English Mass Utrecht

On the 21st of April, our parishioner Kees Broers celebrated his 70th anniversary with a celebration in Het Brandpunt, Amersfoort. For this celebration were invited the Sri Lankan community of Amersfoort, the English Mass Utrecht community, and also some members of the choir were present. Fr. Herman Lieberom was the presiding celebrant. Happy birthday Kees and many more years to come!

Check the photo album here: 

http://bit.ly/EMUKees70

One of our parishioners asked us to share a fund raising campaign for Cynthia Dawie, a Syrian refugee in the Netherlands, 20 years old, who is in need of donations for a heart implant.

https://www.gofundme.com/cythia-is-pas-20

Since the funding website is in Dutch, we leave here a translation:

“Save Cynthia

20 year old Cynthia Dawie from Syria has a heart that no longer functions properly. The only option that the doctor has recommended is a heart implant.

Cynthia studies interior and decoration in the university. As child, Cynthia suffered from cancer. After many treatments this problem disappeared, but her heart got weaker throughout the years, and now reached a point where it no longer works properly. The only salvation is a heart implant!

Save Cynthia Dawie thorugh a contribution and doing so you will let Cynthia once again laugh and study further, with a new heart to fulfill her dreams.”

The donations can be done through the website below or to:

Cynthia’s uncle – Sobhi Dawie

0655834868

Bank account: NL22RABO0328775339

And with the description: DONATIE

This Thursday, the 10th of May, the Catholic Church celebrates the Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in the Netherlands known as Hemelvaartsdag.
It’s a holiday in the Netherlands and also a day of obligation.
Unfortunately our community does not celebrate a mass in English for this occasion.
You can however attend a mass in Dutch in the St. Catherine Cathedral at 10:30. Other option is the evening before (the 9th) at 19:00, also in Dutch.

On the 8th of April the archdiocese of Utrecht made known that Fr. Ton Huitink, our parish priest, will leave us.

Fr. Ton Huitink was asked to assume the leadership of the fusion of a couple of parishes in the vicariate of Deventer. Fr. Huitink himself will move to Zwolle.

The archdiocese and our community – the English Mass Utrecht – are most grateful to Fr. Huitink for his good and often difficult work he did for the parishes in Utrecht.

The coordination of the parishes of Utrecht, to whom the news came as a surprise, whishes to invite all parishioners and other interested to be part of a farewell celebration.

This celebration will take place on the Corpus Christi Sunday, the 3rd of June, in de Aloysius church (Adriaen van Ostadelaan 2). The celebration will start at 10:30.

Starting on the 1st of May, Fr. Hans Boogers will assume functions as the new priest of the parishes of Utrecht. He works at the moment in Zwole. In June he will start his pastoral work in Utrecht. His place of residence will be in the presbytery of the Aloysius church.

Easter is approaching and there will many festivities in Utrecht. Unfortunately most of them will be in Dutch. In English we will celebrate the Easter Sunday at 12:30 in St. Catherine Cathedral, as usual.

Below is the rest of the schedule, in case you are interested in participating:

24th March – Palm Saturday
18:30 – (Dutch) Holy mass with Palm consecration

25th March – Palm Sunday
10:30 – (Dutch) Holy mass with Palm consecration and procession
12:30 – English mass

28th March, Holy Wednesday
21:00 – (Dutch) Tenebrae with the Gregorian choir of Utrecht

29th March, Maundy Thursday
10:00 – (Dutch) Sung pray
18:30-19:15 – Confession oportunity
19:30 – (Dutch) Mass celebration with cardinal Eijk
21:30 – (Dutch) Tenebrae with the Gregorian choir of Utrecht. Finishing with prayer un silence until the closing of the church at 00:00.

30th March, Good Friday
10:00 – (Dutch) Sung pray
15:00 – (Dutch) Celebration of the stations of the cross, with veneration of the cross (please bring a flower for the veneration). With the Gregorian choir of Utrecht
18:30-19:15 – Confession oportunity
19:30 – (Dutch) Memorial of the suffering and death of the Lord, with veneration of the cross (please bring a flower for the veneration).
21:30 – (Dutch) Tenebrae with the Gregorian choir of Utrecht

31st March, Holy Saturday
10:00 – (Dutch) Sung pray
16:00-17:00 – Confession oportunity
21:00 – (Dutch) Pascal vigil with cardinal Eijk and the Cantemus Domino Choir

1st April, Easter Sunday
10:30 – (Dutch) Holy mass
12:30 – English Mass

2nd April, Easter Monday
10:30 – (Dutch) Mass celebration

This Sunday, the 18th March, there is annual Utrecht Science Park marathon.

Due to this reason the cathedral may be difficult to reach, so please plan accordingly if you reach mass on time.

For more information visit their website: http://www.utrechtmarathon.com/

Our community is celebrating it’s 15th anniversary. We want to comemorate this special event with our parishioners. We also want to ask YOUR help. Please bring your country’s cuisine and share it with our international group.

After the Sunday mass we will celebrate and enjoy the tasty food everyone brought!

If you are interesting in coming, let us know by registering in this link: http://bit.ly/EMU15birthday

We hope to count on your presence!

On the 29th of March, on the Maundy Thursday, the rite of the washing of the feet will take place during the Dutch evening mass.

If you want to take part of this rite, you can register by sending an email to: secretariaat@katholiekutrecht.nl

St. Patrick (born between 385 and 401, died on March 17, 461) is the most famous canonized missionary of Ireland. He has worked in the fifth century. The precise date of the beginning of his activities is not known or from his birth.

He was brought from his home, Britain, to Ireland as a boy, when he was 16, by Irish pagans. There he became a shepherd and learned the local language. After he had a vision he fled and he returned to his parents, but according to another legend he was brought to Gaul by a pagan Irish after 6 years. He went to the priesthood training in Auxerre in the then Gaul. Today he is regarded as the most known Irish saint.

The holiday of St. Patrick, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, is the national holiday of Ireland.

On Sunday the 18th of March, at 14:30, there will be a movie afternoon where we will talk about St. Patrick’s life and work.

It will take place in the Pastoral center of the St. Augustine church, and Fr. Kuipers will be the speaker.

Hope to count on your presence!

The parish of Utrecht invites you to join a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
This will take place from the 28th of April to the 5th of May. The trip will be done by TGV to and from Lourdes. The stay will be on a 3-star hotel.
We will have pastoral and travel guidance in English.

The price indicated is 599 EUR, which includes a sponsoring price of 300 EUR per pilgrim to support the English speaking community to join the pilgrimage.

This pilgrimage is open for everyone of all ages.

More information you can find on the travel agency leaflet available here: http://bit.ly/lourdes08

This is a a great opportunity for our community, don’t miss it!