Welcome to the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church Oxford

Sacred Heart Church in Blackbird Leys, Oxford is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. We hope that you will find our website useful and enjoy searching through the various aspects of life in the parish. Here you will be able to check our weekly newsletter, news and forthcoming parish events, read about how to go about with Sacramental preparation and find out Mass times and other services.

Whatever your reason for visiting us, we pray that God will bless your search and grant you many blessings

Parish Priest : Rev. Canon Harry Curtis

(Also serving Our Lady of Christians, Cowley, 01865 770910)

E-mail : fr.harry.curtis@rcaob.org.uk

Parish Secretary : Reena Bartrip

10:00 am – 1:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

Telephone : 01865 455182

E-mail : sacredheart.oxford@rcaob.org.uk

This Parish operates in accordance with Statutory Safeguarding Guidance and the National and Archdioceses policies & procedures at all times. At present, our Parish Safeguarding Representative is Onyi Anyanwu. She can be contacted at: sg.sacredheart.oxford@rcaob.org.uk or alternatively the Diocesan Safeguarding team can be contacted on 0121 230 6240/ safeguarding@rcaob.org.uk if you have any concern. For more details, visit the page Safeguarding.

CAFOD’s Harvest Fast Day. Last Friday we were asked to give up some food and give the money that we saved to help CAFOD to work with people across the world. Your gift can support children to stay in school by helping communities and schools provide nourishing meals, improve access to water and grow food in school gardens.  You can put your offerings in today’s second collection.  Thank you.

Deanery Visitation Feedback.  As part of a visitation to the North Oxford Deanery, Bishop Richard came to our parish last February.  On Tuesday, 6^th October, Archbishop Bernard, Bishop Richard and Canon Jonathan Veasey (the Vicar General) will come for the Closing Meeting. It will be at Blessed Dominic Barberi Church, Littlemore, starting with Evening Prayer at 7.00 pm, followed by the feedback.

Mass for the Sick, with the Sacrament of Anointing, here on Saturday, 17^th October, at 1.00 pm.  If you know of anyone who is sick and/or housebound who might like to attend if they are given help with transport, please tell them about it, and let me know about them.

“The Eucharistic Miracles of the World.”  From Tuesday, 6th October – Sunday, 11th October, 10.00 am – 6.00 pm (9.00-2.00 on Sunday), in the Don Bosco Centre at Our Lady’s, Cowley, we shall have an exhibition of posters about Eucharistic miracles around the world, assembled by St. Carlo Acutis to encourage devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  Entry free.  All welcome. 

November Mass for the Dead – for our relations and friends who have died, especially those who have died during the last twelve months, 11.00 am, Saturday, 7^th November.  Please let me know in writing if you would like anyone’s name to be included among those who have died during the last year.

Newman Night Walk, from Oxford to Littlemore, on Thursday, 8^th October, commemorating the arrival of Bl. Dominic Barberi at Littlemore on 8^th October, 1845, and the reception of St. John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church.  Starts at the Oratory, 25 Woodstock Road at 7.15 pm, with a candlelight procession at 9.00 pm from 7 Courtland Rd, Rose Hill.  Exposition from 9.00 pm at Bl. Dominic Barberi Church.

New rotas available for readers, Eucharistic Ministers, church cleaners and flower arrangers.  Thank you very much if you are a reader or a Eucharistic Minister, or if you clean the church or decorate it with flowers.  There are new rotas pinned on the notice board and you can also get copies from me. 

Mission Appeal.  Next weekend, Sr. Mary Sebastian Ogwuike, from the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ, will be visiting us and will tell us about the work of the Missionary Sisters of England and Wales to support the poor and marginalised.  They work in different countries of the world serving the homeless, destitute, vulnerable children and adults, refugees, widows and elderly people.

Tailpiece: Two men, Fred and Luke, were standing at the side of a road, waving a sign to each passing car that said, ‘The End is Nigh! Turn around before it’s too late!’  One driver shouted at them as he went past, “Why don’t you religious nuts just leave the rest of us alone?”  Next thing there was a great big splash!  Fred looked at Luke and said, “Do you think it might be better if our sign just said ‘The bridge is broken’?”

May God bless you and all those whom you love.

Fr. Harry

For more details please see the Newsletter for the week.