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.

Today is Pentecost Sunday.

Today is the great Feast of Pentecost when the Coming of the Holy Spirit reversed the curse of Babel and made all peoples able to understand the message of the Gospel.  I am hoping that we can reflect that in our 9.00 am Mass by praying together in different languages.  We shall also have a “Bring and Share” breakfast/lunch after Mass in the hall. 

The Easter Season, which began on Easter Sunday, ends this evening. It has been a wonderful time in the life of our parish. Thank you to everyone who has helped to make it so special.

Tomorrow we return to Ordinary Time and the cycle of weekday readings resumes at the 8^th Week in Year 2.

Remember, if you have not yet made your Easter Duties you have only until next Sunday to do so.

Sacred Heart Youth Group.  There will be the annual outing for young people to the Malvern hills on Sunday, 21^st June.  Please speak to Joyce for more information.

Sacred Heart Parish Day.  Saturday, 11^th July.  This looks like being a great day, with games and stalls.  There are also some incredible prizes to be won in the raffle, and raffle tickets are on sale at the back of church as you leave today.

Safeguarding Training for Volunteers.  Do you volunteer to do anything at Sacred Heart Church (thank you, if you do)?  If so, do you know your responsibilities in keeping people safe?  Whatever your role, it is essential that you get some training, please.  There is FREE training available online.  You can get it on the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency website at training.catholicsafeguarding.org.uk.  Please speak to Onyi, our parish safeguarding rep, if you want more info.

Trip to Birmingham.  I shall be “installed” as a Canon at St. Chad’s Cathedral during the 12.15 pm Mass on Tuesday, 2^nd June.  The coach will leave here at 8.30 am and return at about 6.00 pm.  If you have signed up to go but find that you can’t go, please let me know.     

Boars Hill Carmelite Priory.  You may be interested to know that the community of Carmelite friars at Boars Hill has been the subject of a new documentary series for the UK’s Channel 5.  The programme, called Trading Places, follows three young men as they spend a week living alongside the friars, sharing in their daily life of prayer, silence, community, and work. It was filmed at the Priory in October 2025, and it will air on Channel 5 today, Sunday, 24^th May, at 9.00 pm.

Legion of Mary.  A new “Praesidium” has now been established at Our Lady Help of Christians, meeting on Friday evenings, after the 7.00 pm Mass.  It is still a small group and they would welcome new members.  Just come along and try it.

Oxford Corpus Christi Procession, Sunday, 7^th June, at 3.00 pm. Please note the reversal of direction this year. It will begin at Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy on Rose Place (OC1 1RD) and will conclude at the Oratory Church. See poster at the church porch.

Tailpiece: A Parish Priest, with a flair for the dramatic, had the idea one Pentecost Sunday of having a pigeon released from the belfry during his sermon, just at the moment when he said, “Come, Holy Spirit!” Pentecost came, and the sacristan put a pigeon in a bag, went upstairs to the belfry and waited. Unfortunately, the priest went on a bit long in his sermon and then, when he eventually gave the cue, nothing happened. A few seconds later, a voice came from the belfry, “It’s just lying here, gasping for air!”

May God bless you and all those whom you love.

Fr. Harry

For more details please see the Newsletter for the week.