Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Work, work, work Dear parishioners and friends,  If I was to say that Catholic ideas and principles underpin our values and beliefs about human rights, worker’s rights, and the structures of our whole society, would you believe me?   Well, I direct you to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, complied under the pontificate of St John Paul II. It collects all the Church’s social teaching (everything that relates to human society), referring to the Scriptures, early Church Fathers, Church documents, and writings of theologians, philosophers, and Pope’s down the centuries.   It has a whole section on the dignity of work. ‘Work’, it says ‘is a fundamental right and a good for mankind, a useful good, worthy of man because it is an appropriate way for him to give expression to and enhance his human dignity’ (CSDC, §287). Our Gospel today directs us to an ongoing need to support Catholic Social Teaching principles such as, subsidiarity (whereby decisions should be handled or addressed by the smallest, lowest, or least centralized competent authority that is capable of effectively dealing with them), or the common good (that the sum total of social conditions allow individuals and groups to reach their full potential and realize their inherent human dignity), and solidarity (that we are all responsible for one another and should work together to promote the well-being of all members of society). Fr Francis RCIA - becoming a Catholic Are you interested in becoming a Catholic? Our meetings for those who would like to enquire begin on Tuesday 26th September at 7pm in the parish centre, next to 16 Abingdon Road, W8 6AF. Why not register your interest: if you are an adult who has been baptised Catholic but not confirmed, you are most welcome too. Contact: Fr Francis Thomas on [email protected] Altar Servers All young persons aged 8 or above and have had their First Holy Communion are invited to consider becoming an altar server. This ministry within the Church is not only great assistance to the priest at Mass, but serving also beautifies the liturgy (our worship of Almighty God). Full training will be provided with enrolment into the Guild of St Stephen (patron saint of altar servers).   If you are interested, then please contact the parish office for an application form or speak to Fr Francis for more information.    Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. A plea for prayers and action In the wake of the armed conflict in the Sothern Caucasus we share with you a letter from Archbishop Nathan Serpazan Director of the External Relations  of the Mother See of  the Armenian Church in Holy Etchmiadzin.   The letter was written to mark UN World Peace Day. In the letter, Abp Nathan reflects on the conflict in Nagorno- Karabakh. Pope Francis called for "the guns to be silenced." Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev announced that Karabakh forces had agreed to surrender and the military offensive was concluded. But it's still not clear if this marks the definitive end to the conflict. We pray for a just and lasting solution in the South Caucasus. The letter can be found here and at the back of the Church.   For further insights visit: https://www.apri.institute/assessingfalloutanalysis For a better understanding visit: Website: http://www.epektasis.net   You-Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MyEpektasis3 For more background information on the situation in Nagorno-Karabah here is an article adapted from Dr Harry Hagopian’s Intuitive Reactions: Where is Nagorno-Karabakh?! Mothers Prayers Day Saturday 7th October St Aloysius Church, London, NW1 1TA 10.30 for an 11am start, finishing at 5.15pm   You are warmly invited to a day of fellowship and spiritual unity, encouraging talks group sharing and a guided Mothers Prayers meeting.   We welcome old friends and those who are new to Mothers Prayers or who would like to find out more about this way of praying for our children.    St Aloysius Church is situated within reasonable walking distance of Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross mainline stations. Unfortunately, parking is not available at the church. Bring a packed lunch, refreshments available. Please email Maureen Goldsmith at [email protected] to register in advance.  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 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]  Young Adults Meeting after Sunday 6pm Mass  If you are interested in meeting up with fellow Catholics in their 20s and 30s with the aim of building a young adults’ community in the parish, we look forward to meeting you. In particular if you are new to the parish, please come and say hello. If there are any questions or to find out when our next meeting will take place, please send us an email at: [email protected]. Christian and Nikita 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]