Next Sunday, 14th of January, marks the World Day for Migrants. There will be a Messe Intercommunautaire celebrated at the cathedral at 18:00. Members of our parish are involved in the liturgy. All are warmly invited to be present, praying for migrants, showing solidarity, and demonstrating our commitment to justice.

The flyer can be found here.

Thank you,

Fr Ed

Each weekend, I have to be very alert to keep track of all that is going on preparing for, and celebrating, our 3 English language Masses. I sat down to reflect why this might be the case, and quickly realised it’s the sheer scale of our operations. So I thought I’d put something down on ‘paper’ to help us grasp the huge level of involvement in our celebrations (and here I do not mention the immense amount of social justice and other engagement — they are for other postings).

A ‘snapshot’ of our 3 weekend Masses at St Alphonse, and what goes on behind the scenes…
Months in advance, rotas are published as to who will fulfil which ministries will be exercised during each Mass (Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, writers of Prayers of the Faithful, Altar Servers,  Children’s liturgy catechists, Music Group, Counters: so,

On Saturday evenings,

• there is a reader;
• there are 3 Eucharistic Ministers;
• someone has prepared the Prayers of the Faithful;
• there are collectors,
• an MC, altar-servers,
• and people who help tidy-up the church after Mass

esitmated general attenance, between 120 & 200 people

On Sunday mornings:

• Someone who prepares the gifts: chalices, hosts — 6 people for Offertory Procession, 4 collectors;
• Someone who organises Mass leaflets/Mass cards
• Someone who supervises parking
• Children’s Liturgy catechists (2+ people)
• Altar Servers (minimum 5, often 10+) with adults who supervise servers
• 2 Readers
• 7 Eucharistic Ministers
• Music Group (minimum 15) with technical assistants
• Children’s/Young person’s choir, rehearsal after Mass
• Money counting team (minimum 2 people)
• First Holy Communion catechists & parents, normally 5 or 6; this year, 50 children have classes during Mass
• Tea/Coffee team (normally minimum 4 people) serving refreshments, raising money for missionary projects
• Help putting everything away after Mass
• Priest (1)

estimated general attendance, between 600 & 700 people

On Sunday evenings (‘Quiet Mass’)

• Help with preparing for Eucharistic Adoration
• servers (between 2 & 4)
• 1 reader
• 3 Ministers of the Eucharist
• 2 Collectors
• Help putting everything away after Mass

estimated general attendance, between 120 & 200 people

If you want to check the numbers, see the rotas here on catholic.lu and come and count!

So many thank-yous to so many people!

Fr Ed

Confessions for Christmas After all English-speaking Masses this weekend, 2nd/3rd December, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is available.

Launching the year of Mark : Today, the First Sunday of Advent, we begin cycle ‘B’ of the Church’s year, focusing of the Gospel of St Mark. We are (ahem!) marking this event with two workshops, being give by Fr Brendan McConvery CSsR. Fr Brendan is the author of the popular book ‘How to read the Bible’ and will provide useful, prayerful insights as to how best to approach our most sacred texts. These workshops are being held on next Friday 8th December, 19:00-20:30, and next Saturday 9th December 10:00-11:30 here at St Alphonse, and are titled ‘How to read the bible, with reference to Mark’ and ‘What to look for in Mark’, respectively. More details to follow on catholic.lu.

Copies of St Mark’s gospel are available from the tea/coffee table, €2,50 each. Please avail of this all-too-rare opportunity to enter more deeply into the word of God in the gospels.

Members of our community, involved in ‘ The Asociation for Venezuela’ will be selling arepas (typical corn bread) next Sunday 3rd December after the 11:15 mass in the garden/parking meeting room at St Alphonse. The arepas will be accompanied by cheese, pork, other meats and salad. There will be cupcakes and juice for children also.

This is a good cause: a donation of €4,15 means that a child in Venezuela can be fed for a month — the scarcity of food means that Venezuela is the country with the highest average of infantile undernourishment.

W can eat and enjoy — all in a good cause.

Fr Ed