h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My boyfriends' Grandfather died about a month ago and I went to the funeral with him & his family. I am not particularly religious (as in churches & dogmas etc.), and my experience of Christianity is CofE...anyhow, like many Quebecois, my boyfriends' family are Catholics, so the service involved many things I had not experienced before - always interesting.
The whole service was in French so I found it doubly hard to completely understand everything, and was glad that there were no hymns to sing (there was a choir woman instead). However, it was slightly difficult with the prayers etc. Because I was with the immediate family I was seated in the front row, and as chance would have it, was the next to the aisle. The time came to take communion, something I have never done before & was uncertain about doing but thought I should out of respect.
I was the first in line, and uncertain of what to do. My boyfriend nudged me forwards, and the priest stood there with the host held out in his hand, waiting. Time seemed to stand still as I stood tehre immobile, wondering what I was supposed to do. The priest stared hard at me, his eyes seemed to bore into me. I had a vague notion from films and books that the priest placed the host on ones tongue. SO I opened my mouth...the priest looked pretty shocked, seemed to tremble a little, and put it on my tongue.
Thinking I had done well, and glad that the 'ordeal' was over, I went to sit down, when my boyfriend said "Why did you do that??" I looked aghast at everyone else receiving communion, holding their hands out to the priest for the host...
Oh dear, I am heathen.