Easter Sunday (A)

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The Fathers of the Oratory wish all parishioners, visitors, and friends a very happy and holy Easter!

The collection on Easter Sunday is your personal offering to the Fathers.

The next Parish Newsletter will appear on Sunday 19^th April.

On Easter Monday 6^th April (Bank Holiday), the Oratory Church will be open from 9.00am to 1.00pm. Masses will be at 10am, 11am (1962 Missal) and 12.30pm. The Oratory House will be closed, and the gates will be shut at 1.15pm. There will be no duty priest available, except for emergencies.

There will be no coffee after the 10am on Easter Sunday and Low Sunday, 5^thand 12^th April.

There will be no coffee after the 11am Mass on Easter Sunday 5^th April.

There will be no Benediction on Easter Tuesday 7^th April.

The Confraternity of the Precious Blood will not meet during the Easter Octave. The next meeting will be on Sunday 19^thApril.

Catechism for Catholics will not meet in the Easter Octave. The next meeting will be on Wednesday 15^th  April.

The Scripture Group will not meet for two weeks. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 21^st April.

St Gregory’s Lending Library is closed and will re-open at 11am on Sunday 12^thApril.

DEDICATION OF OUR CHURCH

Thursday 16^th April is the Solemnity of the Dedication of the Oratory Church. There will be Solemn Benediction to conclude Holy Hour at 7.15pm.

BOOK TALK – THE MARTYR AND THE RED KIMONO

On Monday 20^th 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 2^nd 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.

ORATORY SUMMER FÊTE: SAVE THE DATE

The Annual Oratory Summer Fête will take place this year on Saturday 20^th June. The Garden Party is our major annual fundraising event, with books and gifts for sale, games for children, and refreshments to enjoy, all within the garden of Oratory House. If you would like to volunteer to assist with planning or with facilitation on the day, please email generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk.

ANNUAL MASS FOR MATRIMONY

Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 23^rd May, at 2.30pm. Our Archbishop is inviting to this Mass all couples in the diocese who are celebrating their 5^th 10^th, 25^th, 30^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th (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 27^th 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 n oemail).

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): 30^th April–5^th May at Benburb Priory, Co. Tyrone,Northern Ireland; 23^rd–28^th July in Kilsheelan, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. For more information and how to book, click here. Contact abbey@clairval.com.

PILGRIMAGE TO KNOCK

Monday 1st to Friday 5th June. Flight from Heathrow to Knock Airport; the group will stay in Knock, near the Shrine, and visit various holy sites nearby, including Croagh Patrick, Ballintubber Abbey and the Fr Peyton Centre. Led by Fr Nigel Woollen, Parish Oriest of Our Lady of Victories (Kensington) and former curate at Knock. £800/pp for flights, accommodation, transport and most meals. Email: kensington1@rcdow.org.uk or visit: https://www.ourladyofvictories.net/support.html to express interest – places are limited!

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

Click here for more information.

CONTACTLESS GIVING AVAILABLE

Click here for more information.

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.