Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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The Generosity of God – John Ch 6: v 1-15       Dear parishioners and friends, Food is a necessity. Feeding the hungry is a Christian duty. Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks. We can’t multiply food as Jesus did. But we don’t have to. All we have to do is share it or the money to buy it. The Lord continues  to ask the question he asked Phillip : where can we  buy bread for these people to eat ? This is expressed beautifully in the prayer which  the priest says over the bread  at the preparation of the gifts-offertory of the Mass every Sunday, in fact, every day at Mass. “Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,  for through your goodness we have received  the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.” This short, easily missed prayer “locates” in one sense, the Holy Eucharist.  The bread that is about to be transformed by the words of the priest and the action of the Holy Spirit is acknowledged to be already the gift of the “Lord God of all creation” and the “fruit of the earth and work of human hands.”  The simple bread that the priest holds is itself, even before its supernatural transformation into the true body and blood of Christ, the natural gift of God as the “fruit of the earth.”  The natural bread itself reflects the ordinary gift of the interaction of God and human beings – bread does not arise on its own.  Bread arises when human beings take and mix the gifts God has given in the created world, flour and water, and bakes them by the gift of fire.  Human hands take up and shape the natural ingredients and transform them into the recognizable substance of bread. The generosity of God openness our hearts to those who hunger for bread and nourishment.   +Jim Bishop James Curry Michael Latham RIP  May he rest in peace. The funeral will take place on Wednesday 7th August at 11 am. There will be no 10 am Mass on that day.  Margaret Mangan RIP Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Mangan family. May she rest in peace. Amen. The funeral will take place on  Monday 5th August at 10 am.   Becoming Catholic? Are you interested in becoming Catholic or are you an adult who has not yet been confirmed? Contact the Parish office or Fr Francis for more information. Catholic Women’s Association The Catholic Women’s Association (CWA) is seeking to establish a group in the Parish of Our Lady of Victories (OLOV), and in this part of London.  The main goal of the CWA is to enhance the spiritual growth of Catholic women in all walks of life and empower women to participate more effectively in service and evangelization in the Church, under the special patronage of Blessed Mary the Mother of God. Membership is open to all Catholic women over the age of 18. If you want to know more- Come and See, or make contact with Deacon Paul who will be the chaplain for the local group here in our Parish. Summer Mass Schedule There will be no newsletter during August. The website will be updated. Summer Sunday Mass schedule: Weekday Mass Mon– Fri 10am, 6pm Saturday Vigil/anticipated. Sunday  9.00 10.30 & 1200. No 6pm in August. Mass will be  available at 6pm on Sundays at the Carmelite Church 41 Kensington Church Street W8 4BB.  Thank you Gift Join us as we say thank you to Bishop James as he completes his  Ministry as Parish Priest of OLOV after 16 years, for his dedication and service to our parish and for blessing us in so many ways. Parishioners  can express their gratitude with a contribution to the collection for the farewell gift. To say thank you as parishioners, please send in to the office or pay into the parish account directly and  ref: ‘Thank You’ Parish Account: OLOV, a/c 61263714, sort code: 400520.   Summer Break Many parishioners are leaving for the summer, some are leaving the parish for pastures new, we wish you all well. Prayer Loving Father, during this time of rest and relaxation, please repair in me whatever is broken, and revive my drooping spirit. Let this vacation be a graced time of recollection and rejuvenation, of deeper self-awareness and eager self-giving. May it be an occasion of refreshment and reinvigoration-a time to reclaim my friendship with Jesus Christ, who is our Lord now and for ever. Amen. Newsletter: We will change our pace for the summer month of August. Our next newsletter will be in September. The Parish website will be updated, so please keep an eye on it for updates and information.       Save the Date - Jerusalem Ball  Saturday, 12 October 2024, 6:30 PM One Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2EJ Ticket: £175 Tickets for under-35s booked before August 31: £135* Join us for the 9th Jerusalem Ball, a dinner, dance and fundraiser in support of the charitable works of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. https://jerusalemball.org.uk “Let them praise his name with dancing” - Psalm 149:3 Pauline Books and Media The bookshop will be open from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Friday and Sunday.    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: 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] 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. Parish Team: Bhp James Curry (Parish Priest) Fr Francis Thomas (Assistant Priest) Rev’d Paul Hewitt (Permanent Deacon)  Sr Maureen McNamara (Sacramental Programmes) Mrs Rachel Mulira (Parish Secretary) Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  [email protected]