16th & 17th Sundays of the Year (A)

8th & 9th Sundays after Pentecost

The next Parish Newsletter will appear on Sunday 2nd August.

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RAFFLE TICKETS ON SALE FOR TYBURN CONVENT

Raffle tickets will be on sale in the church porch after all Sunday Masses to support the Tyburn nuns.

APPEAL AND RETIRING COLLECTION FOR THE MISSIONS

At all Sunday Masses on 25^th/26^th July there will be the annual diocesan mission appeal and collection on behalf of the Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers). The appeal will be preached by Fr Martin Goba CSSp.

ST PHILIP NERI CIRCLE FOR MEN

The circle meets once a month for spiritual discourse in a familiar way on a work of spir­ituality or theology with the aim of drawing lessons for our own life from the work studied. The next meeting will be on Wednesday 29^thJuly, from 8.00pm to 9.15pm. Our new reading will be Benedict XVI’s The Lord Holds Us by the Hand, a collection of previously unpublished homilies.The circle is open to men only. For more information, email Fr Michael Lang at michaellang@rcdow.org.uk.

ST GREGORY'S LENDING LIBRARY

The library will close on Friday 31^stJuly at 6pm and re-open on Sunday 30^th August at 11am.

WARNING: WHATSAPP SCAMS

A new cyber scam is targeting individuals in parish communities. Criminals are using AI to create convincing videos, voice messages and WhatsApp messages that appear to come from priests, bishops or other Church representatives, asking for donations. Never send money or personal details in response to unexpected messages. If you receive such a request, verify it by contacting the parish or priest directly using a known telephone number or official email address. Suspicious messages should be reported to Action Fraud at www.reportfraud.police.uk.

WE BELIEVE FESTIVAL

Friday 24^th to Monday 27^thJuly at St Mary’s College, Oscott, Birmingham. We Believe Festival brings the Church together in England and Wales. It is an unmissable opportunity to discover the traditions and charisms that flow through the Church, to experience the joy of community, and to encounter personally the Lord Jesus,our salvation. Information and tickets at www.webelievefestival.com.

PILGRIMAGE OF REPARATION AND PRAYER FOR THE SANCTITY OF LIFE

All are welcome to join the annual Pilgrimage of Reparation and Prayer for the Sanctity of Life on Saturday 1^st August, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. More details, including information on coach transport, can be found at https://prolifepilgrimage.org/. If you cannot join in person, please consider uniting with the pilgrims in prayer.

FAR ABOVE RUBIES

An intergenerational ladies’ fashion event on Saturday 8^th August, 2pm–6pm, in St Joseph’s Hall at the Oratory. Enjoy a stylish charity swap shop supporting Let The Children Live!, together with a talk by Delphine Chui on the feminine genius in fashion. Contact honorroberts@hotmail.com for any queries.

YOUNG ADULTS PRO-LIFE SOCIAL

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) invites young adults aged 18–35 to its next Pro-Life Social on Saturday 8^th August from 7pm to 10pm, at All Bar One, Victoria, SW1E 6QW. To register and for further details, please visit https://spuc.org.uk/event/london-youth-social-3/.

GRACEMEET

GraceMeet is a new Catholic matchmaking service built by a young Catholic in London for single adults seriously seeking marriage. There is no swiping. Each week an AI suggests a small number of carefully chosen matches based on faith, values and life stage, every profile is identity verified, and the service is free while in its early stages. Find out more at gracemeetapp.com.

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 Y3 to Y6 (Cubs), Y7 to Y11 (Scouts) and girls between Y3 to Y6 (Guides Cubs), Y7 to Y11 (Guides). Email _{oratoryscoutgroup@bromptonoratory.co.uk}.

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.

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, psychotherapy and coaching it supports individuals who are going through challenges such as anxiety, depression, inability to cope with daily life, relationship issues, and bereavement. Whether you are struggling with change, big decisions or simply day-to-day life, Wilfrid’s House offers emotional and practical support. For further information: 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. 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, 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.