Fourth Sunday of Lent

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The Offertory: Part 4 Dear parishioners and friends, How does it work? The gifts of bread and wine are placed at the back of the Church before Mass begins. It is recommended that members of the faithful bring the gifts to the sanctuary and ‘the congregation’s identification with the gifts is best expressed if the procession passes right through their midst’. At the appropriate moment the gifts are brought forward and handed to the priest or deacon. Usually at this point the collection begins being taken up. After the bearers have presented their gifts, it would be appropriate for them to make a profound bow to the altar. If ministers (priest/deacon/servers) stand between the bearers and the Altar to receive the gifts, the bearers logically wait to bow until the ministers have cleared their view of the Altar. The Altar now becomes the central focus of the Mass. The Altar itself is Christ. The five consecration crosses on the mensa of the Altar, for instance, reveal that the Altar is Christ because they indicate his five wounds (his side, hands, and feet). Furthermore, the Christian Altar, is fundamentally different from other altars through history because it is not simply a dedicated table upon which gifts are offered to a god. It is Christ present among his people, who then receive the sacrifice that he offers ‘on’ his very person. Mothering Sunday   To all our mothers, have a happy Mothering Sunday.   Young Adults LENT RETREAT DAY with the Assumption Sisters & Fathers on Saturday 16th March 2024 11am – 7pm. Venue: the Assumption Priory, Victoria Park Square, London E2 9PB (closest tube station: Bethnal Green). Programme: including talks • prayer, adoration and confessions • Stations of the Cross • faith sharing • Mass and social time. Donations only.   Register by emailing to: [email protected] The Catholic Union Of Great Britain Sometime this year there will be a General Election, and we want to be able to respond in a meaningful and helpful way as part of the national campaign, whenever the election is called. To inform our work during this crucial election year, we have launched a survey to give people the chance to have their say on what matters most of them. We want to make sure that our work is focused on those areas which lay Catholics care most about and where we can have the greatest impact. I strongly encourage you to take part. Follow the link: https://catholicunion.org.uk/2024/02/election-survey/ St John Passion As part of our Lenten devotions, Westminster Cathedral Choir will perform Johann Sebastian Bach's retelling of St John Passion. The event will take place on Thursday 14th March 2024 at 7.30pm at Westminster Cathedral. J.S. Bach's setting of the Passion story was first performed in 1724 and has since become a popular staple of the season of Lent. This is a wonderful chance to hear the Cathedral’s superb choir performing one of the greatest pieces of Easter music ever written. Discounted tickets are available at the following link, using the password  below. https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/1F00602BD7A81B4F?did=sjp30 Password: SJP30 St Patrick’s Night Party - FHL Kensington sponsored by Rickman Properties. On Saturday 16 March at 7pm, at Our Lady of Victories Church Kensington High Street W8. Live music with Sean Brady, Irish Dance display, Open buffet, Guiness and lots more. For tickets (£25), contact [email protected] or call 0207 937 4778/07746 847 126. You are invited to attend Mass in honour of St Patrick beforehand at 6.00pm. Stations of the Cross Stations take place in the Church on Friday's in Lent at 6.30pm Annual Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sacrament of Matrimony Westminster Cathedral, Saturday 25th May 2024 at 2:30pm. The Cardinal is inviting to this Mass all couples in the Diocese, who are celebrating their 5th 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th (and every year over 60) wedding anniversary of Catholic marriage in 2024. If you are celebrating an anniversary, please give your parish clergy the following details: husband and wife’s names, wedding date, full postal address and email (or telephone number, if no email). 2024 Encounter Festival In June this year we have our 2024 Encounter Festival - a weekend retreat where young adults can experience a deep Encounter with God and do so with friends. Fill out the RSVP to reserve your place (There are limited  residential tickets available - payments to be taken at a later date). https://forms.gle/vtTipvQs6vuZhPnA9   Here are some promo videos for you to watch to get more of an idea of the Encounter Festival  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yz6ByrFKYL8      Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal 2024 If you can, please show your support for the Cardinal’s Lenten Appeal. All funds raised go towards projects across our Diocese. Each year, the Diocese uses donations made to support the work of our services, such as Marriage & Family Life; Youth Ministry, and Education.  Funds are also used to support the work of Caritas Westminster, who work for and with some of the most vulnerable people in our Diocese. His Eminence, Cardinal Nichols, has expressed his gratitude to everyone who supports the Appeal, with whatever they can afford. So, please take a donation envelope today, for more information. Thank you for your generosity. Mary’s Meals is a simple solution to world hunger and provides 2.4 million children every day with one meal in their place of education in some of the poorest countries of the world. We are working to reach the next hungry child and to do so need more volunteers in London for administrative tasks or to make phone calls. The work can be done from our office on a Thursday near Notting Hill/Holland Park or from home. If you would like to know more please contact [email protected] or 077141-33383. Thank you.   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: Young Adult Group This is a group for people in their 20s and 30s and aims to build a community in the parish. More events will be coming soon. If there are any questions, please send us an email at: [email protected] or join our WhatsApp group using the QR code:  Welcome to all our Parishioners If you are new to the parish, please come and say hello and complete the new parishioner registration form which can be found on our website:  https://www.ourladyofvictories.net/parish-registrationfinancial-support.html Here you can also find further information on all our parish activities. Leaving a Legacy In the last year, the parish has received a number of legacies from parishioners who have remembered the work of the parish in their wills. Please pray for the repose of the souls of those parishioners. They will be remembered in our annual donors Mass. Please consider remembering the parish in your will. See the leaflets at the back of the Church or call 0207 798 9375 or email [email protected] Pauline Books and Media The Sisters of the Pauline run their shop in the repository at Our Lady of Victories Church from Tuesday to Friday and Sunday from 9am to1pm. The contact number is 07561456074.  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 through the Dona provider. When signing a Gift Aid declaration on the device, you will also be asked if you would like your previous contactless donations to be Gift Aided.  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: You can also donate securely by debit or credit card by clicking on the button created at the section end.   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.    Eucharistic Adoration and Confession On Wednesday's, after the 10am Mass, there is Eucharistic Adoration. This is an opportunity to spend some time in prayer before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. During that time a priest will also be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Adoration concludes at Noon with the prayer of the Angelus. Confessions are also available every Saturday from 5 pm to 5.45 pm.   Please do keep an eye on the website: www.ourladyofvictories.net which will be updated weekly.  Mgr Jim Curry & Fr Francis   Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  [email protected]