Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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The end of Democracy? JD Vance, Vice-President of the United States, in his speech to the Munich security conference last week, highlighted some areas of concern for Europe in how it has been upholding, what he calls, ‘shared democratic values’.1 He gave examples of where freedom of speech, and freedom of conscience, have been severely lacking. These are underlying principles of democracy, where by people are free to say their opinion on a subject, free from the risk of being shut down, arrested, or imprisoned. For example, ‘Brussels, where EU commissars warn citizens that they intend to shut down social media during times of civil unrest the moment they spot what they’ve judged to be, quote, “hateful content”’. 1 In this editorial, I have already highlighted the case of Adam Smith-Connor.2 In Scotland, residents in a buffer zone around an abortion clinic have been told, ‘that even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law’ and worse ‘the government urged readers to report any fellow citizens suspected guilty of thoughtcrime’.1 In Wales, a teacher was sacked over sharing his opinion on topics such as Sharia Law, same-sex marriage, and abortion during a training day.3 These may seem like outlier examples, but for democracy to survive, Mr Vance argued, it relies on the freedom of citizens ‘speaking up and expressing opinions’.1 I wonder how free each of us feels to proclaim the Gospel to our brothers and sisters? To proclaim our Catholic beliefs at our place of work or education?  Fr Francis  1 https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/18/vance-speech-munich-full-text-read-transcript-europe/ 2  Newsletter Editorial 03/11/24 3 https://news.sky.com/story/teacher-fired-over-comments-on-abortion-and-sharia-law-not-unfairly-dismissed-tribunal-finds-13311752 Please pray for those who are sick: Vidal Geronimo, Claire Godinho, Eunice Van Vurren, Canice Carson, Laetitia Smith, Rolando Lirio, James Langan and  Theresa Chee.    Please pray for those who are recently deceased:  Margaret Pirie and Marina Giraldi.   Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:  John William O’Brien, Mary Finn, Mary Gilbert, Olive Wilden, Mark Joseph, Ellen Evans. Ash Wednesday - 5th March 10am Mass (with All Saints Catholic College pupils and choir attending) 7pm Mass (with Our Lady of Victories Choir) Ashes will be distributed at both Masses. The Victorious Word Podcast Each Sunday during Lent a new episode of The Victorious Word podcast will be released, hosted by Charlie Brown and featuring Fr Nigel and Fr Francis. In the podcast they will share their thoughts on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings, to help get the most out of our Lenten journey. Walk with us as we explore and meditate upon the deep spiritual riches of this great season of Lent. You can access the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, from your smart speaker, just search for ‘The Victorious Word podcast’. The trailer is available now! Our Lady of Victories annual St Patrick’s Party - Saturday 15th March This annual charity event will take place in the church hall on Saturday 15th March at 7pm. All money raised to supporting Christians in Bethlehem and Gaza. Irish music, dance, drink, buffet and prize raffle. Tickets Adult - £25.Children - (accompanied by an adult) £5. Please support this event to help our Christian brothers and sisters suffering today in the Holy Land. Buy your tickets in the Pauline Shop at the back of the church or call 07746847126 or in the Parish office. Governor Opportunity at St Charles St Charles Sixth Form College in North Kensington  is appealing to Catholic members of our community who can dedicate  5hours for meetings, either in person each term  to support our vision, please get in touch with Sue Jacobs  the clerk at [email protected] or Margaret O’Riordan on [email protected] See flyer for more information. Invitation to Audition for Sound of Music The Earlscourtiers are performing Sound of Music this year at the Beatrix Potter Globe. They are looking for some good singers. For more information: https://earlscourtcommunitytrust.com/soundofmusic Stations of the Cross - 7pm Fridays in Lent Join us for this traditional meditation on the Lord's Passion and Death on each Friday during Lent at 7pm. Copies of the stations meditation will also be made available at the first station for individuals or families to use during Lent. We Dare To Hope – Lent Faith Sharing Groups In this Jubilee Year when we are to be ‘pilgrims of hope’, the ‘We