The Bulletin - June 2018

Dear Brothers and sisters,

Since last bulletin was published several events have taken place.

On 27 May, on the Sollemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we celebrated First Holy Communion followed by the annual Spring Brunch. Congratulations to all of our First Communicants! The same weekend Caritas Norway had its annual meeting at Mariaholm in Spydeberg. For the first time, St. Elisabeth in Eikeli was represented as a parish. The following Sunday, 3 June we all took part in the Corpus Christi Mass and procession at Mariakirken in Stabekk.

In the meantime the parish has recorded its first two baptisms and its first wedding since its “independence”. They are duly recorded in our own new church books, the ‘Liber Baptizatorum’ and the Liber Matrimonium’.

On Wednesday 13 June a meeting was held here to plan future activities of the parish. It was decided that after the summer break a Norwegian language mass will be introduced at noon/early afternoon on Sundays. Also, first Holy communion and confirmation classes in Norwegian will commence. There will also be several weekday masses, one of them in English.

Our parish now also has a website and a Facebook page. Items in both English and Norwegian will be posted there.

Like all parishes in our Diocese our bishop expects this parish to provide pastoral care for different language groups. In the greater Oslo area, the various parishes also work together in providing this. St. Olav cathedral parish (with St. Joseph church) has 13 masses every Sunday in six languages, and often more. Its overcrowded there and they need help. Therefore I am happy to welcome the Syro-Malabar Catholic community here in St. Elisabeth church. Previously they have had their masses in St. Johannes, Bredtvet and in St. Joseph, Akersveien. The Syro-Malabar Church is a catholic church, in communion with the Pope in Rome, but with its own ancient liturgical traditions different from the Roman Rite that is used in the Latin Church. (which is the name of the largest of the catholic churches) The diocese of Oslo is a diocese of the Latin Church. Other catholic churches are also present in our diocese at the moment. The most well known of these being the Chaldean Catholic Church of Iraq. They have mass every month in St. Joseph, Akersveien as well as in St. Ansgar, Kristiansand and St. Birgitta, Fredrikstad. Now the Syro-Malabar community is asking for our help. Please let us all be welcoming and offer our hospitality for their monthly mass here. As long as we have space I would like to welcome any catholic or orthodox community who need a place to worship.

The summer is here! I hope you have all enjoyed the fantastic weather we have had recently. Early summer in Norway is often quite cool, so this was something different. I wish all of you a very blessed and peaceful summer, wherever you will be, whatever you will be doing and (!) whatever the weather will be!

Fr Frode

NB! Please pray for Josef Ottersen who will be ordained to the priesthood Saturday 23 June at 2PM in St. Olav Domkirke, Akersveien 1. May God bless our new priest with a long and happy priesthood!

PARISH MASS TIMINGS:
Sunday 17 June – 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)
Sunday 24 June –  Solemnity of John The Baptist

Sunday Mass Times  9.30 AM English
                                  6.00 PM Norwegian  (not July and August)
Confession: 15 Minutes before Mass or by appointment

Pope Francis’ monthly prayer intention for June 2018: That social networks may work towards that inclusiveness which respects other for their differences.  www.thepopevideo.org 

The Bulletin - April 2018

THE BULLETIN
April 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
this will be the last Bulletin I am writing to you. The next issue will be written by your new parish priest Father Frode Eikenes. Of course he will need time to accommodate and get to know the new parish. Especially because the preparation of the buildings at Eikeli are not finished yet. Therefore father Frode will live with us at Stabekk until he can move in at Eikeli.
It will without doubt be a change not to have Eikeli as a part of the parish anymore. I have always appreciated to come to you and celebrate the holy mass with you. But even more I am very grateful to all of you who are participating in the life of the community. A great «Thank You» to all of you who have served the community in one or another way during the years. I am very grateful for your commitment and responsible action. So I hope you will do this also in the future.
But it is not a goodbye. We are living close and I am sure there will be moments when I can come to you and celebrate the Holy Mass with you or take part at other occasions. I wish you all Gods blessings and the joy of the Holy Spirit.
​
With kind regards,
Fr. Arne Marco Kirsebom SSCC KCHS
Parish Priest