Sixth Sunday of Easter

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Joy and Hope It’s been an intensive few weeks: following the joyful celebration of Easter, we said farewell with sadness to Pope Francis. The strange yet fascinating time of waiting prayerfully for the Conclave brought worldwide attention; the unexpected (and speedy!) election of Pope Leo XIV renewed our joy and hope profoundly. A faith leader from another Christian tradition asked me, “How is it you Catholics have such a personal affection for the Pope, any Pope?” I replied simply, “He’s our father.”   The joy on the faces of the children receiving First Holy Communion recently reminds us of what really matters in life: knowing the love of Jesus and sharing his love with others. This is the mission of the Church, and of all the baptised. In his first Wednesday audience, Pope Leo reflected on the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-17):    “A rather unusual sower goes out to sow, but does not care where the seed falls. He throws the seeds even where it is unlikely they will bear fruit: on the path, on the rocks, among the thorns. This attitude surprises the listener and induces him to ask: how come? We are used to calculating things – and at times it is necessary – but this does not apply in love! The way in which this ‘wasteful’ sower throws the seed is an image of the way God loves us.” (Leo XIV, 21st May).   May the Lord help us to be open to his word sown in our hearts, and thus bear fruit for the kingdom. Fr Nigel Please pray for those who are sick: Lina Senior, Elizabeth Freeman, Peter Hawthorne, Vidal Geronimo, Estelita Risaldo, Claire Godinho, Eunice Van Vurren, Canice Carson, Pamela Faber and James Langan.   Please pray for those who are recently deceased: Sir Tom Farmer, Alasdair MacIntyre, Anne Tomlinson, Brian Glanville, Theresa Chee and Charly Hamilton-Donellan.   Please pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:  Anthony McLoughlin, Mary Carr, Mgr John Bagshawe, William Biney-Tay, Harry Railing, Norbert Olivier, Anthony Trigau, Michael George Hurd and Sheila Healey. Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (holyday of obligation) Thursday 29th May: Mass at 10am and 7pm (sung) UPDATED INFORMATION: Parish Pilgrimage to Walsingham: 7th June 2025 We journey together in prayer and fellowship to England’s Nazareth, a place long associated with reconciliation, peace, and deep devotion to Our Lady. We travel by coach, departing from outside the church at 7:15am and returning by approximately 7.30pm. We need to set off on time to avoid being late for the Shrine devotions and Mass. Please be punctual. The journey to Walsingham takes approximately 3.5 hours. Please bring a packed lunch, suitable clothing in case of inclement weather, and a spirit of pilgrimage!  There are still places available. please contact the parish office on [email protected]. Ordinations to the Priesthood We pray for Deacons James Boyle and Sean Power who will be ordained priests for Westminster diocese at the Cathedral on Saturday 28th June.   We also pray for parishioner Deacon John Church OP, who will be ordained a priest of the Dominican order at Our Lady of the Rosary and St Dominic’s, Haverstock Hill, on Saturday 5th July; we look forward to welcoming him for his First Mass at Our Lady of Victories later this summer.    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.  To help plan for numbers, please register to attend by emailing [email protected] (her name is Monica). 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 Mariathon 28-30th May Radio Maria England is a Catholic radio station dedicated to sharing the Gospel through prayer, teaching, music, and community. Join us from 28th to 30th May as we celebrate the vibrant faith of the Philippines with three days of music, inspiring talks, and guest speakers, highlighting how the Catholic faith is flourishing across the Filipino islands and beyond. Be part of this joyful Mariathon and support our mission to expand Radio Maria in the Philippines!  Tune in via DAB+ in selected areas, on the Radio Maria England app, or online at RadioMariaEngland.uk. Retrouvaille:- A Lifeline for Married Couples Alone or bored in your marriage? Considering separation or are already divorced? If you are open to try again – Retrouvaille could be the solution. We have helped thousands of couples get back on track. Call to find out more  www.retrouvaille.org.uk +44 797 338 0443 Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for children (of all ages) Dear Mary, my holy mother, I love you so much and I give you my heart. Help me to love God. Help me to love my neighbour as a child of God. Help me to love myself as a child of God. Amen.   Visit www.catholic.org/prayers for more lovely prayers for children. 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/ 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