Dear Parent/Guardian
Re Confirmation 2020
We were all very disappointed that due to the Covid-19 virus restrictions our parish Confirmation ceremony could not take place last May. Unfortunately, the present situation shows no signs of coming to an end in the near future, and it is impossible to know when our usual Confirmation ceremony could take place.
My colleagues and I have discussed the matter with our Parish Pastoral Council, and also spoken with a small number of parents from each school involved to get their views. There was a strong consensus that if at all possible Confirmation should take place before the young people involved began secondary school.
The only way that this can happen is to have a number of separate Confirmation ceremonies in August. As we have over 200 young people in the parish who applied for Confirmation last October, we will need to have nine different ceremonies which will be divided according to school and class. You will find the details on the accompanying information sheet.
Our Bishop will not be present at any of these ceremonies, but has given permission for Confirmation to be administered by the priests of the parish. Numbers will also be severely restricted due to government limits on the number of people allowed at indoor gatherings. At present with only 50 people allowed, each young person being confirmed could only have one other person with them. This may change before the dates of our ceremonies, but we must be prepared for the possibility that it won’t.
I am enclosing an information sheet with some other points regarding the ceremonies as well as a reply slip (page 3 of this document) which must be returned by Friday August 7th at the latest. If we do not receive a reply slip from you we will assume your child will not be coming forward for Confirmation this year and there will be no place reserved for you on the day.
I know this is not what you would have wanted for your child’s Confirmation but I ask you to understand that in the present circumstances it is the best that we can do.
With best wishes,
Monsignor Jim Killeen, Parish Priest.
Confirmation 2020 Information Sheet
Dates are as follows:
MONDAY AUGUST 17TH: SCOIL BRIDE:
1PM MRS MACKESSY 3PM MRS BRAZIER 5PM MS COFFEY/MRS AHERN.
TUESDAY AUGUST 18TH: GAELSCOIL MAINISIR NA CORANN
2PM MUINTEOR CAOIMHE 4PM MUINTEOR KATIE.
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19TH: MIDLETON CBS
2PM MUINTEOR EOGHAN 4PM MUINTEOR BREANDAN.
THURSDAY AUGUST 20TH
2PM MIDLETON EDUCATE TOGETHER 4PM BALLINTOTIS NS, ST JOHN THE BAPTIST.
- There will be no choirs or congregational singing at these ceremonies.
- There will be no practices for the ceremonies.
- A parent may stand in for a sponsor. This means that the sponsor need not be present at the ceremony but is named as sponsor in the parish records.
- Those being confirmed are not obliged to wear school uniforms, but can do so if they wish. They can also wear the uniform of their secondary school if they have it, or dress appropriately for the ceremony.
- The reply slip must be returned by the due date to ensure a place is reserved for you in the church on the day.
- Young people and those with them will be directed to their seats on the day and must sit in the seats allocated to them.
- The present government guidelines only allow 50 people at an indoor gathering regardless of the size of the building. This means that each person being confirmed can only have one person with them. If the number allowed changes to 100 before the ceremony, each young person will be able to have three people with them. Please note that there can be no exceptions to these regulations.
The reply slip is on page 3 of this document. Please post or drop in this form to Confirmations, Holy Rosary Parish Office, St Mary’s Road, Midleton, before Friday August 7th. Do not send by email as we are having problems with emails at present. If we do not receive a reply slip from you we will assume you do not wish to take part in the ceremony and a place will not be reserved for you.