3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

‘Leaving home, finding home.’   Dear parishioners, dear friends, For most of us home is a precious place. In many lives there comes a time we need to or want to leave the home we have known. Does it matter to you where you were born? Do you still have a feeling for the place and the people? Jesus grew up in Nazareth. We know him as Jesus of Nazareth.  We also know he left that place. He feels the need to go beyond his past, to follow his calling. When he returns his reputation has gone before him. The famous preacher delivers a marvellous oration. But his old neighbours don’t allow his wisdom to interfere with their memories of him. They won’t allow Jesus, the carpenters  son to grow up. They want to lock him in his the past and his former identity. There are times we have to leave a place, a people to grow into the person God wants us to be. Yet we all desire to be at home. We all need  a place of nurture, sustenance and hope. “Home is the place where, when you have to go there. They have to take you in,”(Robert Frost). Jesus  had to leave Nazareth to become the person his Father wanted him to be. In doing so he establishes a community, a body of people, who would recognise  as Paul says in 1 Cor 12:12-30 their need for each other. That’s us, We the Church, the family of God are pledged to  support the growing life of the  Spirit in each one of us . Welcome home Mgr. Jim Curry     The Prayer of the Synod: Adsumus Sancte Spiritus Attributed to St. Isidore of Seville (560-636), it has been traditionally used at Councils and Synods for hundreds of years. The version below was specifically designed for the Church’s Synodal journey from 2021 to 2023. We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts; Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions. Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen. Diocesan Website Vatican Synod Office Confirmation Course   We are glad to announce that on Monday 17th January at 6.15 pm our parish confirmation course will commence. For more information and an outline of the programme of the course please click on the button below Confirmation Course A New Grand Organ   The inauguration and blessing of our new Grand Organ was a truly spiritual experience. Thank you to all who contributed  to the Liturgy, ushering and serving .   The Grand Organ of Our Lady of Victories was commissioned in 2019, and completed in 2021. There are 53 speaking stops over four manual divisions and pedals. Built by the Slovenian firm Skrabl, it is constructed and voiced in the French Symphonic style—inspired by the 19th century work of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. Inspiration for the instrument and console is drawn from several Parisian instruments: Notre Dame Cathedral, La Madeleine, and Sacre Coeur. This French style is also imbued with a number of British design features and 21st-Century characteristics, such as a 'pedal divide' function. Some of the pipework from the old instrument was retained and restored, and these surviving pipes have been incorporated into the new organ, alongside the brand new pipework. The versatility of the instrument allows the organ to be used very effectively in a wide range of musical styles. both for the accompaniment of choral repertoire, improvisation, and for solo organ music. The organ design process was led by Director of Music Timothy Macklin to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude ,and consultant David Bednall; with advice from several leading international organists.    The 2022 Grand Organ Inauguration Festival will continue with two more concerts:  - Friday 29 April 2022: 19h30 (Wayne MARSHALL - International Concert Organist) - Friday 1 July 2022: 19h30 (Johann VEXO - Nancy Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.) For further information about all concerts and for buying the tickets  (£10 each), please click on the link below Grand Organ recital by Olivier Latry   Tickets ‘The God Who Speaks’ Scripture Festival  St Alban’s Cathedral Thursday 3rd - Saturday 5th February 2022   You are invited to our God Who Speaks Festival at St Albans Cathedral from 3rd to 5th February 2022. We hope that all pilgrims, whether from schools, parishes, or just visitors to the Cathedral will have an encounter with Christ through His Word at this three-day event. From 10:00am to 4:00pm we will be offering different ways of exploring the  Scriptures in prayer, through creative activities and in Bible study. Join us for a joyful and profound experience. Come and join the pilgrimage. Explore the ‘tents of encounter with the Word’,  participate in the times of prayer and reflection, enjoy family friendly activities and much more. Find out what's on by clicking on the link below. Scripture Festival OLOV LATEST NEWS GIFT AID DONATIONS:   Dear Parishioners:   We have worked with our colleagues in the Parish Support Team towards procedures for processing the Gift Aid from contactless donations trough the Dona provider. When signing a Gift Aid declaration on the device, you also will be asked if you would like your previous contactless donations to be Gift Aided as well.  Further, as entering a Gift Aid declaration on the device can take a couple of minutes, we want to help reduce the amount of time you may spend on the device, and reduce the queue for it. Leaflets have been created and placed at the back of the church and on the notice board. These contain a QR code that will enable you to use your smartphone to make your Gift Aid declaration. You can also access the Dona portal and leave your donation by simply scanning the underneath QR code:   WEEKLY MASS SCHEDULE:   Monday to Friday - 10.00 am Saturday - 6.00 pm Sunday - 9.00 am, 10.30 am, 12.00 pm and 6.00 pm.    ALL OUR MASSES WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED FROM OUR WEBSITE.   EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Each Wednesday, soon after mass, there will be the possibility to spend some time in prayer in front of the most blessed sacrament, immediately after mass. During that time a priest will be available to hear your confession. Adoration will finish at noon with the prayer of the Angelus.  Confessions are also available every Saturday from 5 pm to 5.45 pm. Please take note that due to the Covid restrictions confessions will be heard in Our Lady Chapel. BLESSING OF HOUSES:   For anyone who would like to have the house blessed, Fr Marco we will available to arrange it. Please send an email to marcosalvagnini@rcdow.org.uk CERTIFICATE OF CATHOLIC PRACTICE:   If you need a Certificate of Catholic Practice for Secondary Transfer please phone the parish office and ask to make an appointment to see Mgr Jim.   Please do keep an eye on the website: www.ourladyofvictories.net which will be updated on a weekly basis. To all who are travelling at this time, stay safe and travel well.   Mgr Jim Curry & Fr Marco Salvagnini   Our Lady of Victories Daily Mass and Confession Times Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  kensington1@rcdow.org.uk