Fourth Sunday of Advent & Holy Family (A)

Fourth Sunday of Advent & Sunday in the Octave of Christmas

‍The Fathers of the Oratory wish all our parishioners, visitors and friends a very happy & holy Christmas and a blessed New Year.

The next Parish Newsletter will appear on Sunday 4^th January 2026.

CHRISTMAS

Wednesday 24^th December: CHRISTMAS EVE

Church opens 6.30am to 7.00pm.

Masses: 7.00am, 8.00am (1962 Missal), 12.30pm.

6.00pm Vigil Mass of Christmas with Carols.
Church closes at 7.00pm and reopens at 11.15pm.
11.30pm Christmas Carols and Midnight Mass (Sung Latin) with Choir and Orchestra.‍

Thursday 25^th December: CHRISTMAS DAY. Holyday of Obligation

Church open from 7.30am to 5.30pm.

Mass: 8.00am, 9.00am (1962 Missal), 10.00am, 11.00am (Sung Latin), 12.30pm, 4.30pm.

4.00pm Solemn Benediction.

No 7.00pm Mass.‍

Friday 26^th December: Saint Stephen, Protomartyr

Church open from 9.00am to 1.00pm.

Mass:10.00am, 11.00am (1962 Missal), 12.30pm.

For a full list of Masses & other services in Christmas Time, see the posters & handbills, or click here.

There is a box at the Lady Altar for Crib Dona­tions to the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem.

St Gregory’s Lending Library will close for Christmas on Sunday 21^st December  at 12.30pm and will re-open on Sunday 4^thJanuary at 11am.

There will be no Sunday morning coffee after the 10am Mass on 21^st December, 28^thDecember and 4^th January.

There will be no Sunday morning coffee after the 11am Mass on 28^th December and 4^th January.

The Confraternity of the Precious Blood will not meet on Sundays 28^th December and 4^th January.

There will be no Benediction on Tuesday 30^th December.

The Scripture Group will meet again on Tuesday 13^th January.

Catechism for Catholics will meet again on Wednesday 14^th January.

PARISH TALK: SCIENCE – GOD’S NEW ALLY

On Monday 12^th January 2026 at 7pm, there will be a talk in St Wilfrid’s Hall entitled Science: God’s New Ally. For more than four centuries, advances in science gave rise to the view that the Universe could be explained without reference to a Creator. By the early twenty century, materialism had become the predominant theory. But with unexpected and astonishing force, the pendulum of science has swung back the other way over the past 100 years, owing to new discoveries in physics, cosmology, biology and more. Join Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies as they trace the history of these scientific breakthroughs, all detailed in their book God: The Science, The Evidence, The Dawn of a Revolution, which has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide,and is newly released in English. The speakers will discuss the book and the discoveries which converge in making science God’s new ally. After the talk, copies of the book will be on sale for the special price of £10 (RRP £22) – card payments preferred. The talk is open to all, with a suggested donation of £5 per person. For more information and to sign up, please visit the Registration page. We expect this event to be popular, so please register if you intend to come.

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): 4^th–9^thand 11^th–16^th February at Stonyhurst, Clitheroe, Lancashire; 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.

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 Wednesday 8am–1.30pm and Thursday 9.30am–1.30pm. They need all sort of help (serving, 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-12.00pm; 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.