The celebration of First Holy Communion is one of the annual highlights of our parish life, and is a joyful, life-giving event in our community. Fittingly, our next celebration will be on May 29th 2016, the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ.

Registration for First Holy Communion classes for candidates wishing to make their Communion next year (May 29th 2016) is on Sunday 18 October after the 11:15 Mass, in the parish meeting room (the opposite side of the garden/parking to the church.

To be clear at the outset, to be eligible:

• A child must be 8 years old by 01 January 2016
• Present their certificate of Baptism on application
• Be a member of the English-speaking Catholic community (i.e. attend the English-speaking Mass at St Alphonse)
• Attend the preparation classes
• Complete the application process in time for the start of classes on 25 October
• Parents must be willing to be involved in some classes or in some aspect of preparing for the celebration on May 29th

Any exception to the conditions above must be agreed by Robert Foley, the organiser of the FHC programme, and myself. These conditions are in place to help both the preparation and the FHC Mass run smoothly, to assist the organiser and catechists in their responsibilities, and to ensure the best preparation and experience for all the children and parents involved.

A special website has been set up with all relevant information — I’ll post the address later this week.

Thank you,

Fr Ed

Ministry of Readers

If you are on the Readers’ rota, you will have received the following email from Caren Baviera, the Co-ordinator. This is a reminder regarding dates, times, and letting Caren know which of the meetings you will be attending. The input will be spiritual and practical. I hope you can come! Thanks, Fr Ed.

“Dear Readers,
In October, there will once again be an opportunity for “old” and new readers to get together for a brief refresher/induction meeting. Two alternative dates are proposed: Saturday, October 3^rd  or Saturday, October 17^th. The venue is St Alphonse, in the room where the children’s liturgy takes place. Starting time is 10am sharp, and the duration will  be about 45 minutes. We would particularly like to hear from you about any issues you might have with the way we handle the  reading ministry. I do hope that you will all be able to come to one of these sessions – we have always found them inspiring and helpful in the past, and I am sure that Fr Ed will pull out all the stops to make sure that it is so this time around, too!

Over the next few weekends, Fr Ed will be mooting the idea of having the Prayers of the Faithful being prepared by the faithful rather than by the celebrant, during the Advent season. He will be announcing two information meetings on the subject, at 11am on the same dates, and at the same venue,  as the readers meetings above. These meetings are open to all, not just to readers, as the two functions would be quite independent (though I would be organising a roster for each). However, I do hope that some of you may be interested in taking part in this exercise, or at least in finding out more about it. So do please feel more than welcome to attend both!

I’d be grateful if you would let me know in advance whether you can attend a readers’ meeting on 3^rd or 17^thOctober or not; and specify if for the Prayers of the Faithful meeting as well.

Archbishop Hollerich has issued a Pastoral Letter to be read out in all parishes this weekend, September 19th-20th. In it, he urges us, as part of the Church in Luxembourg, to respond wholeheartedly to the plight of refugees fleeing their homeland and looking for sanctuary in Luxembourg. The letter can be found here (English, unofficial translation) and here (French, official version). As a parish community we will certainly respond positively to the archbishop’s appeal. Please study the letter, decide what you might be able to contribute, and contact me.

Thanks,

Fr Ed.

Robert is a teacher of Philosophy and Religion from Croatia, and has come to Luxembourg to look for work. Currently he has nowhere to stay, and therefore can’t apply for a job in school. He speaks Croatian, German, Italian and English, and has his passport and other papers. He needs somewhere to stay for a maximum of one week. Can you help, either directly or by putting the word around? If you’d like to know more, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Update 29 September

Sincere thanks to the families that have opened their homes and offered Robert hospitality — they are putting the gospel into action. This appeal is now closed.

Thanks,

Fr Ed

Clare Donegan, a long-standing member of our parish, is now offering piano lessons in Luxembourg. I am happy to recommend Clare, and to publish the details she has submitted:

PIANO LESSONS
Piano lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, including musical theory.

Contact Clare Donegan by phone between 6pm and 8pm on weekdays at 452908, or by email

Fr Ed