First Communions to take place this month in Longwood

Fr Michael Kilmartin, Parish Priest of Longwood and Killyon has confirmed that First Communion will take place in Killyon on 25th July and in Longwood on 4th and 5th September.

Confirmation will take place on Tuesday 4th August in Rathmolyon Church. There will be at least two ceremonies and confirmation will not be part of mass.

“In mid to late August I hope to start baptisms again in the parish, priority will be given to those whose baptisms were postponed last March,” he said.

“I have facilitated the rearrangement of wedding ceremonies in our parish. Five weddings were due to have taken place this year in our parish and these have been rescheduled for later in the year or have moved to 2021.”

Fr Kilmartin said that from the first Friday in September he hopes to be able to visit parishioners who wish him to call to their home.

“Each family will have to liaise with me on how my visit can take place under whatever guidelines are in place at that time.”

“I hope that the blessing of graves in August will be able to go ahead with everyone following the guidelines for outdoor gatherings of less than 500 people. Killyon ceremony devotions are due to happen at 5.30pm as part of mass on the feast of St Dominic, Saturday 8th August and Longwood graves will be blessed as part of mass on 15th August.

Fr Kilmartin points out that the dispensation from Sunday and Holy Day masses has been extended by the church authorities and any mass that a person attends during a week now fulfils the Sunday obligation.

“Our parish churches will have half the number of seats available for worship, mass and ceremonies. To respond to the restrictive yet necessary guidelines on churches I am putting on two extra weekly masses. Mass Times in Longwood will be at 7.15pm on Thursday evening; 7.15pm on a Saturday evening and 12 noon on Sunday morning. In Killyon there will be two masses on Saturday at 10.30am and 6pm. The Sunday morning mass remains at10.30am.

Fr Kilmartin said that as the parish had no income over the past four months it is struggling to survive and he encouraged parishioners to use the envelope system or to contribute online.

Pictured: Fr Michael Kilmartin with the Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan when the church in Longwood reopened after refurbishment.