Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year C)

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The Beautiful Month of May As we celebrate this Fifth Sunday of Easter in the beautiful month of May, our thoughts naturally turn to Our Blessed Lady, Mary, the Mother of God. May has long been dedicated to her in the life of the Church, a time to reflect more deeply on her maternal care, her obedience to God's will, and her unique role in our salvation history.   In today’s Gospel, Our Lord says: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34). Mary is the perfect model of this love—gentle, steadfast, and self-giving. She shows us how to love her Son and one another with humility and joy. As we strive to live out this new commandment of Love, which is a Gift from God, we draw closer to Mary, our Mother, and seek her intercession in our daily lives.   We are especially blessed this year to honour Our Lady under her ancient title of Our Lady of Walsingham. On Sunday 18th May at 1.30pm, we warmly invite all parishioners to a special talk in the Parish Centre exploring the history, spirituality and significance of Walsingham. It is a perfect opportunity to prepare our hearts for the Parish Pilgrimage to Walsingham on Saturday 7th June.   Let us use this month to renew our devotion to Mary, asking her to lead us ever closer to her Son. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us! With every blessing in Christ,  Deacon Paul Please pray for those who are sick: Gwynneth Flower, Lina Senior, Elizabeth Freeman, Peter 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: Fr Aidan Sharratt.   Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:  Denis Millard,   William Barlow, Nora Ahearn, Hazel Magtoto, Joyce Hofton, George Rowcliffe, Mary Elisabeth Whitehead, Charlie Kelly, Ellie Seth, Anthony McLoughlin. Congratulations! Well done to over 50 children of our parish celebrating their First Holy Communion around this time. We pray for them and their families, with grateful thanks to Sr Maureen and all our catechists and helpers for their hard work throughout the year. Talk on the Spirituality and History of Walsingham Sunday 18th May 2025, 1.30pm                                                                     We are delighted to remind all parishioners of our forthcoming day pilgrimage to Our Lady’s National Shrine and Basilica at Walsingham on Saturday 7th June (scroll down to dedicated notice for more details). Walsingham, known as “England’s Nazareth”, is a place of deep spiritual significance, where countless pilgrims have journeyed for centuries to seek Our Lady’s intercession and to deepen their faith. This pilgrimage offers a special opportunity for prayer, reflection, and fellowship within our parish community, as we come together in devotion to Our Blessed Mother, as part of our Jubilee year celebrations.   To help us prepare spiritually for our pilgrimage, all are warmly invited to a special talk on “The History and Spirituality of Walsingham”, which will take place on Sunday 18th May at 1.30pm in the Parish Centre, following the 12 noon Mass. This talk will provide valuable insights into the rich tradition of Walsingham, its importance in the life of the Church in England, and how our own pilgrimage can be a moment of grace and renewal.   Please save both dates in your diary and consider joining us for these special events. Please contact the Parish Office for more information: [email protected] - Tel: 020 7937 4778. In Christ, Deacon Paul   Jubilee Year: Talk - Allen Hall Saturday 7th June To Celebrate the Jubilee Year, Pilgrims of Hope and the 1700th Anniversary of Nicaea, the first Ecumenical Council, there will be a talk at Allen Hall Seminary on the eve of Pentecost, Saturday, 7 June at 3pm entitled, “The Holy Spirit – Taste and Dynamism of Hope”. It will be given by Canon John O’Leary, Rector of Allen Hall. He also teaches philosophy at the seminary and lectures on the doctrine of Creation and Eschatology at St Mary’s University. You are invited to stay for refreshments after the talk, then enjoy a tour of Allen Hall with an explanation of its rich history starting at 5pm. You are also most welcome to join the Allen Hall community for Vespers at 5:30 pm. This will end with devotions to the Douai Martyrs - including veneration of St John Southworth’s relic. The afternoon will finish at about 6 pm. To help plan for numbers, please register to attend by emailing [email protected] (her name is Monica). Numbers are limited, so early registration is recommended! Just coming for the talk without staying for any other part of the afternoon is fine.  