Dare to Hope’ resource features Sacred Scripture, Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, the wisdom of the Saints, prayer, and reflective questions. We will be providing two faith sharing groups. Group 1 will meet after the 10am Mass on Fridays in Lent. Group 2 will meet after the 6pm Mass on Saturdays in Lent. Please sign up using the sheets on the noticeboard at the back of the Church. If you are unable to make either of these times but still would like to have a copy of the resource booklet for individual meditation, then contact Fr Francis, in person or [email protected] Jubilee 2025 Our designated Jubilee Church for the West Area of the diocese is St Gregory the Great, 447 Victoria Rd, South Ruislip HA4 0EG. Every Saturday: 10am Mass will be a Jubilee Mass, followed by Confession, Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. More events to follow. https://www.st-gregory.org.uk/ Mass for Bereaved Parents A Mass for bereaved parents will be celebrated in the Cathedral by Bishop Paul McAleenan on Saturday 5th April at 2pm. Parishioners are welcome to attend this Mass. Annual Mass of Thanksgiving for Matrimony at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 17th May 2025 at 2:30pm   The Cardinal invites couples in the Diocese celebrating in 2025 their 5th, 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, and 60th (and any year over 60) wedding anniversary of Catholic marriage. Please give your parish these details: husband and wife’s names, wedding date, number of years married, postal address, email (or phone number, if no email). Parish Pilgrimage to Walsingham – Jubilee Celebration: 7th June 2025 Mark your diaries for Saturday, 7th June 2025, as our parish embarks on a special day-pilgrimage to Walsingham, the ancient National Shrine lovingly known as “England’s Nazareth”.           This pilgrimage is a unique opportunity to celebrate the Holy Year Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Francis, a time of renewal, grace, and deepened faith. Please register your interest with the parish office as soon as possible but expect an early start from 7.30 am. For a commitment, we are requesting  £10 deposit. Donation: using the reference ‘Walsingham’: Bank: HSBC, 69 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5EY Sort Code: 40-05-20 Number: 61263714 Or in cash, or cheque  Account: Our Lady of Victories, Kensington Pauline Books and Media The bookshop will be open from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Friday and Sundays.  The shop will reopen on Friday on Jan 18th.The contact number is 07561 456074. Young Married Couples Group Are you a young married couple seeking to build friendships and desiring to connect with other young married couples? Well, a young married couples group is present in our parish. The purpose of the group is to offer support and foster friendship and connection among the many young married couples present in our parish. The ideal age range of the group is under 40. The group meets every month to socialize and foster communion and support. Among the different activities offered are meals together, trips out, games nights and social exercises. If you’re interested in attending, please email Steve and Annie Caprio at [email protected]. You can also join our Whatsapp group using the QR code below:  Welcome to all our Parishioners If you are new to the parish, please come and say hello and complete the parishioner registration form which can be found on our website:  https://www.ourladyofvictories.net/support.html Here you can also find further information on all our parish activities. 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 are live-streamed from our website.  Please note: the sanctuary and first five pews are livestreamed 24/7. All the celebrations of Mass are recorded. The recordings are kept securely for 28days, after which they are deleted.   Eucharistic Adoration and Confession On Wednesdays, after the 10am Mass, there is Eucharistic Adoration. This is an opportunity to spend some time in prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. A priest will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation from 10.30 to 11.15am. Adoration concludes with Benediction and the Angelus at Noon. Confession also available every Saturday from 5 to 5.45 pm. Parish Team: Fr Nigel Woollen (Parish Priest) Fr Francis Thomas (Assistant Priest) Rev. Paul Hewitt (Permanent Deacon)  Sr Maureen McNamara rsm (Sacramental Programmes) Mrs Rachel Mulira (Parish Secretary) Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  [email protected] Support our Parish Financially here