Election weekend disrupts First Holy Communion plans

First Holy Communion celebrations have been thrown into disarray after Malta’s snap election was set for the same weekend.

Some parishes have changed the dates or times of the celebrations, while others have cancelled traditional processions.

The Archdiocese of Malta asked parish priests to ensure that the sacraments are administered by Sunday, May 31, at 11am – the day unofficial results start trickling in and general election celebrations kick off in the streets.

It left any adjustments to dates and times to the discretion of individual parishes, “according to their specific pastoral needs and circumstances”.

As a result, some parishes have kept their original plans, others have moved masses to earlier in the day, and some have postponed celebrations.

First Holy Communions are usually held in April, May and June, often on weekends after Easter Sunday.

They are typically celebrated by children aged between six and nine.

Dates are usually decided by individual parishes and published at the start of the school year.

The Archdiocese said it would only know how many children received their First Holy Communion on May 31 after ceremonies had taken place.

In Birkirkara, the parish church of St Helen kept its May 31 date but moved the mass from midday to 9.15am in line with the Archdiocese’s request.

Before the decision was announced, some parents had urged the parish to leave the programme unchanged, saying preparations had already been made.

Families said parties, food, drinks, souvenirs and appointments for hair and make-up had already been booked and paid for.

One father said he had cancelled his child’s party, despite invitations already being prepared, because he wanted to avoid problems linked to election day celebrations.

He said many people were likely to be checking their phones during mass as early counting indications began to emerge.

Others questioned whether it made sense for the children to be coming out of the church during election celebrations.

In Żurrieq, First Holy Communions due to take place on Saturday, May 30, polling day, will go ahead as planned. However, the Sunday mass has been moved from 4.15pm to 9am.

Some parents supported the decision to keep Saturday’s events unchanged, saying voting would not interfere with a church ceremony. Others questioned whether election weekend was an appropriate time for children to celebrate their First Holy Communion.

The Marija Addolorata Parish in St Paul’s Bay decided to keep the Saturday date but cancel the procession.

In Luqa, families have been offered two options. Those keeping the May 31 date will begin at 7.45am with photographs at the MUSEUM, followed by a shorter procession from the sacristy to the altar. 

The other alternative is June 7, with a longer procession from the MUSEUM to the church.

In Naxxar and Safi, the ceremonies have been brought forward to May 24.

Naxxar’s Kolleġġjata ta’ Marija Bambina said the decision followed discussions between the archpriest and his superiors, as well as consideration of parents’ suggestions.

“One of the reasons we chose this date was specifically because we wanted the First Holy Communion of children this year to be an occasion of happiness like it has always been,” it announced.

Other parishes decided not to change the date.

The Immaculate Conception parish of Ħamrun said the ceremony would still take place on May 31, but the walk from the MUSEUM would be cancelled and mass would start at 9am.

The parish said this would allow the celebration to end by 10.30am, leaving time for photographs.

Some parents criticised the decision, saying children should not lose the traditional procession because of the election.

One mother said she wanted the celebration to take place “with the procession and all”, while another described it as “a memory of their life”.

It was also pointed out that the church was located between two political clubs, and Ħamrun was chaotic at these times, so retaining the procession required changing the day.

The Attard parish also confirmed that the dates and times for the First Holy Communion would remain unchanged over that weekend, and all sessions and rehearsals would proceed as originally scheduled.

“We are committed to ensuring that this remains a peaceful and focused time for your children as they reach this beautiful milestone in their faith journey,” the parish said in a Facebook post.