Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Evangelii Gaudium Sunday (The Joy of the Gospel) Dear parishioners and friends, This weekend we will hear the pastoral letter of Cardinal Vincent Nichols. Our Archbishop reflects on the forthcoming Synod of Bishops. The first of two Synods devoted to the synodal journey.  'Over the last two years, there have been various concerted expressions of this Synodal journey, in our parishes, in the Diocese as a whole, and at the level of the Church in every continent. Now all this comes together, in October, in a Synod of Bishops, in Rome,  to assess the journey thus far and to fashion clearly the next steps to be taken. These findings can then be reviewed by us all, before a further Synod of Bishops that takes place in October 2024.'   The letter is available here and in the Church. Do check out also the news of the Evangelii Gaudium initiative  – Preparing for the Jubilee Year in Faith and Prayer in 2025 Everyone is invited to participate in some way in preparing for this next stage of our journey in faith as a pilgrim people together. Mgr Jim 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] Evangelii Gaudium – Preparing for the Jubilee Year in Faith and Prayer Evangelii Gaudium Sunday calls us to be joyous in proclaiming our faith. “Evangelii Gaudium” is Latin for “Joy of the Gospel. The day supports the work carried out by the Mission Directorate on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference. A key focus of work for the next few years is responding to Pope Francis’ calling of a Jubilee Year in 2025 with the theme Pilgrims of Hope. The Holy Father has invited the whole Church to prepare for the Jubilee in the two years prior through: Reflecting on the four Constitutions of the Second Vatican Council in 2023. Deepening our prayer life, with a special focus on the Lord’s Prayer, in 2024. To support the Church in England and Wales in this important initiative the Mission Directorate has produced a series of videos on the four Constitutions which reflect on the Liturgy, the Word of God, the Church and on its role in the modern world: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/evangelii-gaudium-sunday A range of resources are being prepared for the Year of Prayer in 2024 which include a course on the Lord’s Prayer from small groups for Lent, encouragement to try different ways of praying from the tradition of the Church. The Mission Directorate will be supporting the Jubilee co-ordinator appointed by each diocese.   Fact sheet The second collection of Evangelii Gaudium Sunday supports the work carried out by the Mission Directorate on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference. In the last year this has included: Enabling the recording of the videos on the four constitutions. Bringing together a working group from across England and Wales to prepare materials for the Jubilee Year 2025 and Year of Prayer 2024. Supporting Patrimony experts to deliver funding to 39 projects at outstanding Grade I and II* Catholic churches with the £6.6million awarded to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference via Historic England through the governments’ Culture Recovery Fund in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Supporting co-ordinators and their teams in dioceses through formation and sharing of best practice. World Week of Peace for Palestine and Israel   The World Council of Churches (WCC) invites people and churches all over the world to pray, advocate, and stand in solidarity with people in the Holy Land during the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel which begins on Saturday 16th September. While commemorating 75 years of Nakba (catastrophe) of the Palestinian people since 1948, the preparatory committee for this year's materials questioned the injustice in all this for the family and chose the Bible verse Matthew 8:20 to lay down the issue as presented by Jesus Christ: 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.' For more information see: www.oikoumene.org/events/world-week-for-peace-in-palestine-and-israel During this week, which includes the International Day of Prayer for Peace on 21st September, church organizations, congregations, and people of faith are encouraged to bear a common witness by participating in worship services, educational events, and acts of support in favour of peace and justice for Palestinians and Israelis. LINKS WCC Resources: www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/materials-for-world-week-for-peace-in-palestine-and-israel-16-23-september-2023 Pax Christi Events and Resources:  https://paxchristi.org.uk/campaigns/israel-and-palestine/world-week-for-peace-in-pi/ Caption: 22.11.2022. Palestine: Sunset over Jerusalem old city and east Jerusalem. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC Registration for the Sacraments of First Confession and First Holy Communion. Parents of children who will be in Year 3 in a Catholic School in September, and who REGULARLY attend Mass here in our parish, should contact Sr Maureen McNamara for registration. A copy of their child’s Baptism Certificate will be required.  Children attending non-Catholic schools join a pre-Sacramental class for a year when they are in Year 2 prior to the year when they will be part of the First Communion programme (Year 3). These families must also be parishioners attending Mass here regularly.  Registration contact is Sister Maureen McNamara, at [email protected] and a copy of the Baptism Certificate is also required. Conflict in Nagorno-Karabah. A plea for prayers and action You will find here, and at the back of the Church, copies of a letter addressed to our Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street from the Primate of the Armenian Church in the UK & Ireland. The letter focuses on the plight of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, and it has been endorsed by a number of religious leaders as well as by Churches Together in England. Our Armenian neighbours have reached out to us to ask for our prayers and voice. Please do read the letter. In weeks to come we will share with you more information about the evolving crisis in the South Caucasus.   As a friend wrote recently: “As Martin Luther King once said, and I paraphrase, what Armenians will remember most is the silence of their friends. I am confident you do not necessarily wish to be a silent friend.” Visit us at  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?!  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 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]