However, kindly indicate for which additional elements of the programme you wish to stay. The address of Allen Hall is 28 Beaufort Street, Chelsea, SW3 5AA (it’s on the site of St Thomas More’s House). Buses 19, 49, 319, 345 stop practically at the front door and nos. 11 and 22 stop close by on the King’s Road. If you register, but then find you cannot attend, please let Monica know so that your place can be allocated to someone else. Thank you. ST EDMUND’S COLLEGE Diocesan Pilgrimage  - 12th July 2025   St Edmund’s College, Ware, the oldest Catholic College in England, is a continuation on English soil of the famous college that was founded Cardinal William Allen at Douay in Flanders in 1568. It is important to us because it was probably the strongest single agency by which Catholicism was kept from perishing in England. Originally intended as a seminary to prepare priests to work in England to keep the faith alive, it soon also became a Catholic boys’ school, debarred as they were by the laws of the land from having such institutions at home. Many of its students, both priests and laymen, returned to England to be put to death under the anti-Catholic laws of the time, and the College has among its alumni 20 canonised and 133 beatified martyrs. The seminary part of the College moved to Allen Hall in Chelsea in 1975, but the school, now co-educational, continues to this day. Buried in its grounds are the bodies of some of the Vicars Apostolic who looked after the Church in the south of this country before the restoration of the Hierarchy in 1850.   OUTLINE PROGRAMME – Saturday 12 July 2025   11am               Pilgrims are invited to arrive and gather. Confessions will be available.  There is ample parking 12noon           Solemn Mass for the Jubilee Year celebrated by H.E. Cardinal Vincent Nichols in the school grounds – please bring suitable clothing etc in the event of rain. 1.30pm           Picnic lunch (bring your own); tours of the College.  Adoration and Confessions in the Chapel during this break. 2.45pm           Procession of the Blessed Sacrament; please gather outside the College Chapel for the procession to the school grounds where Mass was celebrated and where Benediction will now be given. 4pm                Departures.   St Edmund's College Farm Lane, Old Hall Green, Ware, Hertfordshire SG11 1DS Contact: 0207 798 9173 UPDATED - 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. Those wishing to join can meet Fr Francis at High Street Kensington Station at 10:30am. We will travel by tube to the starting point. We will follow the footsteps of London saints, visit various churches, holy sites,  with prayers and meditations along the way. More information:  www.rcdow.org.uk/jubilee-2025/westminster-way Priest Training Fund - Collection, 10th-11th May 2025 Thank you for your generosity to the Priest Training Fund collection last weekend. It is not too late to make a donation if you wish. Envelopes are available in the back of the church, or by contacting the parish office. Please continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood. You can also donate via the diocesan website, visit: https://rcdow.org.uk/donations/priests-training-fund/ Volunteers Needed for White City Foodbank Mondays 10am–2pm Our parish continues its commitment to social action by supporting the White City Foodbank at the RC Church of Our Lady of Fatima, Commonwealth Avenue. As part of this support, the foodbank is now seeking new volunteers to help on Mondays from 10am to 2pm. You can volunteer once a month or once a fortnight—there’s no need to commit every week. No special skills are required—just a willingness to serve, a spirit of compassion, and a splash of common sense. I volunteered there on Monday 12th May and was struck by how well-organised and welcoming it was. It brought to life the Gospel call to serve those in need: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink” (Matthew 25:35). If you’d like to volunteer or find out more, please contact Laura Allison (Outreach Worker) at [email protected] or email the parish office at [email protected]. Your time, even once a month, can make a real difference. Yours in Christ, Deacon Paul 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 Pilgrimage to Paris - a Journey of Faith & History 12th-15th September 2025 - with The Tablet & McCabe Travel   Join us for a 4-day pilgrimage to the heart of Paris, where history, culture and spirituality converge. Explore sacred sites, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, with expert guides. Spiritual guide: Fr Nigel Woollen. Three nights in a four-star, art-deco hotel near Montmartre. Return Eurostar travel from London. All breakfasts, dinners & 2 lunches included. From £1,890 per person sharing, limited single rooms available. To book, call McCabe Travel: 01252 226133 quoting “The Tablet” or visit: https://www.mccabe-travel.co.uk/pilgrimages/notre-dame-de-paris/   Vocations Weekend for Women (20s and 30s) Discerning God's Call in your life  23rd - 25th May, Liverpool The weekend is organised by the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ). Jesus invites each of us to 'Come and See' - this weekend will give the opportunity to explore the vocation to religious life and to reflect on God's call to you. You are welcome to stay for the weekend or just come along on Saturday for the day. There will be opportunity for prayer, reflection and input, chance to ask questions and to meet others who are also wondering where God is calling them. For more information contact Sr Lynne fcJ at [email protected] or visit our website: www.fcjsisters.org  To register: https://bit.ly/FCJVocationWeekend 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 Saturday (vigil): 6 pm Sunday: 9 am, 10.30 am, 12 pm and 6 pm.  Monday to Friday: 10 am   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 11.15 am. 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