One Limerick parish gets go ahead for Communions and Confirmations

ONE County Limerick parish has got the go ahead to start planning for First Holy Communions and Confirmations.

Ahane, Castleconnell and Montpelier parish is in the Killaloe diocese. It is the only parish in the county not in the Limerick diocese or the Cashel and Emly Archdiocese.

In an interview with RTÉ, Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan said he has directed parish priests in his diocese to go ahead with communions that were previously set to take place in mid-August.

"We have been obedient to government guidelines from the outset and safety is still paramount but now we're faced with a deluge of correspondence from parishioners who have had First Holy Communion dates postponed again and again.

"We are telling the priests in these parishes to 'fire ahead’ but to do so very carefully and we’re asking families to keep parties to a minimum," Bishop Monaghan told RTÉ.

The Leader has put in a query with the Limerick diocese to get the thoughts of Bishop Brendan Leahy.

A number of other senior clergy, including the Archbishop of Dublin, have given the green light to priests to organise First Holy Communions and Confirmations.