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.
Gift Aid Envelopes. If you have not already done so, the new Gift Aid envelopes are available for you to collect from the back of the church if you are signed up for it, please. 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.
Easter Duties. Because of the central importance of Easter to the Christian faith, the Church says that 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.
Cowley Salesian Cooperators warmly invite you to celebrate Holy Mass with them on 23rd May at 12.00 noon in Our Lady’s church for the 150th Salesian Cooperators anniversary. Please join us with an open heart to commemorate the dream and work that continues today because of St John Bosco. There will be light refreshments after Mass in the Mornese Centre at Elmthorpe Convent. There is limited parking at the Convent but you can leave cars in Our Lady’s church car park and walk down.
Confirmations. Bishop Richard will be with us again on Saturday, 31st October, for the Sacrament of Confirmation. If, for some reason, you do not want to wait that long for the Sacrament, please come and speak to me because there will be Confirmations at Our Lady’s in June and you might be able to join that group.
Vocations Sunday. Next Sunday is “Good Shepherd Sunday”, also known as Vocations Sunday. We pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life in our Archdiocese. There will be the annual collection for the Clergy Training Fund at Masses next Sunday. Thank you for your prayers and generosity.
Young Discerners’ Group. Are you a young man in School Years 9-13 who wants to explore a Vocation to the Catholic priesthood? Come to St. Mary’s College, Oscott, in Birmingham on Saturday, 9th May, 10.30-4.00. To find out more, or to book, contact Deacon Owen Gresty, 0121 3215135 or deacon.owen@vocations.org.uk. The day is free, but booking is essential.
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, which you can do at your own pace and your own time. It has been put together by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA). You can get it on the CSSA website at training.catholicsafeguarding.org.uk. Please speak to Onyi, our parish safeguarding rep, if you want more info.
Please note that I am having a short break this week and there will be no public Mass and no Confessions here at Sacred Heart on Thursday or Saturday this week.
Tailpiece: A Parish Priest was driving one day when he crashed into another car, driven by the young curate from the neighbouring parish. The Parish Priest, with all his experience, took in the situation with one glance and said, “You look badly shaken up, Father. You should have a drink to calm you down.” So he produced a flask and the curate drank some. The Parish Priest said, “You still look a little rattled, have another sip.” The curate, after taking a drink, said, “But Father, you’re probably shaken up too. Why don’t you have some?” “I will,” the priest replied, “but I think I’ll wait until after the police have come.”
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 