On Saturday last (16th April) we had our latest training session for altar servers. Ranging in age from teenagers to First Holy Communion age (8), 14 members of our team came together. We began with an A – Z of Sunday Mass: how we prepare the church for Mass, the entrance procession, general comportment, the Offertory, the Eucharistic Prayer and Holy Communion, the recessional procession, and after-Mass duties.

Our servers are very engaged, enthusiastic, and curious — always wanting to find out more about the ministry they exercise, and keen to move to the ‘next step’ – doing something they haven’t yet done (candle-bearer, thurifer, boat-bearer, cross-bearer, missal-bearer, Senior server etc). Our aim is that each server will be able to step into any role as circumstances demand.

We had planned to have a long training session in the church, but due to a choral rehearsal, we had to wait 40 minutes (due to my double-booking the church). As it turned out, the 40 minutes was very profitable — the weather was good, the children and older servers played various demanding and energetic schoolyard games in the garden: what actually was essentially a superb team-building exercise. It was gratifying to see all the servers, from youngest to oldest, becoming even more a team. The senior members were including and encouraging the younger members, who in turn were looking to them for leadership and guidance.

The session in the church covered practicalities: even when you’re enthusiastic, don’t run; work as a team, not as competitors; look to the senior servers to remind you what you should be doing; say the prayers and sing, along with the congregation; help each other both before and after Mass — and so on.

Pizza afterwards was both a lure and a reward, and it was good that parents of servers shared the meal.

We are richly blessed to have so many keen, committed servers: it was pointed out to them that they are an important sign of the life of our parish, and one which we never take for granted. Visitors comment on the music, the numbers of people at Mass, the internationality of our community, the numbers of babies, infants and young families — and on the (very visible) presence of, and number of, our servers.

Teresa Rubaek organised the half-day meeting, and is now in process of organising the next day out (probably to Walligator. New servers (aged 8 – 80) always welcome!

Fr Ed

‘Mary, flower of paradise’
Today, Sunday 17th April, 17:00 in the church of St Alphonse,
The Art of Music 

The Art of Music are well known in Luxembourg for their superb renditions of Early and Renaissance polyphony, are today presenting a concert of choral music by great composers of polyphony — in particular, compositions in honour of the Virgin Mary.

Entrance: €15/10

More details, including the programme, can be found here: The Art of Music – Mary, flower of Paradise

Fr Ed

A message from Robert Foley, our Catechist’s Co-ordinator:

Just a quick reminder that there is class this Sunday 17^th April at 10 am the usual place.

There is no 11:15 MASS (The Parish is PARTICIPATING IN THE MASS OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE CATHEDRAL AT 10:30, CELEBRATED BY THE ARCHBISHOP)

so the children will have stay in the classroom until the Parents return from the Cathedral +/- 11 45 am to pick-up their child

Regards

Robert

A young couple from our parish are looking for a baby-sitter for their 2 year-old son. The couple live in Belair. If you know someone suitable and available, please contact me and I will pass on your email to the couple.

Thanks,

Fr Ed

The Archbishop forwarded the following message to me, asking for follow-up. Unfortunately we have no English-speaking Mass on Sunday 17th April (and the Vigil Mass doesn’t offer the same possibilities for conversation afterwards). Any suggestions as how we can follow up on this?

Thanks,

Fr Ed

‘Très humblement permettez-moi de prendre contact auprès de vos services
afin de vous informer de le venue de deux chrétiens de LAHORE au
Luxembourg du Mercredi 13 Avril au 19 avril 2016 afin de participer a
un séminaire sur l¹éducation à la Paix et aux valeurs morales.

Je m¹appelle Bernadette Hoffmann et suis moi-même de confession
Chrétienne et,qui suis plus assidûment le pape François 1er dont j¹ai
lu et pu apprécié l¹immense richesse et l¹indéniable puissance et
vérité du message porté par Son l¹Encyclique ».

J¹aurais souhaité faciliter une rencontre pour ces deux personnes avec
des fidèles de langue anglaise afin d¹établir un échange, mais j¹ignore
les possibilités sur Luxembourg,car je suis française.

Dans ce contexte assez vague, je me tourne vers vous dans l¹espoir
d¹une guidance ou d¹une ouverture m¹informant de lieux ou de temps de
rencontres existant sur le diocèse,, d¹autant qu¹une visite de la
cathédrale est envisagée le jeudi 14 Avril.

Je vous remercie d¹avoir pris le temps de prendre connaissance de ma
requête et vous présente à l¹avance mes excuses si ma démarche est
quelque peu surprenante.

Je reste à votre entière disposition pour un complément d¹informations.

Je vous prie d¹agréer l¹expression de mes plus sincères et
respectueuses salutations.

Bernadette Hoffman