Eucharist

What is the Eucharist?

Holy Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Blessed Sacrament, is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.

Catholics believe that during Mass, when the bread and wine are consecrated by the priest, they become the body and blood of Jesus Christ (see Transubstantiation for an explanation about this change).

The consecrated elements, either together or separately, are called the Eucharist -- from the Greek word for "thanksgiving."

Style notes:

Catholics may take offense to the Eucharist being referred to as mere bread and wine. It is preferable to use phrasing such as, "the consecrated bread and wine, which Catholics believe become the body and blood of Jesus."

Similarly, Catholics may take offense to the term "wafer" when it is used to refer to what they believe is the body of Christ. It is preferable to use the term "host." However, "communion wafer" is generally unobjectionable when referring to the bread that has not yet been consecrated.