Third Sunday of Easter

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Third Sunday of Easter Dear parishioners and friends, What is a Permanent Deacon? God willing, I will be ordained as a permanent deacon at Westminster Cathedral later this year on the 6th July, after 4 years of discernment, study and formation. Many people have asked me if permanent deacons are something new in the Church. Well, the answer is certainly ‘No’. The Apostles themselves instituted deacons to help serve the poor and the needy who were not receiving their share of food in the early Church community. (Acts 6;1-6). St Stephen was the first deacon and the first martyr of the Church. Imitating St Stephen, deacons are expected to evangelise and proclaim the Word of God to all the people. (Acts 7:1-53).  Deacons are also expected to baptise, ‘catechise’ and teach the faith to non-believers, as did the deacon Phillip, in his encounter with the Eunuch from Ethiopia. (Acts 8:26-40). In the Diocese of Westminster there are over 40 deacons serving in our parishes. Their ministry in the Church is threefold: The ministry of the Word The ministry of the Altar The ministry of Charity. I will say more about each of these ministries in the coming weeks and months. Please do continue to pray for me and my family as I prepare for ordination as a permanent deacon.  Paul Hewitt  Friday 19 April the funeral of Andrzej Franciszek Blonski RIP will be on Friday Apr 19, 2024 at 11am at Our Lady of Victories. There will be No 10.00am Parish Mass that morning. Jesu Mercy, Mary Pray  Priest Training Fund Next Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday, the day we pray for priests and for vocations to the priesthood. The annual collection for the Priest Training Fund will take place next weekend. This fund pays for the priestly formation of men for the Catholic priesthood. There are currently 13 men studying at Allen Hall seminary for our Diocese. We also have one seminarian in Valladolid and one at the Beda, presently on pastoral placement in Ruislip. There are also two on a propaedeutic year at Redemptoris Mater. Last year 3 deacons were ordained for Westminster Diocese. The Priest Training Fund also supports the ongoing enrichment and formation of our ordained priests. Your generous donation helps ensure we can support these men who are called to be like Christ the Good Shepherd. Donation envelopes are available in the back of the church. Please take one home, read the information, and bring it back next weekend with your donation. Please continue to pray for vocations and for our priests. You can use the QR code to make your donation online or visit www.rcdow.org.uk/donations/priests-training-fund/ Thank you for your generosity. Radio Maria England Join Radio Maria England for the Feast Day of St George on Tuesday, 23rd April at 7:30pm at the London Oratory, Brompton Road for an evening of      music, with award-winning pianist Rachael Shipard and singer Christian       Jenkins. The programme includes music from Wagner, Schumann, Rachmaninoff & Vaughan-Williams. For tickets, please visit tinyurl.com/Dreams-April-2024  The Passage Spring Concert When: Thursday 18th April 2024 at 7pm Where: Our Lady Of Victories, Kensington Celebrate the start of a new season with The Passage, as we enjoy music from the spectacular London Welsh Male Voice Choir and The Priests. Go online to: www.passage.org.uk/spring-concert Vocations Days  'Come and See' Men who are interested in exploring vocations to the priesthood or the permanent diaconate are invited to come along to the Vocations Team’s 'Come & See' Vocations Mornings on one of the following days: COURSES, RETREATS AND EVENTS Sat 20th April, 10am-2pm at Our Lady and St Vincent Church Hall, 243 Mutton Lane, Potters Bar EN6 2AT; Sat 1st June, 10am-2pm at Our Lady's Hall (the undercroft) at Our  Lady of Lourdes Parish, Rothamsted Avenue, Harpenden AL5 2DB. Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided. To find out more and and to register attendance at one of the days, please contact: Canon Roger Taylor, Vocations Promoter, at                [email protected] or Deacon Adrian Cullen, Director Permanent Diaconate at [email protected] or call 07961 594725.  Lourdes Pilgrimage 19th- 26th July 2024 Registration for the Westminster diocesan pilgrimage led by Cardinal Vincent Nicholas is now open via the application form on https://rcdow.org.uk/pilgrimages/lourdes/ or by contacting the Pilgrimage Office on 020 7798 9173. Options to travel by plane, train or coach are available and there are many volunteering opportunities for those wishing to serve. All applications to join this year’s pilgrimage need to be submitted by Tuesday 30th April.   Watch the Cardinal's personal invitation to Lourdes here:  https://fb.watch/q_m4esnHX4/ 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  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]