Sunday 22nd March 2026
Fifth Sunday of Lent (A)
STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Every Friday in Lent at 6.30pm.
FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION
Wednesday 25th March is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord (Lady Day). There will be a Solemn High Mass at 6.30pm (no 6.00pm Mass).
BACH: ST JOHN PASSION
The Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School, directed by Charles Cole, will give a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion on Tuesday 24th March at 7.00pm in the Oratory Church. The Schola will be joined by the St Cecilia Players, Michael Craddock (Christ) and Peter Davoren (Evangelist). Tickets (£36, £18 concessions) are available at the door or at https://shorturl.at/ZQ7Vk.
PALM SUNDAY CAR PARKING
Because of the Palm Sunday outdoor procession on 29th March there will be no parking available until 12 noon. The following Mass will start at 12.45pm (not 12.30pm).
NO SCRIPTURE GROUP THIS WEEK
The Scripture Group will not meet on Tuesday 24th March. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 31st March at 8pm.
THE SACRED TRIDUUM AT THE ORATORY
MAUNDY THURSDAY 2ND APRIL
6.30pm Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
Watching at the Altar of Repose unti lmidnight.
GOOD FRIDAY 3RD APRIL
10.00am Tenebrae.
12noon Children’s Stations of the Cross.
3.00pm Liturgy of the Passion.
6.30pm Stations of the Cross.
HOLY SATURDAY 4TH APRIL
10.00am Tenebrae.
9.30pm Easter Vigil.
Click here for more information.
PIANO RECITAL IN ST WILFRID’S HALL
On Friday 27th March at 7.00pm, Tomasz Lis will give a piano recital at St. Wilfrid’s Hall. The programme will include music by Grieg, Chopin and Mendelssohn, interspersed with anecdotes and stories from their lives and work. For more information and to book tickets, see https://shorturl.at/KbwQx.
BOOK TALK – THE MARTYR AND THE RED KIMONO
On Monday 20th April, acclaimed author Naoko Abe will give a talk on her book The Martyr and the Red Kimono: A Fearless Priest’s Sacrifice and a New Generation of Hope in Japan in St Wilfrid’s Hall at the Oratory. The Martyr and the Red Kimono tells the remarkable true story of Saint Maximilian Kolbe and the two men in war-torn Japan whose lives he changed forever. Naoko Abe is a London-based Japanese author and journalist. Her first English-language book, ‘Cherry’ Ingram, The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms, was published in 2019 to critical acclaim. The evening will include a talk by the author, the opportunity for questions and a book signing. Doors open at 6.30pm; talk starting at 7.00pm. A drinks’ reception will follow until about 9.00pm. Please register if you intend to come at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/bromptonoratory/2072735.
HALF-DAY CONFERENCE: AI AND TECH FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Catholics in Tech are arranging a half-day conference on the theme of “Artificial Intelligence and Technology for the Catholic Church”. The event will take place in St Wilfrid’s Hall at the Oratory on Saturday 2nd May, 2–6pm and will feature talks and panel discussions with contributors from the tech industry, academia, and the Church. All are welcome. Advance registration is essentialand costs £15 per person. For more information and to register, please visit: https://tally.so/r/ODAYRg.
ANNUAL MASS FOR MATRIMONY
Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 23rd May, at 2.30pm. Our Archbishop is inviting to this Mass all couples in the diocese who are celebrating their 5th 10th, 25th, 30th,40th, 50th, 60th (and any year over 60) anniversary of Catholic marriage in 2026. If you are celebrating such an anniversary and want to take part in this Mass, please contact Fr Michael Lang at michaellang@rcdow.org.uk by 27th April at the latest, and give him the following details: husband and wife’s names, weddingdate, number of years married, postal address and email (or phone number, if noemail).
IGNATIAN SPIRITUAL EXERCISES FOR MEN
Five-day Ignatian retreats formen only conducted in English by the Benedictine Fathers of Abbaye Saint-Josephde Clairval in Flavigny (France): 30th April–5th May at Benburb Priory, Co. Tyrone,Northern Ireland; 23rd–28th July in Kilsheelan, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. For more information and how to book, click here. Contact abbey@clairval.com.
HELPING THE HOMELESS AND NEEDY IN OUR AREA
HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton) run a morning shelter to assist those who are homeless or vulnerable at St Augustine's Church, 117 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP, every Thursday 9.30am–1.30pm. They need all sort of help (hosting, washing up, sewing, cleaning). If you are willing to spare some time for this service (you do not need to stay the whole time) or would like to know more on how you can help, please email HTB (mentioning that you heard about this from the Oratory) at shelter@htb.org.
