Local Bishops say safety is paramount as all outstanding communion and confirmation celebrations remain on hold for now.
A small number of confirmation ceremonies had gone ahead before restrictions were introduced back in March but it looks like the rest will have to wait.
Bishop of Ossory Dermot Farrell says it’s unlikely they will happen this summer:
My best judgement on it is I don’t see anything happening this side of the autumn, the reality is, social distancing is going to be with us for some time, there’s no way of sugar coating this, until we effectively get a vaccine we will have social distancing and in that scenario it will be very difficult to hold either first communion or confirmation ceremonies”.
Meanwhile the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin says it’s a difficult time for families with the restrictions around funerals.
Bishop Denis Nulty says they have to stick to the guidelines but it’s not easy on those who are grieving:
“We need to keep the regulations right, ten people maximum at a funeral, its very difficult, we even have a couple of parishes in our diocese where they do not have funeral ceremonies, it’s a local decision, they go directly to the cemetery and the families are happy with that”
“Its a difficult time for families, and as someone said to me, it’s a lousy time to die, we do funerals very well in Ireland, there’s a certain culture to it, and we lose a little bit of that in a time like this”
