Priests and parishes are busy with the “huge task” of rescheduling thousands of First Communions, with social distancing doubling the number of ceremonies involved.

It remains unclear if children making their First Communion will have to wear masks.

One Dublin priest told the Irish Independent that the current guidelines suggest wearing a mask, but added: “We haven’t directly suggested to parents or children that they should wear one. We leave it up to individuals to choose”.

Fr Gerry Corcoran is moderator of four parishes in Donaghmede-Clongriffin-Balgriffin. In Holy Trinity parish in Donaghmede, there are 210 children for holy communion and 168 for confirmation from the parish’s seven schools.

Fr Corcoran stressed that the ceremonies would be “minimalist”, with no choirs, reduced in size and with everyone carefully socially distanced within the church in compliance with Covid-19 restrictions.