FIRST Communions will go ahead in Derry's Holy Family parish on Saturday despite the church being flooded in a thunder storm.
Parishioners worked throughout the day yesterday to restore Holy Family church after it was flooded in torrential rain on Tuesday evening.
Volunteers cleaned the church and industrial heaters were installed to dry the building out.
It was the second time the church had been flooded in recent years.
Parish priest, Fr Paddy O'Kane, pictured, said the church flooded in just four minutes on Tuesday evening.
Parishioners living close to the church rushed to the building to stem the flow of water with sandbags. "The water just comes down like a river and comes through the back door," he said.
Derry mayor Brenda Stevenson last night pledged the city council's support for the congregation at Holy Family. "It's very upsetting to see the level of damage caused to the Holy Family church in such a short space of time and my thoughts and prayers are with Fr Paddy and his congregation," the SDLP councillor said.
Despite the flood, services at the church were not interrupted and First Holy Communion for the children of Holy Family primary school will go ahead as planned at the church on Saturday.