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23rd Jun 2021

HSE calls for cancellation of First Communions and Confirmations due to Delta Variant strain

Melissa Carton

Do you think communion and confirmations should go ahead?

Last year my son was one of the many children who had his communion cancelled and even though it’s a year since the pandemic first started, it looks like communions and confirmations might be cancelled this year too.

Many schools and churches have been playing it by ear when it comes to planning religious celebrations this year and now the HSE is calling for them to be cancelled (in certain areas) altogether.

Dublin Archbishop

The HSE has asked bishops to cancel First Communions and Confirmations in the Mid-West region amid Delta variant fears.

Under the Government’s lockdown reopening plan, First Communions and Confirmations were set to go ahead from July 5 but some schools are choosing to wait until the start of the new school term in the autumn to hold theirs.

The Delta variant however has many concerned, with even some talk of pushing back the reopening of restaurants and similar businesses next month.

Due to fear of this new variant the HSE are appealing for services like communion and confirmations to be postponed until after the summer is over.

While I can understand that services like communions and confirmations are not essential and can always be rescheduled for another time, I also understand what a blow this will be to parents and children who have been preparing all year.

Children in particular have missed out on a lot the last year and a half, haven’t spent most of the last two school years being schooled from home and having all after school activities and sports cancelled.

No doubt if communions and confirmations are cancelled for the summer they will be deeply disappointed.

At the moment there is no absolute decision regarding whether or not communions and confirmations will go ahead next month.