Last Saturday was a very special day some of us  parishioners, who
gathered together in Kirchberg to enjoy an unusual Christian experience.

It would be quite possible to spend some years, as many of us do,
working in the institutions which are sited on the plateau, and watching
the architecture evolve, without ever being aware that below the
Philharmonie, down the hill to the south, there is a seminary, whose
chapels and meeting rooms are ideally suited to Christian purposes,
which is set in very extensive wooded country, equally suited to
rambles, peace, reflection and prayer.

This was the perfect place for the pre-Advent retreat, which was
attended by 13  of us who enjoyed the opportunity
of learning, discussion, peace and prayer which the retreat provided.
Its theme was Advent, and the conferences, discussions, prayer and
meditation were centred around the theme of renewal, and the liturgy of
the Sundays of Advent (and particularly of the imminent first Sunday).

To this end we were fortunate to have Père Maurice Gilbert, who is a
member of the Society of Jesus (and an Old Testament scholar) as retreat
leader; his reflections, stimulation and (occasionally) provocation, to
use his own word, gave the happy few much to think of, to think about
and to pray about. For this participant at least, there was enough
material in these sessions to ensure that the times of silent
reflection, reading and prayer woven into the programme passed without
dragging, even though such things are not so common in our everyday life.

It should be so; the very term “retreat” implies an unusual withdrawing
from those preoccupations which fill our minds during the days of our
ordinary live. The final Mass (of the first Sunday of Advent) in the
evening, celebrated in the intimate surroundings of the chapel, was an
appropriate and peaceful culmination to an unusual and enriching day.

Many thanks to Marcella McCarthy for organising this enriching day, and
bringing us all together to enjoy it.

Colin Buckland

If you’re looking for a practical, helpful way to spend Christmas. The Redemptorists in Ireland, in collaboration with our African confreres, are running a gift scheme. Details here.

Aid in Europe: Our parish has been very generous in supporting worthy projects in, amongst other places, South America and Africa. For the four Sundays of Advent we are looking a little closer to home: to European countries where people are struggling with crippling debt.

There will be a retiring collection in SS Peter & Paul & St Alphonse each Saturday evening/Sunday morning which will be in support of 4 aid organisations, working respectively in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. The donations collected will be send directly by the parish to the organisations, which are: The Red Cross (Spain), The Red Cross (Portugal), SOS Children’s Villages (Greece),  and The Red Cross (Italy). All of these organisations are providing aid to their own citizens, and our contributions will be for these home projects.

Of course, if you wish to give to one or more particular organisation, rather than all four, simply put your offering in an envelope marked accordingly and your donation will be allocated as requested. This is a free-will collection, and no-one should feel under any pressure or obligation to contribute. Fr Ed

UPDATE: SUNDAY 2 DECEMBER, YOU GAVE €820. This amount will be forwarded to the Red Cross in Spain, which for the first time is directing aid towards domestic Spanish causes as well as to causes abroad. Many thanks for your continued generosity.

Introduction delayed one week — apologies! The missals/leaflets should be with us in time for this coming Sunday, 8/9 December, and catechesis at the beginning of Mass will commence then.

Sunday 2 December is the First Sunday of Advent, and is traditionally the beginning of the Church’s year. On that day, we will move to the revised English translation of the Mass both at SS Peter & Paul, and St Alphonse.

In terms of practicalities, there are not many changes in the peoples’ responses, but inevitably the changes will take some time to get used to. From the outset, we will have laminated cards with the Ordinary of the Mass (which includes the regular prayers which don’t change from week to week) available for all. Additionally, new Sunday Missals will be available for sale at €25 (substantially discounted by Redemptorist Publications, UK). The old Sunday Missals will continue to be available for those who wish to use them to follow the readings each week, which have not changed; of course, the prayers and responses will all be according to the new translation.

Over the next few months, we will have talks, workshops and times of reflection to take us deeper into the mystery at the heart of our faith. Each Mass, beginning on Sunday, will begin with a 5 minute catechesis on successive parts of the Mass. Further events will be announced as soon as possible. The changeover presents us with an opportunity to rediscover the richness of the Roman Rite, the ancient, poetic and profound texts of our Eucharistic liturgy, and we will make the most of it.

Fr Ed