Maltese children at the European School LUX II in Mamer raised €156 from the sale of Figolli — traditional Easter sweets, which the children themselves made.

The money raised will be added to our Good Friday collection which goes to support the education of Christian children in the Holy Land.

Many thanks to the children at the European School for their hard work and generosity.

Next time, may I have a sample sweet please?

Fr Ed

British and in Luxembourg? Referendum Information

The UK government has announced a Referendum offering citizens the opportunity to vote as to whether or not the UK should remain a member, or exit from, the European Union. Clearly this is an issue that will affect the lives of all UK citizens, in the UK and those of us who live in other countries. It is important we make our opinion felt, one way or another. The British Embassy here has provided the following guidelines (they are available in printed form at the back of church)

10 things you need to know about registering as an overseas voter

1. UK nationals who have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years can register as an overseas elector, to be able to vote in UK Parliamentary General Elections, UK-wide referendums, and European Parliamentary elections.

2. At the 2015 General Election there were almost 106,000 overseas electors on the register, three times the number that were on the register ahead of the previous general election in 2010 and the highest number of overseas voters registered ever!

3. Overseas Voter Registration Day is on Thursday 4 February 2016 – take five minutes to visit the online registration site, and let others know too. This is a day of activity to encourage voter registration amongst UK nationals living overseas, led by the UK Electoral Commission and supported by expat community hubs and embassies and consulates from around the world.

4. You can apply to register to vote in five minutes at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

5. With the date of the referendum as yet unknown, it’s best to register sooner rather than later so you can be sure you’re registered in time. It is important to remember if you are not registered you can’t vote in the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union when it takes place.

6. You will need to know your National Insurance number and date of birth, and have your passport to hand if you have one. If you don’t have a National Insurance number you can still register, but you may have to supply more information to show who you are.

7. If you can’t or don’t want to register online, you can still download and post back paper forms. But remember to return your completed form as far in advance of the deadline as possible. The actual deadlines for registering to vote and applying for an absent vote will be set once the date of the referendum is known.

8. You have to sign an annual declaration once you are registered to renew your registration every year. So if you were registered to vote for the 2015 General Election you will have to renew your registration with your local Electoral Registration Officer in the UK or register again.

9. You can choose how you wish to vote. You can vote by post, by proxy (voting by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf), or even in person at your polling station.

10. Lots of UK citizens who live overseas might not know that they are still eligible to vote. Pass the message on that your vote matters! #passthemessageon #expat #yourvotematters

Fr Ed

On Saturday last (16th April) we had our latest training session for altar servers. Ranging in age from teenagers to First Holy Communion age (8), 14 members of our team came together. We began with an A – Z of Sunday Mass: how we prepare the church for Mass, the entrance procession, general comportment, the Offertory, the Eucharistic Prayer and Holy Communion, the recessional procession, and after-Mass duties.

Our servers are very engaged, enthusiastic, and curious — always wanting to find out more about the ministry they exercise, and keen to move to the ‘next step’ – doing something they haven’t yet done (candle-bearer, thurifer, boat-bearer, cross-bearer, missal-bearer, Senior server etc). Our aim is that each server will be able to step into any role as circumstances demand.

We had planned to have a long training session in the church, but due to a choral rehearsal, we had to wait 40 minutes (due to my double-booking the church). As it turned out, the 40 minutes was very profitable — the weather was good, the children and older servers played various demanding and energetic schoolyard games in the garden: what actually was essentially a superb team-building exercise. It was gratifying to see all the servers, from youngest to oldest, becoming even more a team. The senior members were including and encouraging the younger members, who in turn were looking to them for leadership and guidance.

The session in the church covered practicalities: even when you’re enthusiastic, don’t run; work as a team, not as competitors; look to the senior servers to remind you what you should be doing; say the prayers and sing, along with the congregation; help each other both before and after Mass — and so on.

Pizza afterwards was both a lure and a reward, and it was good that parents of servers shared the meal.

We are richly blessed to have so many keen, committed servers: it was pointed out to them that they are an important sign of the life of our parish, and one which we never take for granted. Visitors comment on the music, the numbers of people at Mass, the internationality of our community, the numbers of babies, infants and young families — and on the (very visible) presence of, and number of, our servers.

Teresa Rubaek organised the half-day meeting, and is now in process of organising the next day out (probably to Walligator. New servers (aged 8 – 80) always welcome!

Fr Ed

‘Mary, flower of paradise’
Today, Sunday 17th April, 17:00 in the church of St Alphonse,
The Art of Music 

The Art of Music are well known in Luxembourg for their superb renditions of Early and Renaissance polyphony, are today presenting a concert of choral music by great composers of polyphony — in particular, compositions in honour of the Virgin Mary.

Entrance: €15/10

More details, including the programme, can be found here: The Art of Music – Mary, flower of Paradise

Fr Ed

A message from Robert Foley, our Catechist’s Co-ordinator:

Just a quick reminder that there is class this Sunday 17^th April at 10 am the usual place.

There is no 11:15 MASS (The Parish is PARTICIPATING IN THE MASS OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE CATHEDRAL AT 10:30, CELEBRATED BY THE ARCHBISHOP)

so the children will have stay in the classroom until the Parents return from the Cathedral +/- 11 45 am to pick-up their child

Regards

Robert