24th August 2024

Dear Parents / Guardians,

I write to you at the beginning of this school year in relation to the Registration & Request of your child for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in 2025. The Home, the School and the Parish have vital roles to play in the faith formation of your child. Only children baptised as Roman Catholic can make the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. We recognise that children may be baptised in another Christian Church / Denomination who will not be receiving First Holy Communion.

With First Reconciliation (First Confession) and First Holy Communion your child will come to know Jesus in a new way. As Roman Catholic parents you presented your child for Baptism. On that day your child was welcomed into the Faith Community of the Roman Catholic Church and the life of grace. The Rite of Baptism emphasises how parents are the first teachers / educators of their children in the ways of faith. A child’s faith grows where there is faith expressed in prayer and good works.

Your child’s preparation with the ‘Grow in Love’ Religious Education Programme has been ongoing and I wish to acknowledge the work of the teachers in our Parish School of Scoil Carmel.

All Registrations & Requests for First Reconciliation (Confession) and First Holy Communion are made only online by means of a Registration & Request Form directly to the Parish. I wish to thank Scoil Carmel, for sending this letter to you, with the link to the Registration & Request Form. In some family situations, both parents / guardians may wish to ‘Submit’ a Registration & Request Form with your contact details. Please ‘Submit’ this Registration & Request Form immediately or at the very latest by 20th September 2024. (Link at bottom of this page.)

Your child’s Baptismal Certificate from the Parish of Baptism will be needed, as evidence of a Roman Catholic Baptism. If you do not have a copy of the Baptismal Certificate, please contact the Parish of your child’s Baptism for a Baptismal Certificate immediately. For children Baptised in the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Firhouse, we will check the Baptismal details of all children Baptised in the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Firhouse. If by any chance your child has not received the Sacrament of Baptism, you should contact immediately the parish you are living in to arrange their Baptism.

Please do not give the Baptismal Certificate to the class teacher but directly to me by email attachment or drop it into the Parish Office between 9.30 am – 4 pm where a photocopy will be taken of it. If you wish to email me the Baptismal Certificate, use the email address firhouseparishsaf@gmail.com to send a scanned copy or a photo of the Baptismal Certificate to me directly. As the Registration & Request Form requires you to give me a contact email address, I will be able to contact you by email if I need to.

We are asking each family to contribute a donation of €20 to meet the running cost of the Parish and Administration involved in preparing for the celebration of the Sacraments. If this request causes any hardship, please email firhouseparishsaf@gmail.com where all will be dealt with in confidence.

I will be in touch with you in due course about a Preparation Meeting for all parents / guardians of those who have submitted the Registration & Request Form for their child preparing to make their First Holy Communion in 2025. I encourage you, either in your own Parish or another Parish, to partake in Saturday Evening or Sunday Mass, as your family, with your child, prepare to celebrate First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.

Please complete and submit the Registration & Request Form on this link:

2025 Firhouse First Holy Communion Registration Form Scoil Carmel

With every good wish.

Peter J Reilly

Fr Peter Reilly PP