First Communion favours: small keepsakes that lead to prayer
A small keepsake as a thank-you to everyone who celebrated and prayed with you: which First Communion favours are suitable, which psalm verse belongs on the card and why it need not be expensive.
After Holy Mass the family sits together, and in the evening every guest takes something home. A First Communion favour is this small thank-you from the child and the parents to everyone who celebrated and prayed with them. What is suitable if the keepsake is to last longer than a little bag of sugared almonds? This guide sorts the options, says openly what our workshop can and cannot offer for this, and suggests a psalm verse that fits on every card.
- A First Communion favour is a small keepsake that the family of the first communicant gives the guests at the celebration as a thank-you.
- There is no Church rule about it. St Thomas Aquinas names the measure: one repays a kindness according to place and time and according to one's own means (Summa theologiae II-II, q. 107, a. 2).
- For many guests a holy card with name, date and Bible verse is suitable; for the close circle, a finger rosary with one decade.
- A fitting text is a verse from Psalm 115: "What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that he hath rendered to me?" The priest says these words at Holy Mass after receiving the sacred Host.
What is a First Communion favour?
A First Communion favour is a small keepsake that the family of the first communicant gives the guests at the end of the celebration as a thank-you. There is no Church rule for it; it is a custom of the family celebration that makes visible their thanks for celebrating and praying together.
The favour is not the present that a guest brings for the child. If you are looking for ideas for that, you will find them in our guide to First Communion gifts. Here it is the other way round: the family thanks the godparents, grandparents, friends and neighbours.
St Thomas Aquinas described the thought behind it in his teaching on gratitude. Gratitude, in Latin gratitudo, is according to him a virtue of its own, which repays benefactors for their kindness (S. th. II-II, q. 106, a. 1). In his view gratitude involves three things, in this order.
"The first is that a man should acknowledge the favour received; the second, that he should praise and give thanks; the third, that he should repay it, according to place and time, according to his means."
Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae II-II, q. 107, a. 2, our translation from the Latin
The guests accompanied the child to Holy Mass and prayed for him or her. The favour is the third step on a small scale: a gift that puts the thanks into their hands.
Which favours are suitable for a First Communion?
Suitable First Communion favours are those that recall the day and lead to prayer: a holy card with name, date and Bible verse for all the guests, a finger rosary for godparents and grandparents, a key ring with a St Benedict medal for guests who like something for everyday use.
The table sorts the options by whom they are meant for and what you should look out for.
| Favour | Suitable for | What to look out for |
|---|---|---|
| Holy card with name, date and verse | all guests, even in large numbers | a traditional motif, such as the Blessed Sacrament or the patron saint; on the back the name, the day and the parish church |
| Paracord finger rosary | godparents, grandparents, school-age brothers and sisters | one decade, 10 mm stainless steel Hail Mary beads, Pardon Crucifix, St Benedict medal |
| Combat Rosary Compact | young people and adults | ball chain, 6 mm copper beads, Miraculous Medal, linen pouch |
| Paracord key ring | guests who like something for every day | 15 cm long, 3 cm key ring, St Benedict medal |
The holy card is the favour for the large gathering. It fits into a prayer book and carries on the back what someone will still want to know in twenty years: the child's name, the day of First Holy Communion and the church. For the close circle a keepsake that is taken in hand every day is suitable. You will find the selection under all finger rosaries.
Why is a finger rosary a good First Communion favour?
A finger rosary is a good favour because it is small and is used in everyday life. It carries only one decade, that is, ten beads for the Hail Mary, one bead for the Our Father and a cross, and it fits into any trouser pocket.
A decade consists of one Our Father, ten Hail Marys and one Glory Be. Anyone who one day prays the Rosary with its five decades goes round the finger rosary five times. The prayers in full and the fifteen mysteries are in our Rosary prayer companion.
Our paracord finger rosaries in white and grey or in silver and black are knotted from 4 mm 550 paracord, with 10 mm stainless steel Hail Mary beads, a 12 mm metal Our Father bead, a Pardon Crucifix and the St Benedict medal. They can be carried in a trouser pocket, on a carabiner or worn as a bracelet. If you would prefer a finger rosary with a ball chain instead of knotwork, choose the Combat Rosary Compact with ball chain, 6 mm copper beads and Miraculous Medal. It comes in a linen pouch that also serves as gift packaging.
A rosary is not a toy. Because of small parts that could be swallowed, it is not suitable for children under three years of age; this is also stated in the description of our Combat Rosary Soldiers Edition. Little brothers and sisters are therefore better given a holy card.
Which verse is suitable for a First Communion favour?
Two psalm verses that the priest says at every Holy Mass after receiving the Host suit a First Communion favour: "What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that he hath rendered to me? I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord."
Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi?
Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo.What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that he hath rendered to me?
Psalm 115 of the Vulgate; English after the Douay-Rheims version (verses 12 and 13)
I will take the chalice of salvation; and I will call upon the name of the Lord.
The words come from Psalm 115. The 1962 Missal prescribes that after receiving the sacred Host the priest prays silently: Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi? Then he takes the chalice and continues: Calicem salutaris (Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae, X, 4 and 5). The verse is thus a thanksgiving for Holy Communion itself.
On the card attached to the favour it works twice over. It thanks the guests, and it reminds the child to whom thanks are owed first of all on this day. A suggestion for the back: the verse, beneath it "In memory of my First Holy Communion", the first name, the date and the name of the church.
