33rd Sunday of the Year
23rd Sunday after Pentecost
DIOCESAN COLLECTION FOR THE SICK & RETIRED PRIESTS’ FUND
At all Sunday Masses there will be a special collection for the Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund of the Diocese of Westminster. The envelopes and posters feature a QR code that you can scan with a phone camera to give online. All donations are gratefully received.
PLANNER FOR CATHOLIC MOTHERS
The Planner for Catholic Mothers, which is published every year by the Catholic Mothers Apostolate, will be on sale in the porch of the Oratory Church after the 10am and 11am Masses this Sunday. The Catholic Mothers Apostolate is a registered charity (no. 1183733), with the mission to support mothers (and their children) in their spiritual and personal growth. You can preview the planner here.
OLIVE WOOD CARVINGS FROM THE HOLY LAND ON SALE NEXT SUNDAY
The Good Shepherd Company is based in Nottingham and supports Christian families in the Holy Land to stay and make a living. Many of them leave in search of better work opportunities. Olive wood carving is one of the most important sources of income for Christians in the country. After all Sunday Masses on 22nd/23rd November, rosaries, crosses, cribs, and religious statues carved from olive wood will be on sale. Please support this sale generously. This is especially important in the present crisis since few pilgrims or tourists are visiting in the West Bank and many of its residents have lost their work and income.
DAY OF RECOLLECTION
The Brothers of the Little Oratory invite you to a Day of Recollection in preparation for Advent on Saturday 22nd November. The day will begin with the 10am Mass at the Lady Altar in the Oratory Church, followed by a programme in the Little Oratory including two conferences, prayers, Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, concluding at 3pm. All are welcome – men and women – and no registration is required. Please bring a packed lunch. St Wilfrid’s Hall will be open, with spiritual books available for quiet reflection. Tea and biscuits will be available after Benediction.
ORATORY CHRISTMAS LUNCH
The Oratory will host the Christmas Lunch (on Christmas Day) for the elderly and lonely as in previous years. We are looking for drivers to pick up and return one or more guests on the day. If you are able to help, please let us know by email: svpxmaslunch@gmail.com.
CAROL SERVICE
The annual Carol Service will be on Thursday 18th December at 7.30pm. Doors open at 7.00pm.
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS HANDMADE IN BETHLEHEM
Bethlehem Baubles is a social enterprise producing unique recycled glass decorations handmade by artisans in and around Bethlehem. Every year the artisans change the designs and include dated ribbons with the baubles, making them very collectible. They work closely with Muslim and Christian communities to provide much needed employment and support for families in the Holy Land – the heart of the Christmas events. We are encourage you to buy their decorations not only because they are lovely and for a worthwhile cause, but because they will also give the Oratory £3.50 for every item sold. Using our unique code c9 will also give you a 5% discount. You will see a sample bauble in the Oratory Bookshop and the flyers explaining it all are at the back of the church. Take one home with you and please remember to use our unique code c9 when you checkout online at www.bethlehembaubles.com.
TYBURN MARTYRS TALK
Learn about their heroic lives in the crypt at Tyburn Convent, 8 Hyde Park Place, W2 2LJ. Thursday 20th November, 6pm. Please register at rsvp@wordsbyjacqui.com. The talk is free, but donations for the sisters are welcome.
ST MARY’S UNIVERSITY CHRISTMAS CONCERT
On Monday 1st December at 6.30pm, the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School, directed by Charles Cole, will lead a Christmas Carol Concert as part of St Mary's University’s 175th Anniversary celebrations. The service will be a mixture of readings, traditional carols and schola pieces followed by mince pies and mulled wine. Tickets are priced at £10 and can be purchased on this website.
IGNATIAN SPIRITUAL EXERCISES FOR MEN
A great opportunity to experience St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises for men in a 5-day, shortened form: 4th–9th and 11th–16th February 2026. The retreat will be guided by the monastic community of St Joseph’s Abbey, Flavigny (France), who were founded with the specific charism of offering this version of the Exercises and with a particular apostolate to men. The retreat is open to men in all states of life. For more information and how to book, see this website.
JUBILEE YEAR INDULGENCES
The Diocese of Westminster has produced a guide how to obtain the plenary indulgence for the Jubilee Year, without the need to travel to Rome or other pilgrimage centres around the world. The guide is available as https://rcdow.org.uk/jubilee-2025/the-jubilee-indulgence-step-by-step/
HELPING THE HOMELESS AND NEEDY IN OUR AREA
HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton) run a morning shelter to assist those who are homeless or in 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
CONTACTLESS GIVING AVAILABLE
Click here for more information.
You can also donate by bank transfer or via Stripe (see here). 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 surname and first 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.