Two years after the last conferment of the sacrament of First Holy Communion at St Edward’s College, the celebration is back. Albeit in a somewhat muted form due to Covid-19 precautions and restrictions, this year’s celebrations are in ‘extra-large’ format. Not only are the Year 2s preparing for their big day but, also this year, some Year 3s are participating. This is because last year these parents opted out of their sons receiving First Holy Communion in the parishes or were not in a position to do so because of the pandemic. So their Big Day will be in the last weekend of May.
It will be a very busy weekend for Ms Stephanie as she marshals the troops successfully through a well rehearsed ceremony. And, when you see the sheer scale of the logistics involved both in getting the ceremony done in its original format , let alone with the added complications which COVID-19 has necessitated, the task becomes gargantuanly heroic. The teachers have gallantly taken everything in their stride to the extent that for the young boys, the excitement can still be read in their eyes, since the masks cover the rest of their little faces.
From his end, Fr Emmanuel Camilleri has been tireless in his availability to assist the boys in any way possible. During Mass, a simplified one, suitable for a young audience, Fr Manuel even showed the students excerpts of “The Chosen”, a drama series on the story of Christ. Innovativ masses indeed.
So, roll on next Saturday and Sunday for Forst Holy Communion at St Edward’s.