Does a First Communion favour have to be expensive?
A First Communion favour does not have to be expensive. According to St Thomas Aquinas, gratitude repays according to one's own means, and where the means are lacking, the will to repay is already enough. A printed holy card with a psalm verse is therefore a full and proper thank-you.
Thomas writes that one repays secundum suam facultatem, according to one's own means (S. th. II-II, q. 107, a. 2). If someone cannot give back more, the will to repay is already sufficient for gratitude: sufficeret ad gratitudinem recompensandi voluntas (q. 106, a. 6 ad 1); for the gratitude that is owed, sola voluntas, the will alone, suffices (q. 107, a. 1 ad 2).
This calls for a frank word about our range. We do not stock holy cards ourselves; you can get them from a shop selling devotional items or have them printed with name and date. Our paracord finger rosaries and key rings are handmade and are not bulk goods at the price of a little picture. For twenty or thirty guests they make a generous favour. A good solution is therefore a holy card for everyone and a finger rosary for the godparents and grandparents.
Should First Communion favours be blessed?
Rosaries, finger rosaries and medals should be blessed by a priest before they are given away. Any priest can bless them, except for reserved blessings. Once blessed, they are sacramentals, which the Church uses in order to obtain through her intercession effects chiefly of a spiritual kind.
This is laid down by the 1917 Code of Canon Law: any priest can impart blessings, except those reserved to the Pope, to bishops or to others (can. 1147 § 2). The Rituale Romanum lists the proper formula of blessing for the St Benedict medal among the blessings proper to the Benedictine Order (Propria Ordinis S. Benedicti); it is reserved to the order, so ask the priest about it.
Sacramentals are things or actions which the Church uses in order to obtain through her intercession effects chiefly of a spiritual kind (can. 1144). A blessed finger rosary therefore has no power of itself; what matters is the prayer of the Church and the devout disposition of the one who uses it.
In practice this means: take the favours to the priest all together a few days before the feast, for example after a Holy Mass. Blessed things are to be treated reverently and not put to profane use, even when privately owned (can. 1150). A sentence on the card helps the guests: "This rosary has been blessed."
We knot our paracord finger rosaries by hand from 4 mm 550 paracord. The spacing between the beads is knotted so that your thumb fits comfortably in between; for closer or wider spacing, write it in the order notes field when you order or send us an e-mail. The models in white and grey and in silver and black carry a Pardon Crucifix and a St Benedict medal.
The paracord key ring is 15 cm long, has a ring 3 cm in diameter and also carries the St Benedict medal. We supply the Combat Rosaries Compact in a linen pouch. If you have questions about our items or would like to enquire about individual designs, you are welcome to contact us.
For godparents and grandparents
Paracord finger rosary, white/grey
One decade in 550 paracord, 10 mm stainless steel beads, Pardon Crucifix and St Benedict medal.
View the finger rosary
For every day
Paracord key ring
Braided from 550 paracord, 15 cm long, with a St Benedict medal, in camouflage, olive or black.
View the key ring
Frequently asked questions about First Communion favours
When are First Communion favours handed out?
First Communion favours are usually handed out at the end of the celebration, when the guests are leaving, or they are laid beforehand at each place on the festive table. It is lovely when the child hands them over personally and says thank you.
Does every guest receive a favour?
As a rule every guest or every family receives a favour. If you wish to make a distinction, give everyone a holy card and, in addition, give something lasting to the godparents, the grandparents and the priest who gave the First Holy Communion.
What do you write on a card for the favour?
A card for the favour should carry a thank-you, the child's first name, the date and the church. A fitting verse is a word from Psalm 115: "What shall I render to the Lord, for all the things that he hath rendered to me?"
What do you give as a guest at a First Communion?
As a guest at a First Communion you give something that leads to prayer: a rosary, a cross for the child's bedroom or a holy card. Our guide to First Communion gifts covers this in detail.
- Thomas Aquinas: Summa theologiae II-II, q. 106, a. 1 and a. 6 ad 1; q. 107, a. 1 ad 2 and a. 2 (De gratia sive gratitudine), Leonine edition. corpusthomisticum.org
- Missale Romanum, 1962 edition, Ritus servandus in celebratione Missae, X, 4 and 5. archive.org
- Biblia Sacra Vulgata (Clementina), Psalm 115 (verses 12 and 13 at drbo.org). drbo.org
- German translation quoted in the German edition of this guide: Die Heilige Schrift des alten und neuen Testamentes, translated by Joseph Franz Allioli, vol. 3, Landshut 1839, Psalm 115, verses 3 and 4. archive.org
- Rituale Romanum, Editio quinta juxta typicam, Regensburg 1937, Benedictiones propriae no. 31: Benedictio numismatum S. Benedicti, Propria Ordinis S. Benedicti.
- Codex Iuris Canonici of 1917, can. 1144, 1147 and 1150. codex-iuris-canonici.de
- Featured image: André Devambez, La cena de primera comunión (The First Communion Dinner), c. 1918, Museo del Prado. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.
- MarcellusOnlineShop product information, as of 26 October 2026.
Last checked: 26 October 2026.
The MarcellusOnlineShop workshop
We knot our rosaries by hand in our workshop in Germany and write in our Guide about prayers, devotional items and the traditional Catholic faith.
.jpg){kind=link}