Twenty Eighth Sunday Ordinary Time Year A

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The first casualty of war...If I should walk in the valley of darkness. Ps22 v2. Dear parishioners and friends,  We are all struggling to find words to express our feelings and thoughts on the appalling violence that has erupted in Palestine, Israel and the Gaza strip. Shock, horror, anger, sadness and outrage struggle within us.   The words seem inadequate in view of the events we are witnessing through the media in the Holy Land. A land shared and precious to two peoples and three faiths. There is another emotion at play. Rage. Anger can empower. Rage blinds and distorts human reason, compassion and empathy. In war it is always the women, the young and innocent civilians who are the first causalities. Bizarre as it may appear, war has its rules. Conventions that try to limit the damage we do to each and stop us from descending in to barbarity. Those conventions need to be respected by all. Here in London many of our Jewish & Arab neighbours and friends have been affected personally by the cycle of rage and violence. They have lost family and friends. Our neighbours also feel vulnerable. We need to reassure our Christian, Muslim and Jewish friends that there is no room for hateful speech or actions in our community, in our City. Prayer may seem an inadequate response. But prayer is a form of protest, solidarity and openness. Openness to God s pleas for peace. A peace with justice. There is a desperate need for all to be open, to hear, to listen to God's plea and to each other. When the rage subsides, we will need to talk again. We will all need listen to each other’s stories; Israeli and Palestinian. Join us on Sunday 22nd October 7-8pm in Our Lady of Victories for an ecumenical evening service to pray for the Peoples of the Holy Land. They need our prayers and support. Mgr Jim ِA call for Prayer and Fasting for Peace “Since he is not the God of disorder but of peace" (1 Cor. 14,33) On behalf of all the bishops and leaders  of the Holy Land,  Cardinal Pierbattista  Pizzaballa Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem  invites all parishes and religious communities to a day of fasting and prayer for peace and reconciliation on Tuesday 17th October. If you can  unite your pray or fasting that day with our sisters and brothers in the Holy Land. You can also join us in an Ecumenical Evening prayer Sunday 22 October 7-8pm in Our Lady of Victories Church. All welcome.  Ministry of Reader God has spoken to us and inspired the writers of the Scriptures. A rich            selection from the Old and New Testaments are read aloud at every Mass. We are looking for more people to take up this Ministry of Reader, to proclaim the Word of God to God’s people, clearly, prayerfully and with passion.   If you feel called to use your gifts in this way, please speak to one of the priests after Mass or contact the parish office. Schola Concert 17th October 2023 The Vaughan Schola of the Cardinal Vaughn Memorial school will sing a concert at Our Lady of Victories on the evening of Tuesday 17 October. The Duruflé Requiem and the Vierne Messe Solennelle. Organist; Iestyn Evans, Director; Scott Price, The Vaughan Brass Consort.   The concert is in aid of the charity Grief to Grace. It will start at 7pm. For tickets - £12/£6 concessions available at www.scholacantorum.co.uk CAFOD Family Fast Day appeal – Harvest Collection Thank you for your generosity. A total of £807.03 was collected. You can still give online at cafod.org.uk Glassdoor Glassdoor the charity that feeds and temporarily house the homeless during the winter months, will be using our parish centre on Friday evening's from November through to March. The Glassdoor volunteers will be speaking at all Masses this weekend and will be at the back of the Church if you wish to sign up. World Mission Sunday Next Sunday is World Mission Sunday, when the Holy Father invites all   Catholics to contribute to a special collection for Missio, his charity for world mission. Please support Missio in helping missionaries to work alongside communities throughout the world that are poor or in need, regardless of their background or belief. Visit Missio’s website: mission.org.uk We keep in our prayers the Holy Family Catholic Parish Gaza Gaza parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, is currently in stuck Bethlehem and in constant contact with his parishioners. He told Vatican News: "The Pope called me a few minutes ago. He expressed his closeness and offered his prayers". He said the Pope "thanked him for his call for a ceasefire and a stop to all violence, all terrorism and all war.... he wanted to show his closeness, and now he was going to call the community directly with my vicar helping people who are refugees in the parish." The Gaza parish of the Holy Family is sheltering around 150 people who have lost their homes or are seeking a safe place from the bombardments, said the Italian-born priest. Fr Francesco Patton OFM, has expressed his concern for the future of Gaza's Christians. In an interview with L'Osservatore Romano, the Custos of the Holy Land, he said: "Particularly in Gaza, where the Christian community is very small, I fear that because of the war, the risk is that the Christian community in Gaza will disappear. I hope not." Friends of the Holy Land a Christmas Concert Helping Christians in Need Thursday 14th December 2023     7.30pm Featuring The London Welsh Male Voice Choir   Guest Soloists Margaret Keys & Anthony Stuart Lloyd at Our Lady of Victories Church  235a Kensington High Street London W8 6SA   Tickets through Eventbrite: search for FHL Christmas Concert Info at: https://www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/Event/christmas-concert-2023  See poster here. Catherine O’Sullivan RIP Catherine’s body will be received in the Church on Thursday 19 October at 4pm and her funeral will be on Friday 20 October at 10am. There will be no Parish Mass.  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. Young Adult Event We are excited to announce another young adult event happening on Sunday 15th October! If you are interested in attending, meet us outside Mass after the 6pm Mass (around 7:10pm), and we will move towards The Scarsdale Tavern shortly after, located a 5 min walk away.   Alternatively, join us at the pub for a drink and a chat. This event is aimed at people in their 20s and 30s and aims to build a community in the parish. We are looking forward to seeing you this Sunday. If there are any questions, please send us an email at: [email protected] or join our WhatsApp group using the QR code: Concert by CITY CHAMBER CHOIR Tuesday 31 October 2023 7pm at Our Lady of Victories. Music by 20th Century French masters, showcasing the glorious new Skrabl Grand Organ. Duruflé: Requiem | Villette: Tu es Petrus; Three motets | Poulenc: Salve Regina | Alain: Chanson à bouche fermée | Messiaen: O sacrum convivium £15.00 (£10.00 full time students only; under-12 free). Buy online from www.ticketsource.co.uk/city-chamber-choir or at the door. 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]  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]