The Bishop Of Cork and Ross says he told parents not to buy First Communion outfits yet as it's simply not possible to set dates for ceremonies at the moment.
Bishop Fintan Gavin said setting provisional dates and postponing them is something that 'causes anxiety' for parents and children.
Last year saw many First Communions, First Confessions and Confirmations delayed or postponed as a result of the pandemic.
While priests managed to get through a 'considerable amount' of those, it wasn't possible to fit in all the ceremonies due to logistics and the various COVID-19 restrictions.
In a recent letter to local parents and guardians, Bishop Gavin suggested it was 'better not to purchase Communion outfits at this time'.
He told The Pat Kenny Show it was important to be clear with parents as schools reopened for younger children.
He said: “We’d had a number of requests from parents, schools and priests wanting to know should we set our dates.
“Having had the experience last year - where we had to postpone on a rolling basis - I just felt it was easier to say all we can say at the moment: it’s not possible to set dates.
“There’s nothing worse than the disappointment of building up to a day, and then discovering a few days before it can’t happen.”
Bishop Gavin said he'd love to think Communions will be possible during the summer, but it all depends on what's safe.
He said: "As we’ve learnt… every time you prepare you just don’t know.
“Could I say today ‘yes, it’s going to happen?’ I couldn’t.
“Until there’s some easing of restrictions, we won’t be able to plan for definite dates. The provisional dates last year caused anxiety.”
However, he said one of the positives from last year was that celebrations ended up being 'much simpler' than usual.
He observed: "We got back to the basics of what it really was about.
"The feedback from children and their parents and teachers was they were much more meaningful and wholesome celebrations."
