On the 1st Sunday of Advent (27th November) we introduced an additional Sunday Mass at 17:00, the ‘Quiet Mass’, allowing a more reflective celebration. I was hoping for an initial attendance of between 6 & 12 people, which we could then build up over the months. Consequently, I asked the organisers of the rotas for Readers and Eucharistic Ministers not to include this new Mass on their lists until we could see there was sufficient attendance to justify organising in advance. This evening there were over 70 people at the Quiet Mass, so the need is immediate and clear, although the new rotas have already been published.

So if you are a Reader or Eucharistic Minister and you are willing to read at the 17:00 Mass, could you sign up when you arrive on any particular Sunday evening? 2 Ministers and 1 reader should be enough each week, for the time being. Servers have also been expressing their interest in attending from time to time: all will be welcome (but not all together!).

As already announced, the Quiet Mass is at 17:00 every Sunday evening (including Christmas & New Year’s Day) until Easter, and then between Easter and October at 19:00.

Thank you for your continued enthusiasm and participation,

Fr Ed

The Jubilee Year of Mercy is officially over, but our celebration of mercy continues, year in, year out. We formally closed the Year in our parish with the celebration of individual Confession and Absolution. In a simple but moving manner, hundreds of our parishioners came forward to ask for God’s forgiveness — and received absolution and forgiveness from the Lord. This is but one of the fruits from this special year.

I have just read an excellent reflection by a  journalist on the Year of Mercy, which I share here.  (thank you, Gerry, for the link).

Fr Ed

Niall Mac Monagle, teacher, editor and art critic will launch his poetry anthology
Windharp – Poetry of Ireland since 1916 and speak on the painting Une ferme à Pont-Aven by Roderic O’ Connor in the presence of the Irish Ambassador to Luxembourg H.E. Peadar Carpenter

at Chapter 1 The Book Loft  40, rue des Bruyères – L-1274, Howald, Luxembourg

Friday, 9^th December from  6h30pm to 8h30pm

Complimentary drinks and canapés  Music by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, Lucsamburg

 AFTERWARDS…

retire to ÉireLux, new Irish pub for ceol agus craic

 Please register using the link below RSVP by 5^th December

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c44aaa622a1ff2-apoem

programme-here

Received recently:

I am writing from Canada and am hoping that you may be able to help me.
(I found your name on-line on the site for St. Peter and Paul church on rue de Hollerich in Luxembourg City, and it sounded like you understood English.)

I am doing some research on my Bregenzer relatives that at one time lived in Mensdorf, Luxembourg. By 1910, all my relatives with the Bregenzer last
name had emigrated from Luxembourg to North America. Recently, I have received a number of old photos from a distant Bregenzer relative in Chicago.
There is writing on the back of some of the photos that indicate that sometime after 1910, there were still relatives in Luxembourg corresponding with
the relatives in Chicago. (The photos were not dated, nor did they identify the people in the photos or who had sent them.) I am assuming that the
senders must be from the families that married into the Bregenzer family – Hackert, Jacob, Kühn, or Steinmetz.

There are couple of photos of St. Peter and Paul church in Hollerich and writing on the back indicating that the writer was a member of the parish.
I am very interested in finding out who the relatives were that sent the photos and if there still may be relatives living in Luxembourg.

I am not sure that you or the parish staff assists with genealogy research, but if there is someone in the parish that could check the churchbooks
(probably the 1930’s) to see if any of the above names may be found there. (I would be willing to pay for the time involved.) – I am assuming that these
may be elderly people that wrote.

If you require more information, I can send you copies of the photos and what is written on the back as well as any family information that may assist you.
I realize that this is not a lot of information to go on, but that is sometimes the way it goes with genealogy.

Thank you in advance for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Mary Ann Hueser
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

I have replied giving the contact details for Hollerich parish, and promising to advertise the request. If you can help, you can reply directly by selecting the link above. Thanks, Fr Ed.