two different kinds of cake.

They passed around his First Communion photos, taken weeks before with his parents and sister, as he ripped open the gifts his relatives had given him that were blessed during the church service.  

It was just like his birthday.