The Sodality of St. Fiacre is the ministry which looks after the floral arrangements in the Oratory Church throughout the liturgical year. It takes its unusual name from a Seventh Century Irish hermit, who ministered near Paris, at a time when Irish monasticism was a key missionary impetus in the Church. Fiacre was a priest and apothecary, who used his knowledge of plants and flowers to help the sick, and became the patron saint of gardeners. He had already made his presence felt in Georgetown before being adopted by the sodality: at some point, a beautiful bas-relief, a copy of the English alabaster statue in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was gifted to the Church and hung in the Sanctuary. How could we choose anyone else as the patron saint of the flower arrangers, since he has been with us all this time? Flower arranging is an important ministry, because it reminds us that the whole of nature is the Lord’s, and the times and seasons reflect the liturgical year, hand in glove. We have a policy of only using cut flowers, because the sacrificial element is brought to prominence, and aiming where possible to use local, natural and seasonal elements in all the designs.  If you are interested in being part of the St. Fiacre Sodality for Floral Arranging and Gardening, please send an email to info@jesusguild.org.