YES! Everyone is welcome at the Catholic Church and we are looking forward to you celebrating with us. We ask that you remember that it is a place of reverence and worship and keep the partying contained until we get to the reception.
First off it will be January in Chicago, so dress warm! But for Mass, we ask that you keep your shoulders and knees covered. Men should not wear hats indoors as a sign of respect, and women are welcome to wear head coverings if they desire.
There are two main reasons non-Catholics cannot receive communion at a Catholic Mass: 1. The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. We must be properly prepared to receive it (1 Cor. 11:26-29). A non-Catholic who does not believe in the Real Presence would not be properly prepared to receive the Eucharist. 2. Notice the word communion. The word implies a unity and a oneness. Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of faith communities with whom we are not yet fully united are not admitted to Holy Communion.