Parents are being told to put next year’s communion and confirmations on hold due to the uncertainty caused by Covid-19.
Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty is advising parents and schools not to set dates for the religious ceremonies in 2021 in an effort to avoid disappointment and rescheduling.
Bishop Nulty has issued a letter to the parents of children preparing to celebrate the events and to those still anxiously waiting to celebrate sacraments for this year.
He wants them to “avoid the uncertainty and rescheduling that characterised the last number of months.”
Covid-19 restrictions forced thousands of schools and parishes across the county to postpone Communions in 2020, some having to make the difficult decision to call off ceremonies more than once.
“There are still some families and parishes waiting to celebrate the sacraments. Given the current level of restrictions and the uncertainty around the virus, I am asking all parishes to postpone any further rescheduling of these sacraments until February/March 2021,” Bishop Nulty said in his letter.
He also advised parishes, families and schools beginning to plan how best to prepare next year’s children for the sacraments that it would be “in a very different context” and “will be different to previous years.”
Rescheduling
‘We will have to find new ways to make and maintain connections between families, parishes and schools; we will have to find new ways to shape our celebrations but, I am confident that together we can do this and do it well.
Bishop Nulty pointed out that everyone involved in such ceremonies that they, “must plan as realistically as possible for next year’s celebrations and try to avoid the uncertainty and rescheduling that characterised the last number of months.”
He confirmed that he has not set dates for Confirmations in 2021 and is asking parishes not to decide dates for 2021 sacraments until well into the year.
“I propose that all First Communions be celebrated beginning in May and Confirmations beginning in June,” he said.
He praised the efforts made by parishes to celebrate the sacraments despite all the challenges of 2020.
“As I travelled around the diocese over the past few months, it has been wonderful to see how well our parishes have prepared for public worship, to hear how lovely the ceremonies were, how nice it was to have smaller numbers present in the church and how important it was to have these celebrations for families.
“This year’s experiences of First Holy Communion and Confirmation have given us a glimpse into a new way of celebrating these sacraments, a simpler and perhaps more authentic way of meeting God in these sacred moments”.