ORATORY SCOUT GROUP
Our Scouts Group has moved under the umbrella of the Catholic Scouts of Europe and is now ready to accept new applications for boys from School Years 3 to 6 (Cubs), Y7 to Y11 (Scouts) and girls between Y3 to Y6 (Guides Cubs), Y7 to Y11 (Guides). Email oratoryscoutgroup@bromptonoratory.co.uk.
CHILDREN’S AREA
On Sunday mornings, St Gregory’s Library at the back of the Church is made available to parents whose children become restless during Mass. There are books and some toys. Entrance is through the Sacred Heart Chapel at the back of the church. Children must be supervised by their parents at all times.
MASS INTENTIONS
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CONTACTLESS GIVING AVAILABLE
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For a larger donation, please consider a bank transfer, because we have to pay a percentage fee for any card payment. For our account details, please contact generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk. Please add your first and last name as a reference, to help our bursar.
The Oratory very much depends on your contributions, and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
GIFT AID – HELPING THE ORATORY
If you are a UK taxpayer, the Oratory can claim back from the Inland Revenue 25p of every £1 you give, at no cost or inconvenience to you. Setting up a Gift Aid arrangement helps the Oratory to increase its income (click here for the forms).
PRIEST REFERENCE FOR SCHOOL APPLICATIONS
Parents who wish one of the Oratory Fathers to give their child a school reference must register with the “Mass Attendance” scheme. Registration forms are available from the Oratory House.
UNABLE TO GET TO MASS ON SUNDAYS?
The Oratory runs a bus service staffed by volunteers to help the elderly and/or incapacitated attending the 11am Mass each Sunday. The minibus has a lift for wheelchairs and volunteers help passengers go to Holy Communion if required. The service is available to parishioners and those who live in the Fulham and Earl’s Court areas. Please email generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk or telephone 020 7808 0900 if you are interested in making use of this service, or if you would like to volunteer as a driver or helper.
PSYCHOTHERAPY AND LIFE COACHING
Wilfrid’s House is a BACP-accredited, registered charity based at the Oratory and committed to helping people cope with life’s challenges`. Through low-cost counselling and psychotherapy, they support individuals who are going through challenges such as anxiety, depression, inability to cope with daily life, relationship issues, and bereavement. Through low-cost life coaching, they support individuals who are feeling overwhelmed and unable to move forward with purpose. Whether you are struggling with change, big decisions or simply day-to-day life, coaching offers emotional and practical support, enabling clarity and structure and helping you achieve your goals. Further information at www.wilfridshouse.org.
For job vacancies in the Diocese of Westminster, see https://jobs.rcdow.org.uk/.
INFORMATION FOR MARRIAGE
If you would like to be married at the Oratory, we will need at least 6 months notice. For the initial enquiry please come to the Oratory House in person and ask to speak to the priest on duty (see Hours of Duty below). All subsequent meetings, bookings and arrangements will be done through him, so please make a note of his name! No wedding bookings will be taken over the telephone or by email.
If you do not normally worship at the Oratory, please state the name of the church where you usually attend Mass and give the reasons you wish to marry here (for instance, personal connection to the Oratory or one of our schools). It is important to approach the church first before making your plans for a reception venue. We do not have weddings on a Sunday.
There are various arrangements and legalities, both civil and ecclesiastical which need to be attended to. You will also need to undergo a course of preparatory instruction about the sacrament of marriage. Speak to the priest for more details.
Hours of Duty:
Monday-Saturday: 9.30am-12.00noon; 3.00pm-5.30pm.
INFORMATION FOR BAPTISM
According to canon law, “Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it” (Code of Canon Law, can. 867 §1).
Those wishing to have their child baptised should contact the Oratory House and ask to speak to the priest on duty. All subsequent meeting, bookings and arrangements will be done through him. It will be necessary to meet with the priest for a class on the sacrament of baptism.
Normally baptisms take place in the parish where a family is resident. If you do not live within the territorial boundaries of the Oratory parish but have a good reason for wanting to have your child baptised here, please explain that to the priest on duty. In such cases your own parish priest will need to give permission for the baptism to take place at the Oratory.
The choice of godparents (sponsors), who are to help the baptised to live a good Christian life and faithfully to fulfil the duties inherent in baptism, is an important one. “There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each” (Code of Canon Law, can. 873). A godparent must be a Catholic of not less than sixteen years of age, who has been confirmed and who lives a life of faith that befits the role to be undertaken. A baptised person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted in company with a Catholic sponsor as a Christian witness.
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