St John The Baptist Liturgy Group Meeting
3 December 2015
Fr Piotr, Margot Donoghue, Thomas Hastie, Elaine Robson, Margaret Edie, Margaret Knops, MarieAnn Walker, Marisha
Apologies: Pam Weir
Fr Piotr opened and closed the meeting with a prayer.
At the first meeting of the group we decided to talk about the activities of a Liturgy Group and more specifically our Christmas Liturgy.
The Liturgy means the Sunday Mass. Who are the spiritual and social groups that support this liturgy?
Christmas 2015:
24 December Carols at 7.30pm Mass at 8pm.
Midnight Mass will be in Polish.
25 December 10am Mass.
Boxing Day Polish Mass at 10am.
26 December Vigil Mass at 6pm Holy Family.
1 January 2016 New Year’s Day Mass at 11am.
We will announce The Year of Mercy on Sunday 6 December with the Archbishop.
Tue 15 December will be the Penitential service. There will be an opening hymn and music played throughout the service.
We went through step by step the Christmas Vigil Mass explaining anything that Fr Piotr would need to know to conduct the service. When we sing the hymns, when the figures are brought to the crib, when the readers come out etc. We did the same with the Christmas Day service. A child will process with the figure of the baby Jesus. Extra chairs will be at the side and the back of the church.
Fr Piotr gave the green light for using the Christmas Carol Mass. We will practice for a few weeks before Christmas and use it in the New Year.
The Remembering Service will be on 21 February 2016. They have written to the local Ministers to advertise it.
Meetings: we discussed when the group shall meet. Should it just be for liturgical events?
Things we can think about: The Jubilee of Mercy, The sighting of the Amble, processing the Bible. We will go back to having the Bible at the back of the church and picked up by a reader. Readers should leave the Alter after reading. The sighting of the Amble was discussed. Can we move the amble at the back of the church to the left of the Alter?
Study Days: We will have a day for readers and a day for Eucharistic Ministers. Each parish group will have a re-affirming session.
We will continuously review our changes. Marie Ann will write up some notes about changes to readers. There will be a readers meeting on 4 February 2016.
Fr Piotr is keen for us to discuss Bible Groups, Prayer groups, Prisoners Week at the next meeting. We will discuss how people do not know The Teaching of the Church.
Next Meeting: 21 January 2016.