First Holy Communion

The occasion of a child's First Holy Communion is a wonderful opportunity for parents to deepen and reinvigorate their own faith. It can also be a graced moment of renewal for the broader parish community.

Diocesan Policy

Bishop Martin Drennan, after wide consultation, introduced a policy designed to ensure that our celebrations of First Holy Communion are faith-filled celebrations rather than merely social rites of passage. This policy will support parents as they try to live out the solemn promises they made at their child's baptism.

Each September the parents of children who wish to make their First Holy Communion will be required to make a formal request to their parish priest in that regard, using a standard enrolment form. They will be asked to provide a copy of their child’s baptism certificate. Parents will be asked to commit themselves to full participation in the related parish-based faith development programmes as a condition of acceptance.

From this 2008 forward, as a matter of unified policy, I am requesting every parish to provide in full the "Do This in Memory" parish-based programme for First Eucharist published by Veritas.

+ Martin Drennan
Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh,
Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora

Family Faith Development Team of the Pastoral Centre

The Galway Diocesan Pastoral Centre is happy to help parishes to prepare for First Holy Communion day in a way which will bear lasting fruit. We can advise parishes who are now launching the Do This in Memory programme for the first time. We can also provide a supplementary programme for parishes that want to offer parents a chance to deepen their understanding of the faith and to integrate it with good parenting skills.

Enrolment Forms

Enrolment forms can be downloaded below.