Latest Parish News

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THE SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

The Spiritual Exercises

The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius consist in a programme of prayer and meditation with the aim of heightening and deepening our relationship with Christ and our joy in our creator God, who is in love with each one of us. Although the programme is rather formally set out, the experience is always unique and personal, and frequently becomes a life-changing event. The Exercises are particularly appropriate when our lives seem to have become rather meaningless and empty, or when we feel ourselves at a turning-point.

Traditionally they are ‘given’ over the course of a thirty day silent retreat. But they can also be followed as a scheme of regular prayer in ‘daily life’ over, typically, an eight month period.

During the last few years I have directed several people from the anglophone community in Luxembourg in the Exercises in ‘daily life’. I would be happy to do so again during this coming school year, starting in the autumn, for anyone who is interested and prepared to ‘take the risk’, and to make the necessary commitment of time.

If you want to find out more, or think you might be interested, please contact me either on 621 31 91 10 or by email: sjmc@pt.lu . All contact and discussion is confidential. Steve McCarthy.

Steve McCarthy

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CHRISTIAN MEDITATION GROUP update

Our parish Christian Meditation Group  is resuming its meetings after the Summer break. We are looking to discern the best time for these meetings, and invite any person who is interested to come along next Tuesday, 1 October, 32 rue des Capucins, 6.30pm. There will be an introduction to Christian Meditation, and we will plan for the future. All are welcome, without obligation.

Further information about this can be found on the World Community for Christian Meditation website http://www.wccm.org  An interesting (and entertaining) endorsement of same can be viewed in Arianna Huffington’s speech to the Smith college graduation  class of 2013

We will shortly publish a flyer on catholic.lu giving more detail.

In the update I added the time of the meeting, 6.30pm

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FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Registration for children wishing to make their First Holy Communion next year (2014) will be on Sunday 20 October, in the sacristy at St Alphonse after the 11:15 Mass. Your child must be 8 years old by 1 January 2014 to qualify. A certificate of Baptism is required for every child, unless they were baptised in the European Parish here in Luxembourg. The preparation classes will likewise take place at St Alphonse each Sunday after Mass.

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OPERATION SHOE-BOX update

UPDATE: full lists of what is authorised for the boxes and what is prohibited can be found here.

For the attention of our children and young people — and adults too!

This year our parish is participating in ‘Operation Shoe-box‘, which is a practical way to help children in countries less well-off than our own. The idea is a simple one: find a shoe-box (shoe shops are happy to give them away), decorate it with wrapping paper, and then fill it with small gifts. There is a recommended shopping list which shows the variety of items that are suitable. These boxes are then collected together, and sent (in the case of our Luxembourg appeal) to children in Moldovia and Romania.

The appeal is part of an international effort, with other countries collecting and distributing, aiming for delivery around Christmas time. The brochure for the UK scheme (entitled Operation Christmas Child) is an example of part of this wider effort. This shoebox appeal flyer is aimed at the UK only — dates, suggested gifts etc differ from our own.

Once the boxes have been prepared and filled, they can be brought to Mass at St Alphonse any Saturday evening (7pm) or Sunday morning (11.15am), or to the front door of the couvent next door at other times. The final date for handing boxes in is 27 October, when the boxes will be presented at the altar during Mass.

We were not directly involved in last year’s appeal, but it managed to collect 430 boxes. This year the target is 500 boxes — I’m sure we can reach and surpass that target!

Thank-you to Jessica Mills from the Oasis Church of God here in Luxembourg and Michelle Foley from our own community for drawing the project to our attention.

Fr Ed