FIRST HOLY COMMUNION 2027

If you wish to register your child for FIRST HOLY COMMUNION in 2027 please read this letter and fill out the online REGISTRATION form (details below). God’s blessings on you and your family as you prepare your child for two important sacraments—First Confession and First Holy Communion—in the coming months.

Dates of First Holy Communion Ceremonies: [1.5.27 Holy Family] [1.5.27 St Martin’s Kilworth] [8.5.27 Grange] [8.5.27 St Joseph’s in Queen of Peace church] [15.5.27 Clondulane in Queen of Peace church] [22.5.27 Gaelscoil de hÍde] [22.5.27 Araglin]. Fermoy schools will use St Patrick’s church, Fermoy, except for those indicated. Kilworth and Araglin schools will use their own local churches. Time: 11am.

Dates of First Confession Ceremonies: These will take place in spring (usually in Feb), on a midweek evening, and will be held in a church. The exact dates will be confirmed later.

The task of preparing your child for receiving these sacraments is divided in the following three ways:
1. You the parents – you are the first teachers of your child in the ways of faith,
2. The child’s school teachers,
3. The parish, as led by the clergy.
The role of the school teacher (No. 2 above) is ongoing and we are grateful to our schools for the support that they give. However, in order that No. 1 (the role of the parent) and No. 3 (the role of the parish) are aided, Fermoy/Kilworth/Araglen Parishes are running a series of PREPARATORY SESSIONS that we would like you and your child to engage with.

Those baptised outside of Fermoy/Kilworth/Araglen will need to contact the parish of baptism and request a baptismal certificate. Please post a copy of this certificate to Fermoy Parish Centre, Monument Hill, Fermoy, Co Cork, P61PT68, or the Parish Office Kilworth (Parochial House, P61DE28). If this applies to you, please go about obtaining the certificate as soon as possible e.g in the next few weeks. When you have obtained the baptismal certificate, it be sent to info@fermoyparish.ie. You may proceed with the online registration (see link below) even while you are waiting for the certificate to arrive.

Please see the table below which indicates the dates on which CLERGY, PARENT(S) and CHILDREN will meet for sacramental preparation.

Details of Preparatory Sessions:

Sunday 22nd Nov: ICON SUNDAY NUMBER 1 at any of our churches
Monday 23rd Nov at Fermoy Community Youth Centre, Ashe Quay, Fermoy (P61 TK73) 7.30pm
– – –
Sunday 13th Dec: ICON SUNDAY NUMBER 2 at any of our churches
Monday 14th Dec at Fermoy Community Youth Centre, Ashe Quay, Fermoy (P61 TK73) 7.30pm
– – –
Sunday 17th Jan: ICON SUNDAY NUMBER 3 at any of our churches
Monday 18th Jan at Fermoy Community Youth Centre, Ashe Quay, Fermoy (P61 TK73) 7.30pm
– – –
Sunday 7th Mar: ICON SUNDAY NUMBER 4 at any of our churches
Monday 8th Mar at Fermoy Community Youth Centre, Ashe Quay, Fermoy (P61 TK73) 7.30pm
– – –
Monday 26th April at 7:30pm (All Schools in Fermoy/Kilworth/Araglen will do an in-church session at St Patrick’s Church Fermoy….everyone together in the same church)

ICON SUNDAY: When you attend Mass in any of the churches in Fermoy/Kilworth/ Araglen on that Sunday morning (or vigil the evening before) you will collect a gift for your child, a beautiful icon. There will be a set of 4 icons given as gifts over the four Sundays.

In the Youth Centre sessions, we will provide you, the parents, with instruction and guidelines related to your child’s preparation for the sacraments.

This COURSE also involves equipping you with a beautifully illustrated book called “My First Holy Communion” – see photos below – which will help you, as parent(s), to engage in “home-activity” with your child between the preparatory sessions and in preparation for the sacraments. We will also supply a parent guidebook. We will deliver the materials to you when you attend the Monday 23^rd Nov (see table above). The overall cost of the programme is 10 Euro, covering all materials which you may bring to the first Youth Centre session (see date above).

Yours in Christ, Frs Boyle, Roche, Biletskyy, Rev McCarthy.

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