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Hi John,
Thanks for the question.
Everything your girlfriend's mother said is correct.
Although it's not talked or catechized as much as it should, when Catholic's receive
Holy Communion, they not only believe they are receiving the real Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord, but they are also making a public statement, that by receiving Holy Communion they are in a Common Union, with the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Receiving communion at an Episcopalian congregation is totally different because they don't have valid Holy Orders. Holy Orders is the sacrament that make a man a priest, so the man, Jesus, can act through the priest, also a man.
The two communions may look the same but:
- what each faith believes about the Eucharist
- what actually happens after the consecration, and
- the validity of their Holy Orders
makes a big difference. A Protestant can't receive, in general, any of the other sacraments until they are a Catholic.
It's not my intent to be negative or discourage you. Your desire is a calling of the Holy Spirit you should follow. We have received similar e-mails like yours from people with a strong desire to join the Church.
The best way to proceed is to make an appointment with a priest or the pastor at your local Catholic parish. Share with him what you have shared with us and he can ensure that the proper steps are taken so you can become a Catholic and receive Holy Communion, as well as the other sacraments, on a regular basis. Also ask about what ministries his parish has to offer. This way you can get connected with new Catholic friends and family.
You may be interested in my favorites page too:
I used to run a free program that sent Catechisms to seeking Protestants and non-Christians but no longer have the financial or operational means to do this anymore.
Seeing you may be preparing to take RCIA classes in the near future, I would encourage you to consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn everything we believe as faithful Catholics.
Under each boxed format for the Catechism you want, you will see, below the box, an option to buy a used version, which many times, is not really used but close to new.
If you, or any visitor, has been helped by our work at AskACatholic.com, consider financially supporting us today. If you can't right now, check out our Click To Support program.
Check out my other site too:BibleBeltCatholics.com. It's all about the Early Church Fathers,
the very first Christians of the faith.
I hope this helps,
Mike
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