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 : Fr. 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.

Wednesday is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.  This not a Holyday of Obligation, but it is a very important feast.  There will be Mass in the morning at Our Lady’s at 9.15 am.

Palm Sunday.  Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, which marks the start of Holy Week – the most important week in the Church’s year. We shall start Mass at the back of church (or outside if weather allows) and process into the church.

Easter Triduum. There is a list at the back of church inviting you to sign up for various roles at the services of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. We need 12 volunteers (men and women) for the Ceremony of the Washing of the Feet during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7.00 pm. After Mass, you can stay for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 9.30 pm. It recalls how Jesus invited his apostles to stay with him while he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Again, if you can give some of your time for this, please sign the list.

Littleway Healing Ministries is holding a Day of Healing at Our Lady’s on Saturday, 18^th April, 10.30 am – 4.00 pm, led by Fr. Kevin Dixon, Mrs Helen Callaghan and the Littleway Team. Join us for praise, prayer and testimonies. All are welcome, come for the day, bring a packed lunch, or just pop in. For more: info@littlewayhealingministries.com

Eucharistic Ministers.  There will be the second training session for new Eucharistic Ministers this Thursday, 26^th March, at 5.00 pm.  Existing Ministers are also welcome. 

Readers for Holy Week and Easter.  Thank you to all who have agreed to do readings during the most important week of the Church’s year.  If you can, please come to a practice this Saturday, 28^th March at 12.00 noon.

Missio Red Box.  If you have a Missio collecting box at home, please bring it in over the next two weeks so that Jacqui can empty it and return it to you.  Thank you.

Sponsored Walk.  You have the chance to do a sponsored walk to raise funds for our parish.  It will be on Easter Monday.  There are sponsorship forms in the church porch for you to take away and get people to sponsor you.

Altar Servers.  There will be a rehearsal tomorrow,  Monday, 23^rd March, at 5.00 pm for all altar servers who will be serving at the Holy Week and Easter services.

Gift Aid Envelopes.  The new Gift Aid envelopes will soon be available to collect from the back of the church.  We do need more people to be involved in the Gift Aid scheme, please.  If you don’t already gift aid your donations to Sacred Heart could we ask you to consider doing so?  Please talk to our Gift Aid officer, Lilian Mwawa, after Mass for further information or if you are already a gift-aider and your circumstances (e.g. your address) have changed.  If you can’t find Lilian, please speak to me.

Tailpiece: Young Ernie and his family were invited to have lunch at his grandmother’s house. When Ernie received his plate he started eating straight away. “Ernie, wait until we say Grace,” instructed his father. “But I don’t need to,” the lad replied. “Of course you do, Ernest,” his mother insisted. “We always say a prayer before eating at our house.” “That’s at our house,” Ernie explained. “But this is Grandma’s house, and she knows how to cook.”

May God bless you and all those who are dear to you.

Fr. Harry

For more details please see the Newsletter for the week.