Priests' group calls for sacraments to be held outside of school time

A priest in Co Laois says it also offers the child an opportunity to decide against making their communion or confirmation without being the odd one out in class.

A group representing more than 1,000 priests has called for communion and confirmation preparatory classes to be moved out of school hours.

The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) claims the current situation sees many children making their communion or confirmation without attending Mass at other times.

“Children are presented for both sacraments even though many of them rarely, if ever, attend any celebrations of the Eucharist, either before or after the big day,” they said.

Fr Paddy Byrne from Abbeyleix in Co Laois says these preparatory classes would offer children an opportunity to decide against making their communion or confirmation without being the odd one out in class.

"In a culture where there's choice, where people make their own decisions, I'd be very respectful of that," Fr Byrne said.

"I think a lot of children feel they don't have the choice because it's a collective thing ... and I don't think that has done us any favours in terms of evangelisation."

'One-day wonder'

Fr Byrne said he was aware some parents might opt out of presenting their child for the sacraments if preparatory courses were moved out of schools but has warned the sacraments are becoming superficial in nature, and have been reduced to a "one-day wonder".

He said the meaning of these sacraments was being lost.

"I think maybe perhaps as a church yearning to rejuvenate itself to have some hope for its future, we need to take these occasions more responsibly," he said.

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Meanwhile, a parenting expert said parents who are not committed to teaching their children about the sacraments should not be going ahead with them at all.

Laura Erskine said: "I think the entire family needs to be bought into the faith and if families are unwilling to take the time out to do that privately together if it's not part of the school curriculum, then I'm not sure that they're as devout as they might think they are."