Easter Sunday (Year C)

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

JESUS IS RISEN - ALLELUIA! Today throughout the world there resounds the message proclaimed 2,000 years ago from Jerusalem: “Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has been raised!” (Mk 16:6).   The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a great stone. Today too, great stones, heavy stones, block the hopes of humanity: the stone of war, humanitarian crises, human rights violations, human trafficking, and other stones as well. Like the women disciples of Jesus, we ask: “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (Mk 16:3). This is the amazing discovery of that Easter morning: the immense stone was rolled away. The astonishment of the women is our astonishment as well: the tomb of Jesus is open and it is empty! From this, everything begins anew! Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is risen! He alone has the power to roll away the stones that block the path to life. He, the living One, is himself that path. He is the Way: the way that leads to life, the way of peace, reconciliation and fraternity. He opens that path, humanly impossible, because he alone takes away the sin of the world and forgives us our sins. For without God’s forgiveness, that stone cannot be removed. Without the forgiveness of sins, there is no overcoming the barriers of prejudice, mutual recrimination, the presumption that we are always right and others wrong. Only the risen Christ, by granting us the forgiveness of our sins, opens the way for a renewed world. Pope Francis, Easter message 2024   Wishing you and your loved ones a very Blessed Eastertide! from Fr Nigel, Fr Francis, Deacon Paul and the team Please pray for those who are sick: Gwynneth Flower, Lina Senior, Elizabeth Freeman, Eileen Hawthorne, Vidal Geronimo, Estelita Risaldo, Claire Godinho, Eunice Van Vurren, Canice Carson, Pamela Faber, James Langan and Theresa Chee.    Please pray for those who are recently deceased: Eileen Brennan, June Scully.   Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:  Joseph Marshall, Liam Doherty, Hugh Alexis Rossi, Gerard Ward, Rajiv Edwards, William Adams, Hilda Staples, Christine St John Maurer. Congratulations To the families of Filipe and Tyler who were baptised on 5th and 12th April respectively. May the Lord continue to bless your families with his grace, mercy and peace. Easter Offerings The collection on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday are the two main sources of income for the priests. Clergy income is derived from the  Christmas and Easter Offerings as well as Mass Stipends and offerings from baptisms, wedding and funerals. This is paid into the parish and then distributed to the clergy. These offerings can also be gift aided. Thank you.  Welcoming Christ in the Homeless - a Thank You to our Parish Volunteers As the Spring emerges, we offer heartfelt thanks to the many parishioners who gave their time and love to our Friday Night Shelter Glass Door Programme, hosted in the Parish Centre from October through April. Inspired by Christ’s words in Matthew 25:40 – “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” – your service has been a living witness to our faith in action. Through our partnership with Glass Door Homeless Charity, we were part of a network that provided nearly 15,000 safe nights indoors to those who would otherwise have been sleeping rough. Of the 570 individuals welcomed across all shelters, 112 have already been housed – a testament to the stability and encouragement offered by compassionate volunteers like you. Every hot meal served, every kind word shared, and every bed provided was not only an act of charity, but also an encounter with Christ Himself. Behind each number is a person – someone who found warmth, dignity, and hope under our roof because of your generosity. To all who cooked, cleaned, conversed, prayed, and made space in their hearts – thank you. You have helped make the Gospel visible. May God bless you abundantly for what you have done for Him in the least of His brethren. Suzanne Williams, Caritas Representative Thank You to all our volunteers for helping make this a wonderful Easter celebration, especially to our cleaning team, Readers, Altar Servers, Ushers and Eucharistic Ministers. Newsletter: Your next newsletter will be on 4th May. Save the Date - Parish Jubilee Walking Pilgrimage On Saturday 24th May we will be walking the 'Westminster Way', beginning at English Martyrs Church, Tower Hill to Westminster Cathedral, Victoria. Approximately 2 hours walking time. Following the footsteps of London saints we will visit various churches, holy sites, with prayers and meditations along the way. More information:  www.rcdow.org.uk/jubilee-2025/westminster-way Woman in the Church: A Summit by St Patrick’s Saturday 10th May | 10am–5pm St Patrick's, Soho (21A Soho Square, London W1D 4NR) Understanding womanhood is an issue for all of us: men and women alike.  We’re delighted to invite you to this year's Jubilee Summit: a full day of talks, panels and conversation exploring womanhood in the Catholic tradition — featuring Kerri Christopher, the Sisters of Life, award-winning poet Sally Read, and more.  Open to men and women. Student, standard & sponsored tickets available – no tickets sold on the door Book now: www.stpatricksoho.org/woman-in-the-church Follow @stpatrickssoho on socials for speaker reveals, programme and updates! Priest Training Fund - Collection, 10/11 May 2025 This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood. There are currently 13 men studying at Allen Hall seminary for our own Diocese, including 2 deacons. We also have 2 seminarians at the Royal English College in Valladolid. Last year 3 deacons who studied at Allen Hall were ordained priests. Your gift ensures we can provide training for these men responding to Christ’s call to dedicate their lives to serve God’s people. Please be as generous as you can. Please also pray for vocations and for all our priests. Thank you for your generosity! Jubilee of Communications Competition As part of the Jubilee Year of Pilgrims of Hope, the Church is celebrating the great service that communications teams offer all over the world, and praising God for how he uses them to build his Church. Westminster Youth Ministry are celebrating young talented writers by their Framing Hope competition series, and we can’t wait for you to get stuck in! Write us an article answering the following question: How do you live as a Pilgrim of Hope in your daily life? Deadline: Friday, 14th November at 12:00. Word limit: 750 words 3 age categories: 11-14, 15-17, 18-35.  All the details can be found at: https://youth.rcdow.org.uk/january-jubilee-of-communications/   Jubilee of Artists Competition Throughout the ages, art has played a central role in the way the Church teaches her children about God’s plan of salvation for us. Historically, when only the most educated could read and write, visual art both evangelised and catechised (stained glass windows, altar-pieces, sculpture and painting…). Today, art remains an indispensable expression of the soul’s hunger for God, and of the wonders of God’s creation. So during the Jubilee Year the Church wishes to celebrate her artists, through whom God never ceases to speak to us and show us his love. Westminster Youth Ministry are excited to take part in these celebrations by celebrating young talented artists in our Framing Hope competition series, and we can’t wait for you to get stuck in! We want you to create a piece of artwork that represents HOPE. Artwork will be judged by the Westminster Youth Ministry team. The winning pieces and the runners-up will be exhibited in our Retreat Centre and online for all to see. 3 age categories: 11-14, 15-17, 18-35. Submission deadline is 12:00 on Friday 14th of November 2025. All the details can be found here: https://youth.rcdow.org.uk/february-jubilee-of-artists/ 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 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