Sacred Heart Oxford

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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.

Welcome. 

This weekend we welcome Bishop Richard Walker, one of the three bishops who assist Archbishop Bernard in this Archdiocese.  Bishop Richard has special pastoral responsibility for this part of the Archdiocese, and he is here to meet us for a Pastoral Visitation. 

There will be a meeting in the hall here this afternoon at 4.30 pm.  Please try to come to it if you possibly can.

Lent 2026.

  1. During Lent we do not pray the Gloria during Mass on Sundays, nor the joyful word “A******A!”.
  2. Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, Thursdays, 6.00–7.00 pm, with the opportunity for Confession.
  3. Stations of the Cross. Each Saturday morning, after the Mass.
  4. “My Day by Day” booklets are available (£1). They contain the Mass readings for each day of Lent.
  5. Walk With Me booklets for Lent are also available, with Lent calendars. They are an aid to daily prayer and reflection.
  6. The statues in the church will be veiled from the 5th Sunday of Lent (Passion Sunday) until Holy Saturday.
  7. CAFOD Lent Fast Day, this Friday, 27th February.  Rachel, our CAFOD rep, will tell us about this during Mass this weekend.  CAFOD works to help people in need around the world.  Fast Days are our opportunity to support that work.  By fasting and giving what you save, you join in Christ’s compassion and help another family put food on the table.  There will be a second collection at Masses next weekend. Fast Day envelopes are available at the back of church this week and you can bring them back next week.  Thank you.
  8. Penance Service. Thursday, 19th March 6.00 pm.

Easter Duties.  All Catholics who have made their First Holy Communion should receive the Holy Eucharist sometime between Ash Wednesday and Pentecost Sunday.  They should also take part in the Sacrament of Penance before receiving this Easter Communion.

First Holy Communion Lessons. Lessons will start at 3.30 pm this Thursday, 26th February, at Our Lady’s church, Hollow Way, in the Don Bosco Centre, the parish hall next to the church. 

Enquiries about the Catholic Faith. We shall restart this Friday, 27th February, at Our Lady’s when (appropriately for Lent) the subject will be “Right and Wrong; Confession”.

Annual Diocesan Thanksgiving Mass for Marriage. Married couples who are celebrating a milestone anniversary, and couples preparing to marry this year are invited to the Diocesan Thanksgiving Mass for Marriage at St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham on Saturday, 2nd May, at 12.00 noon, followed by light refreshments. For info, and to register please visit www.vocations.org.uk/marriage-mass

Oxford Pro-Life Drinks. Next Saturday, 28th February, at 7.30 pm at The Royal Oak, (Woodstock Rd, OX2 6HT). Come along to relax with like-minded people and keep connected with the pro-life community in Oxford. New comers are especially welcome! Just turn up, and bring a friend. Visit https://oxfordprolife.org.uk/ for more info.

Informal café-style discussions exploring aspects of prayer. On four Thursday evenings in Lent: (26th February, 5th, 12th and 26th March), starting at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall at Corpus Christi RC Church, Margaret Road, Headington, OX3 8AJ, for just over an hour. Refreshments beforehand from 7.15 pm.   No need to sign up, just drop in – as and when you can.  For more information email John at johnkirwan1a@gmail.com   

Eucharistic Ministers.  Thank you to those who have let me know they would like to be Eucharistic Ministers.  I am thinking of having two training sessions on Thursday, 19th and 26th March, at 5.00 pm.  Please let me know if these times and dates are good for you.  If anyone else feels that God is calling you to serve in this way, please see me.

Tailpiece:  A speeding motorist was caught by radar by a police helicopter in the sky. An officer pulled him over and began to issue a traffic ticket. “How did you know I was speeding?” the frustrated driver asked. The police officer pointed sombrely toward the sky. “You mean,” asked the awestruck motorist, “Even He’s against me?”

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

Fr. Harry

For more details please see the Newsletter for the week.