Wexford priest warns mass is ‘not optional’ for Confirmation parents

A parish priest in Wexford has called a meeting to discuss the non-attendance at mass of parents whose children are making their confirmation.

Father Patrick Banville wants the families of kids who are due to be confirmed in St Senan's parish in Enniscorthy this year to ensure they're going to mass regularly. He claims he has been "ignored" and that the majority of the children in question and their parents have not been attending since the start of the school year in September, reports the Irish Times. He's made it "abundantly clear" that "participation in Sunday Eucharist is not optional, it’s absolutely essential," he said in the weekly parish newsletter. "Unfortunately, whatever the reason, I have been largely ignored." "It seems the majority of parents have refused to enter the struggle to participate in Sunday Mass but they will still present their children for Confirmation in March." For many parents, mass is not valued, he continued, and their refusal to attend means the children's confirmations are "without a context." Given his concern, he wants to hear the thoughts of parishioners and has arranged a meeting for Thursday February 15 at the parish centre. "I’m going to open this question(s) to the people, indeed, to anybody with an interest," he concluded.