Thank you to Teresa Rubaek for organising the sports day on 23 June. I was sorry not to be there (I was visiting my parents in Ireland) but an enjoyable afternoon was had by all. This will be the first of such events, all being well.

Fr Ed

Our weekly tea and coffee after Mass has been an invaluable part of our parish life, enabling people who often live many miles from each other to chat and exchange news. It serves another function too, one that is understated: the donations made at the coffee table are sent each year to help projects in Garango, Burkina Faso — this year alone we are sending €2,200. This service is possible as the result of the work of some, and the hard work of a few, led by Annette Power. Over the holiday period (specifically from 19 July to 13 September) we need volunteers to set up, serve and tidy up after coffee. Annette will be around for the next three Sundays to show any new volunteers the ropes.

If you are willing to help, please sign up for one or more Sundays using the form on the table at the back of church.

Thank you.

Fr Ed

My email access was restored on Wednesday (01 July) after several days of being blocked due to the servers at Post being hacked; the account is now inactive again for the third (and last time) in a month. I am in the process of looking for a new provider, and what is more significant, a new parish email address. I hope to keep the present address active for a 3-month transition period, and then cancel it altogether. Apologies if you can’t get through to me. For the time being, please feel free to contact me via my personal email address, until such time as my new parish address is up and running. This is so frustrating! I’m also available on 691 217 713.

Thank you for your patience.

Fr Ed

Today, Saturday 27 June, is the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Help). This feast is celebrated throughout the Catholic world, and the date is linked to the giving of the original icon into the care of the Redemptorists at the church of St Alfonso in Rome by Pope 150 years ago . The Redemptorists have declared this year 2015-2016 as a year of celebration for the sesquicentenary (there’s an unusual word!) of our guardianship and promotion of the icon and devotion to Our Lady under the title Perpetual Succour. We are working towards 27 June next year (2016) for a grand celebration, along with the rest of the Redemptorist world.

There are literally millions of copies of this icon: the copy entrusted to the Redemptorist community here at St Alphonse is No. 68 — one of the earliest in existence. Copy No. 1 is in the Pope’s private chapel; copy No. 2 is with the Redemptorist community in Liverpool, UK.

There is a (brief) but good commentary on the icon here, and of course the ever-useful Wikipedia provides a good overview here.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of this icon and its associated devotions everywhere. During the coming year, we hope to help restore the shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour here at St Alphonse; we intend to promote devotion to Our Lady under this title; and we plan to make available prayer cards and other devotional items to help us all rediscover the important part the Mother of God can play in our life of faith and devotion.

Fr Ed

Our Lady of Perpetual Succour: Pray for us.

I have just received a kind offer of 4 tickets for tonight’s Cathy Krier & Friends concert at Philharmonie. The tickets are free, and can be collected if you wish to use them. The concert looks interesting — unfortunately I’m not free to go myself. If you would like some/all of the tickets, please get in touch asap (call or text me on 691 217 713 — email is out of action).

Fr Ed