That Easter Feeling!


'Having been very involved in the Easter Ceremonies for many years in Ballygall and in the Pro-Cathedral, I did feel this year that I had somewhat opted out of the hustle and bustle of the Easter preparations. However at 36 weeks pregnant, my focus could go no further than finishing up for maternity leave on Holy Thursday. Grabbing my few remaining opportunities for a full night's sleep, I decided that I would not manage to attend the Easter Vigil, but instead would make the most of our Sunday Childrens' Celebration on Easter Sunday morning.
On Easter Sunday morning, my two year old daughter Emily and I began the day with a boogie around her new bedroom to a Gospel choir singing an Easter Hallelujah song on the radio. With the sun streaming in the window, I started to feel some of that 'Easter Feeling' peeping through.
Emily, myself and Big Baby Bump headed off to Easter Sunday Mass at 10am in our Church of St Francis Xavier in Falkirk. The church was full to the brim and flooded with beautiful sunlight. We bundled ourselves into a seat as Mass was about to start, you don't do anything elegantly at 36 weeks pregnant with a 2 year old in tow!

Mass began with 7 verses of 'This is the Day' as the Priest filled the church with incense. Although the primary school children usually leave the church for their own liturgy, today they all sat in the Sanctuary Area.
As part of his welcome, the Priest explained that on Easter Sunday we say 'Jesus Christ is risen' and reply with 'He is risen indeed, Alleluia!'. Well it did take a few goes to get the congregation warmed up but when the children demonstrated how loud they could be, the grown-ups soon woke up and everybody joined in.

After a rousing version of the 'Gloria' which Emily was delighted to be able to sing and clap along to, the Priest asked if any of the adults who had been baptised at the Easter Vigil the night before were in the church today. One man called John was, and he happily accepted the Priest's invitation to come up and to sit next to him for Mass. The children participated in the Liturgy of the Word which held Emily's attention well.

The Priest began his homily with ' Jesus Christ is risen' and received a loud and earnest reply of 'He is risen indeed, Alleluia!'.

All the Mummies and Daddies were awake by then!
Then the priest started to speak in different languages. As he announced ' Jesus Christ is risen' in Polish, Russian, Chinese, Nigerian, Slovakian and lots of other languages, those present in the congregation responded in their own language. It was wonderful as the people were thrilled to hear their own language spoken and nobody was shy in shouting their response of

'He is risen indeed, Alleluia!'.

As we progressed through Mass, we renewed our Baptisimal Promises, received our blessing with Holy Water and sang a lovely version of the Sequence Prayer.

After Holy Communion, the children all sang an Easter song with elephants and tigers which Emily loved.
Then the Priest asked if any of the adults who had been confirmed at the Easter Vigil the night before were present. Three of them were and they went up to the priest where the congregation warmly applauded them.

The priest ended  Mass with ' Jesus Christ is risen' which was greeted with a 'He is risen indeed, Alleluia!'  which raised the roof!

As we left the church we were met by the glorious Easter sunshine, and by the priest, the newly confirmed adults and John who had been baptised at the Easter Vigil. We all shook hands and Emily earnestly told the Priest that she was on her way to Peebles now to see Granny.
As I was putting Emily into her carseat in the carpark, I overheared two Daddies wishing each other a Happy Easter. One said to the other 'Wasn't that a wonderful celebration! An hour and twenty minutes and it felt no longer than five minutes.' His friend agreed.

So myself, Emily and Big Baby Bump headed off for the road to Peebles for Easter Sunday lunch, renewed, refreshed and truly full of the Easter Spirit.'

Remember where you have come from, remember your roots

Below, Anne Marie Gregory gives us an insight to her life in Ballygall and away from Ballygall in Edinburgh, Scotland where she has been living for some time now.

There are many of us dotted all over the world in exotic and sunny places and those in places not quite so sunny but a little closer to home. We are those people who have enjoyed the experience of being part of the parish community of Ballygall but who now live in places a bit further a field.

I attended Our Mother of Divine Grace Primary School under the watchful eyes of Sr Benen, Sr Eileen and Sr Kathleen. I am old enough to remember the old tin church where I made my First Holy Communion in 1984 and also to remember it being dismantled and taken away to be replaced with our lovely new church. It was in the new church that I made my Confirmation in 1989.

While growing up in Ballygall, I joined the Childrens’ Liturgy Group where I took part in dramas, processions and gained confidence in reading at Mass. I really enjoyed these experiences and as I got older I was happy to accept the invitation to become a Minister of the Word.

In 1992, myself and my Mam travelled to Rome as part of Ballygall’s pilgrimage for the Beatification of Blessed Margaret Ball. This was a wonderful group to be part of and long lasting friendships were formed between Ballygallers of all ages.

In 2001, I decided to take a step out into the wider world and I moved to Scotland for what was to be 6 months, but 7 years later I am still here!

My upbringing in Ballygall Parish gave me a true insight into what parish life is all about and when I moved to Edinburgh I knew how valuable it was to become an active member of my parish there, wherever that was to be.

After Mass one Sunday not long after I moved to Edinburgh, the Childrens’ Liturgy Group in my parish, St. Mary’s Star of the Sea in Leith, were looking for new members. Although I was nervous, my experience of friendship in Ballygall gave me the confidence to put myself forward and I became an active member both of the Childrens’ Liturgy Group and of the Parish, and I made many good friends in the process.

As time passed I was lucky enough to meet a wonderful man who surprised me at the top of the Eiffel Tower in 2003 by asking me to marry him. Once I had regained my composure (!) we started to make wedding plans. There was nowhere else in the world that I wanted to get married except in Ballygall.

Ballygall Parish and the church itself had been such an important part of my life that it just had to be where my husband and I would celebrate the most important day of our lives.

…and true to form, Ballygall did us proud! Our guests travelled from all over the world. One of the most emotional parts of the day for me was to walk into Ballygall Church where I had spent so many happy times, to see all of our friends and family from near and far and from all denominations, gathered together in that special place. We had a wonderful and very memorable marriage celebration and the hospitality shown to all of our guests was second to none.

Time has continued to pass and now we have a beautiful little girl, Emily who will be two at Christmas, and another baby due in May 2009, please God. We now live outside of Edinburgh and are members of the Parish of St Francis Xavier in Falkirk.

Like Ballygall Parish, St Francis Xaviers is an active and vibrant parish community, and again, like Ballygall, a very welcoming and friendly one.

Emily and I attend the Childrens’ Mass there every Sunday, and I hope, when time allows, to get involved myself with the Childrens’ Liturgy Group too.

Being a member of Ballygall Parish has taught me the importance of active parish involvement wherever that parish may be. I am very proud to be a Ballygaller and very grateful for the confidence and faith being a member of Ballygall Parish has given me in my adventures away from home.

I really enjoy coming back to visit Ballygall and am always made feel like I’ve never been away. Emily loves the Childrens’ Mass and I hope that she experiences in her life the same blessings as I did through being a member of her parish community.

Anne Marie Gregory
03/12/08