Planning is key for Confirmation and Communion day

THE day your son or daughter celebrates their Holy Communion and Confirmation is a special landmark in their lives.

Both days involve a lot of preparation and excitement in the build up and they mark your son or daughter’s growth in faith and love.

The day is a chance for families to come together and celebrate the child’s increased participation in a life of faith within the Catholic Church. First Communion is a ceremony during which a child first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in the Latin Church tradition of the Catholic Church, as well as in many parts of the Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion. In churches that celebrate First Communion, it typically occurs between the ages of seven and thirteen, often acting as a rite of passage.

Confirmation is not about maturity, it is about initiation. The average age for celebrating Confirmation in Ireland is 12 years. Parents would say that most young people of that age are not fully mature by the date of their Confirmation. Vatican II revised the Rite of Confirmation giving special attention to the Sacraments of Initiation.

The revision shows the unity of Christian initiation affirming the link between Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Normally, the Sacrament of Confirmation takes place during the celebration of the Eucharist emphasising the unity of the three sacraments of Christian initiation.

To celebrate these special days, children need to be looking their best. Most girls love to dress up and many boys do too. Communion dress shopping is an exciting occasion. Between choosing the dress, shoes, bag, gloves, umbrella, veil, even a crown of flowers, there is great excitement when the outfit is finally assembled and modelled,

Boys will be perhaps less excited but will look super cute in a suit.

Then comes choosing the venue. The day is all about the child so you want somewhere that will feed them and keep them entertained. May venues in Co Wexford put on a disco or have child friendly facilities.

You also want a place that serves up a great meal and such venues are not to be found wanting in Co Wexford.

As the days tick closer to both ceremonies it’s time to get the skates on and the list done up of what you need to do to make your child’s Communion of Confirmation an extra special day; one they will remember with great fondness and affection for the rest of their life.