Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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What does a priest do? He prays. I have recently returned from a pilgrimage with the junior priests (those ordained in the past 6 years) to Assisi and Siena in Italy. We were accompanied by Bishop John Sherrington, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, and Fr John Farrell OP. It was such a privilege to visit the holy places associated with St Francis of Assisi, St Clare, Blessed Carlo Acutis (who was baptised at the Servite Church on Fulham Road and is to be canonised in April), and St Catherine. One of the highlights was celebrating Mass at St Francis’ tomb in the main Basilica. I prayed for you all at his tomb. We were reminded by our spiritual guide Fr John, of the importance of petitionary prayer. It is a fundamental ministry of a priest to pray. Yes, it may seem obvious, but we are tasked with praying for the intention of the people we have in our care and all who ask our prayers. The greatest prayer of all is the Mass, which is why the priest is given one particular intention for each Mass (you can book these through the Parish Office). But also, we are delighted to pray outside the Church, or be given an intention in passing, for someone who is sick, dying, dead, or in need. It is good to bring all these things to the Lord, in our own prayers and through the priest. We bring, not just our own intentions, but wider intentions for the Church and the world. For example, that the Church may grow in compassion for those on the margins in our society, for Racial Justice (the focus of this Sunday in the Church’s calendar), that all people may be respected for who they are, not based upon the colour of their skin, or where they are from. We pray that all discrimination in workplaces, communities and the Church may be eradicated. These are our prayers as a community of faith. Fr Francis Please pray for those who are sick: Vidal Geronimo, Megan Kemirembe, Claire Godinho, Eunice Van Vurren, Canice Carson, Laetitia Smith, Rolando Lirio, James Langan and  Theresa Chee.    Please pray for those who are recently deceased:  Delroy Dyall and Margaret Hewett.   Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:  Virginia Arendt, Mike Mizoguchi, Moses Ilo, Canon Adrian Arrowsmith, Billy Broderick, William Plantagie, Grainne Quinn and Charlotte Rice. Jane Gertrude O’Hora RIP May she rest in peace. The funeral will take place on Monday 17th February 2024 at 12 Noon. We send condolences to her family. Palm Crosses Please return your Palm Crosses from Palm Sunday 2024. These will be burnt to make ash for Ash Wednesday (5th March). Palms can be returned to the basket at the back of Church or through the letterbox of Clergy House (16 Abingdon Road). 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. 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/ Racial Justice Sunday 2025 is the thirtieth anniversary of Racial Justice Sunday. It takes place next Sunday 16 February.  The theme this year: “Pilgrims of Hope: Our Journey Together Towards Racial Justice”. Reflections on racial justice from different contributors, prayers, resources (including resources for primary and secondary schools) can all be found on the CBCEW  website at: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/racial-justice-sunday/ Please note there will be a collection to support the work of the diocese in fostering racial justice after all Masses next weekend. Jubilee Volunteering Fair Saturday 8th March, 3pm - 5pm in Cathedral Hall, Ambrosden Avenue, London SW1P 1QW. To celebrate the Jubilee of Volunteering Caritas Westminster are inviting you to a Volunteering Fair. To find out more please visit https://caritaswestminster.org.uk/event/jubilee-volunteering-fair/ or email [email protected] Make Jubilee 2025 a rewarding year through volunteering! 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. Flame 2025 - Saturday 15th March 2025 - OVO Arena Wembley A day gathering of 1000s of young Catholics aged from 14 – 21, with live music, talks, adoration and worship. More information on the special guests and music artists here: https://cymfed.org.uk/flame/ We have 10 tickets remaining, contact Fr Francis for more information: [email protected] Gift Aid and Planned Giving Weekly Offertory Envelopes We will shortly be ordering our offertory envelopes for the new tax year. 1.If you have been using your offertory envelopes then you will receive a new box for 2025-2026. There is no need for you to do anything. 2. If you have not used your envelopes at all in 2024 then we will not order a new box for you. You will need to request a box for the new year.  3. If you do not have offertory envelopes but would like to start using them, then please complete a planned giving form that is available at the back of the church. Alternatively you can send an email requesting offertory envelopes to [email protected]. Please include your name and postal address in the email.   Gift Aid Donations If you currently Gift Aid your donations, please let us know: a. If your name or address has changed; or  if you are no longer eligible for Gift Aid (i.e. you are no longer a UK taxpayer). 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