Dear parents,
I hope that you are well. The children and teachers in 6th class are making their final preparations for the celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation this Saturday the 2nd April.
The priests in the parish and the parish team have put in a huge amount of work in recent weeks organising Confirmation Masses across the combined Huntstown / Blakestown / Mountview parishes and planning we are grateful to them for their work.
Confirmation for the pupils of Mary, Mother of Hope School will be celebrated across two masses on Saturday.
Times for Confirmation Masses
There will be two Masses on the day, with two classes at each Mass, at the following times:
Mr. Nolan’s class and Ms. Leech’s class at 12 o’clock
Ms. Clerkin’s class and Mr. Curtin’s class at 2 o’clock
Covid-19 Prevention Measures in place
As you are no doubt aware, cases of Covid-19 are exceptionally high at the moment, and this is having a significant impact on the running of the school. The parish team has asked me to inform parents that the celebration of Confirmation will be organized with a number of Covid-19 prevention measures in place.
These include the following provisions:
· No more than 4 people in the Confirmation party:
o 1 Confirmation candidate
o 1 Sponsor
o 2 Parents
· Masks must be worn by adults in the church at all times while inside the church
· No other family members can be facilitated in the church on the day
Bring a Candle for the Ceremony of Light
The Confirmation ceremony will incorporate the Ceremony of Light. Please make sure to bring a candle with you to the ceremony. If you do not have a candle to bring with you, the parish team will provide you with one on the day.
No Photographer on the Day
As we have two Confirmation Mases on the day, we will not be able to facilitate a formal photographer at the church. Parents are asked not to take photographs during the Confirmation Mass, but are welcome to take photos in the church after the ceremony. We would ask you not to delay in the vicinity of the church grounds after the Mass is ended, as we need to make preparations for the next celebration.
In this regard, we plan to bring a photographer to the school before the end of the school year to get a whole-class photograph of all our 6th class children ahead of graduation. We will have more information on this nearer the time.
Spiritual Retreats a huge Success
I am delighted that the children making their Confirmation were able to take part in a spiritual retreat ahead of Confirmation Day. This is the first time we have had school retreats in Mary, Mother of Hope Senior school and we are delighted how well they have been received by pupils and teachers alkie. The final retreat was held today for Ms. Clerkin’s class. We believe the retreats have added hugely to the children’s preparations for Confirmation and I am very grateful to Br. Martin who facilitated the retreats for the children in our school.
Arrangements for Next Monday, the 4th April
Children will be in school for the full day next Monday, the 4th April. Their teachers will organise a number of fun activities for the all the children in 6th class throughout the day to mark their hard work prior to Confirmation. This includes art, baking, IT and sports activities. They will also have a pizza party in the course of the day. We hope that our children will enjoy the day- and we are very grateful to the staff in the school for organising these activities.
We wish all of our children the very best in their continued preparations for Confirmation. We hope that it is a special an memorable day for them and their families.
If you require any further information, please let me know.
Warmest regards,
Enda McGorman
