Thirty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

15/11/2024

The Long and Winding Road

Through the generosity of friends, I was once treated to a guided tour of Abbey Road Studios; as a Beatles fan, it was special traversing the rooms where their classics were recorded. But the most moving moment for me was standing on the podium where Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) conducted a radio broadcast of Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (including the melody to Land of Hope and Glory) at the opening of the studios in 1931. Elgar is a fascinating composer - and the first Catholic to appear on a British banknote - whose haunting Nimrod (from the Enigma Variations) is frequently played at this time of year, at the Cenotaph and Remembrance Services. The biblical figure of Nimrod was ‘a mighty hunter before the Lord’ (Genesis 10:9); Elgar dedicated the piece to his friend Augustus Jaeger (jaeger means ‘hunter’ in German) who once rescued him from depression and encouraged him to keep composing.

Another famous piece by Elgar is his choral setting of St John Henry Newman’s poem The Dream of Gerontius (1900), relating the journey of a pious man’s soul from his deathbed to judgment and on to purgatory. Poorly received at the time (partly due to anti-Catholic sentiment), it’s now acknowledged as a masterpiece. The hymns ‘Praise to the holiest in the heights’ and ‘Firmly I believe and truly’ are taken from Newman’s poem. As we pray for our deceased loved ones and for those who gave their lives for our freedom, we give thanks for music which can bring joy to a world often marked by sadness, and pray that God will be merciful to us on our ‘long and winding road’ to heaven.

Fr Nigel

Please pray for those who are sick:
Demetrio Gandeza, Pilar Chester, Duncan Taylor, Canice Carson, Laetitia Smith, James Langan, Theresa Chee and Pamela Faber.

Please pray for those who are recently deceased:
Danilo Aragon, Tommy Freeman, Geoffrey Matovu and Monica Strafford.

Pray for those whose anniversaries occur at this time:
Stephen Foster, Helen Conteh, Josephine Kearns, Nora Knight & Billie Crocker.

Congratulations

To Freya and Alfio who were married in Madrid on 8th November and to Jacky and Joris who were married here in our Church on 9th November. May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord let his face shine upon you and give you his peace.

Assisted Suicide Bill
Statement from the Bishops of England, Wales, and Scotland
The Catholic Bishops of England, Wales and Scotland have issued a statement on Assisted Suicide ahead of the Second Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Available here.

Do No Harm is a short documentary which highlights some of the grave concerns around proposals to legalise assisted suicide in the UK and Scottish Parliaments.

The documentary, which features Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Bishop John Keenan, Dr Gillian Wright, Lord David Alton, and Professor David Albert Jones, gathers together experts from the medical and palliative care professions, alongside prominent politicians, ethics experts and religious leaders, to construct a unified voice of unease.

It spotlights key concerns around preserving human dignity and protections for vulnerable groups, and challenges the robustness of tabled safeguards in the UK legislation, by citing the experience of other jurisdictions which quickly eased access and expanded eligibility.

The Guild's Advent Lecture | The Church at Work

Fr Nicholas Crowe OP will explore the Church's mission as a personal responsibility for all baptised Christians, addressing how transformation begins within, through a renewal of the mind and a connection between intellect and will.‍ Fri, 7th Dec at 7pm. Cheese & Wine. St Patrick's Catholic Church, Soho Square, London Tickets (£12) available at www.guild-ransom.co.uk

A Day in the Life of a Parish Priest

Have you ever thought about what a Catholic Priest does in his daily life? Get an insight into this as you experience a day in the life of Fr Pius, Fr Matt, Fr Simon and Fr Joe.

Four priests with various ministries, from visiting hospitals, schools, and universities, to walking with people at the most important parts of their lives, all centred around the Sacraments. You watch the videos here:

A Day in the Life of a Parish Priest -
Fr Pius and Fr Matt

A Day in the Life of a Parish Priest -
Fr Simon and Fr Joe

Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund Collection

Our second collection today will be in support of the Sick & Retired Priests’ Fund. Last year, the Diocese provided care to 72 retired priests, at a cost of £976,000. By giving today, you can help us to ensure all of our sick and retired priests are cared for at their time of need.

If you took a donation envelope last weekend, please place it in the collection bag today. If not, there are some available at the back of the church. The envelopes and posters feature a ‘QR Code’ that you can scan with a phone camera to give online. Thank you for your generosity.

Sacrament of Confirmation 2024

Sacramental preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation begins in January 2024, for those in Year 9 or above. Candidates can collect a registration form from Fr Francis after any Sunday Mass.

BEWARE - SCAM EMAILS!

Do not open any email ending “gmail.com” claiming to be from one of the priests of the parish, it will almost certainly be a scam! Genuine clergy emails always end with “rcdow.org.uk” - spread the word!

Young Adults ADVENT RETREAT DAY

with the Assumption Sisters on Saturday 7^th December 2024 10am – 6pm. Venue: Milleret House, 20 Kensington Square, London, W8 5HH (closest tube station: High Street Kensington).
Programme: including talks • prayer, adoration and confessions • faith sharing • mass and social time. Donations only. Register by emailing to: [email protected]

Catholic Children’s Society Christmas Gift Appeal

The Catholic Children’s Society is appealing for Christmas Gifts for local children and families facing a Christmas without presents, food or basic essentials.
Note: Only brand new gifts and we are not able to collect gifts.
Please bring your gifts to the parish office before Sunday 24 November 2024.
Please see poster here for more details or visit www.cathchild.org.uk

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 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.

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 at Noon with the prayer of the Angelus.

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)