Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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A message from Fr Francis Thomas, our new Assistant Priest   Dear Parishioners,   It is a great joy for me to begin my ministry as a Priest among you. I was born in France to British/Irish parents and moved back to London aged 3. It was in the parish of St Mary Magdalen’s, Willesden Green that I was baptised and lived in the local area ever since. Like some of you,  I was blessed to attend the London Oratory school.  I went to the University of Leeds to read Theology, Religious Studies, and Politics, as well as enjoying the wonders of all that the county of Yorkshire has to offer, especially its hiking opportunities on the moors and dales.   I worked at Westminster Cathedral after University, and it was living with 8 priests which gave me the final encouragement to apply to study for the Priesthood. I began at Allen Hall Seminary, Chelsea in September 2017, and finished there with Ordination to Priesthood on 24th June 2023. I spent a wonderful year of weekends in St Anthony of Padua’s, Edgware as a deacon. They were so incredibly welcoming, encouraging of a young Deacon. I am sure you will be much the same for this new priest. I am nervous and excited about starting here, but really looking forward to serving you as Assistant Priest to the parish and getting to know you as individuals and families. Please do pray for me, teach me, help me to grow and learn and I will do my best to support you in your journey of faith.   Finally, before you ask which team I support, the only sport I follow closely is Formula One.                                         Fr Francis Thomas    Welcome Back to all our Parishioners A very warm welcome back to all our Parishioners.  We hope that you have had a restful and refreshing break. 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 Here you can also find further information on all our parish activities. 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. Young Adults Meeting after 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   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]  Conflict in Nagaro-Karabah. A plea for prayers and action You will find 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   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 WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED FROM OUR WEBSITE.    EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: Each Wednesday, soon after mass, there will be the possibility to spend some time in prayer in front of the most blessed sacrament, immediately after mass. During that time a priest will be available to hear your confession. Adoration will finish 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. To all who are travelling at this time, stay safe and travel well.   Mgr Jim Curry & Fr Francis   Our Lady of Victories 16 Abingdon Road London W8 6AF 020 7937 4778  [email protected]