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.
Thank you to everyone for your good wishes, prayers and gifts when I was made a Canon a couple of weeks ago. I hope that you can join me in the hall after the 9.00 am Mass this Sunday for a little celebration.
If you want to see more photographs or watch a recording of the whole service go to: www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/news/two-new-canons-installed-at-st-chads-cathedral
Sacred Heart Youth Group. There will be the annual outing for young people to the Malvern hills next Sunday, 21st June. Please speak to Joyce for more information.
Sacred Heart Parish Day. Saturday, 11th 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.
Day for Life. On Sunday, 21st June, we mark the Day for Life under the theme “The Wonder of the Child in the Womb.” The theme also recognises the loss of children who died before birth and the grief of their parents. The bishops’ message and prayers can be found on the Day for Life website: www.dayforlife.org. The second collection will go towards the Day for Life Fund, which distributes grants to organisations that promote respect for life from conception until natural death. You can also donate online via the Day for Life website.
Happy Anniversary to St. John Fisher Primary School. SJF will celebrate its 60th Anniversary on Monday, 22nd June. A special Mass will be celebrated in the school on Wednesday, 24th June, at 10.00 am, by Bishop Richard.
Help! For a long time, Chris Donovan has been trimming the bushes and tidying up the area outside the hall windows on Sawpit Rd., and we owe her a great debt of thanks. But now she feels that she can no longer do it. Could anyone take it on, please? Come and let me know, please.
Message from Aid to the Church in Need. Across the world, countless men, women and children suffer simply because of the faith they hold dear. In their need, they look to us to be their voice. Aid to the Church in Need has launched its first-ever global petition on religious freedom, calling on governments and the UN to do more to defend the right to believe, and to ensure that those responsible for persecution are held to account. We invite you to stand with the persecuted Church by signing this petition and giving witness to the importance of religious freedom for all. You can add your voice by scanning the QR code.
Harvington History Festival returns from 22–26 July with a fascinating programme of talks, tours, and events exploring history at Harvington Hall, the Archdiocese’s historic moated manor house known for its priest hides. For more info or to book, visit: harvingtonhall.co.uk
Legion of Mary. A new “Praesidium” has been set up 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.
Fr John Hancock, a former parish priest here will be celebrating his 80th Birthday on 30th June. If any of you would like to send him a card, his address is: Fr John Hancock, Footherley Hall, Footherley Lane, Shenstone, Lichfield WS14 0HG.
Congratulations to Fr. Aldo Tapparo, who will celebrate his 50th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination with Mass at Corpus Christi Church on Friday morning.
Garden Party At Newman’s College on Saturday, 4th July 3.00-5.00 pm. This is a fundraiser to support the mission of the Sisters of The Work at Newman’s College. Enjoy an afternoon in the beautiful garden with a cup of tea, homemade cakes, ice cream, various stalls and live music played by a string quartet. There will be guided tours for those who have not yet visited The College. For more information please contact the Sisters on 01865 779743 or littlemore@newman-friends.org.
Tailpiece: An elderly married couple died and went to heaven. They had always been in good health, mainly due to the wife’s interest in health food and exercise. St. Peter led them to a mansion, complete with a beautiful kitchen, a master bath-suite and a Jacuzzi. The old man asked how much all this was going to cost. “It’s free,” replied St. Peter. “This is Heaven.” Next, they went out to the back and behold! There was a championship golf course. They would have golfing privileges every day. The old man asked, “What are the green fees?” St. Peter’s reply, “This is Heaven, you play for free.” Next, they went to the club house and saw a lavish meal laid out. “Where are the high-fibre, low-fat, and low-cholesterol foods?” the old man asked timidly. “That’s the best part,” replied St. Peter, “You can eat as much as you like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick. This is Heaven.” The old man looked at his wife and exclaimed, “You and your blooming bran muffins!! I could have been here ten years ago!”
May God bless you and all those whom you love.
Fr. Harry
For more details please see the Newsletter for the week.
Sacred Heart Oxford 