Madison Duddy
A Derry-based priest has dubbed First Communion celebrations as an “empty show” for many, as few children return to church after receiving the Sacrament.
Fr Paddy O’Kane of Holy Family Parish told this newspaper that many Communicants aren’t committed to the Faith and that the church-return rate afterwards is low.
His comments come after this past May marked a record high on Communion spending since 2011, where parents shelled out an average of €929 for their child’s day. The annual Ulster Bank Communion survey revealed that the surge in spending is mainly due to the costs of children’s clothes with additional boosts in expenses for after-parties and monetary gifts. Children also collected an average of €610, and one quarter received over €800.
Help
Although there is a decline in parents who feel pressured to spend as much as other parents, one in 10 still claim they had to seek help from family to pay for their child’s Communion and a smaller number say they subsidised the event through loans.
Fr O’Kane said that he and other priests try to convince parents to spend less money on Communion celebrations, but parents are “adamant” to continue the practice. He added that a more pressing matter is the “lack of commitment” from children receiving the Sacrament, noting that only 10% of Communicants return to church.
“My main concern is the fact that the First Communion has just become a First Communion,” he said, adding that “for so many [it] has just become an empty show”.
Fr O’Kane added that sacramental preparation is the responsibility of parents and parishes, and should no longer be a school event.
“I think it should be taken out of the schools and, like the way they have it in US, become a Sunday-school thing and then get the committed parents to be teachers.”