Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy has announced that, subject to COVID-19 guidelines, First Holy Communions and Confirmations across the diocese will be celebrated from 1 July onwards.

While the dates for both will be made on a parish-by-parish level, Bishop Leahy said that all the indications now at a national level indicate that arrangements can be provisionally made for after June when schools have closed.

The Bishop said, “First Holy Communions and Confirmations are a special celebration for the child and their families and last year was really challenging as, like so much else in society, normal rules went out the window because of COVID. While a small number of Confirmations had been celebrated prior to the first lockdown it was really August before we were able to start having them.

“We can’t say now what that’s going to look like. At the moment, Churches are still closed for celebrations, but we hope and pray that this will ease and that people will be able to gather safely again. However, everything will be subject to public health guidelines. It’s right to be positive but there is still going to be uncertainty as we still have to watch out for infection rates.”

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