On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June 2016, the Missionaries of the Immaculate - Father Kolbe will be holding their Fëte Missionaire, an intercultural event open to the Luxembourg public.

Run by nearly 50 volunteers and benefactors, the annual event aims to raise funding for projects and awareness of missionary work. The theme for this year is "Mercy in Action" ("Miséricorde en Action) and will support three solidarity projects: sporting workshops, vocational training, food baskets, health equipment and psychological care in Brazil ("Cité de l'Espérance") and Bolivia ("Arco Iris de la Alegria"); and participation in the Jubilee of Mercy in Rome with Pope Francis for people in precarious situations ("Fratello 2016").

The programme will include:

- A wide choice of sweet and savour dishes;
- A tombola and flea market;
- Crafts from Bolivia and Brazil;
- Folk dances;
- Children's entertainment;
- Mass and consecration to Mary on Sunday at 10:00;
- Testimony from missionaries;
- A video projection of the projects;
- Prayer 1,000 Ave Maria
- The "Misericordia in scena" show : Raffaele Gentile e il gruppo di Teatro Il Sipario - Saturday at 19:00.

The Missionaries of the Immaculae - Father Kolbe was founded by Franciscan Father Luigi Faccenda O.F.M Conv in the Italian city of Bologna over 60 years ago. It is inspired by the Marian doctrine and life testimony of St Maximilian Kolbe who said: "Reaching out to all and leading all men to God through the Immaculate...a beautiful mission for which it is worth living, working, suffering and even dying".

Maximilian Kolbe lived by this ideal, offering to die in place of a stranger at the Auschwitz death camp. He was named a "patron of our difficult times" and a "prophet of the civilisation of love" by Pope John Paul II.

The Missionairies of the Immaculate - Father Kolbe take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and are present across Europe and Latin and North America. They offer prayer meetings and training, pilgrimmages, hospitality personal accompaniment; evangelism; and solidarity and human development through projects that ensure dignity in life, professional and cultural education for children and youth, and social and medical assistance to families.

The Fête Missionaire will take place at the Hollerich Cultural Centre, 34 rue Lavandier, L-1924, Luxembourg. 

 

Photo by Missionaries of the Immaculate