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.
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, deacon.owen@vocations.org.uk or 0121 3215135. The day is free, but booking is essential.
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. You can leave cars in Our Lady’s church car park.
Legion of Mary. This weekend members of the Legion will give a short presentation at the end of Mass to introduce the Legion and to invite anyone interested to come to a meeting on Friday evening at 7.30 pm (after the 7.00 pm Mass) in Our Lady’s hall.
Confirmations. Bishop Richard will be with us 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.
Sacred Heart Youth Group. There will be the annual outing for young people to the Malvern hills on Sunday, 21st June. Please speak to Joyce for more information.
Pray in May. This May, our parish is invited to join Mary’s Meals UK in their annual Pray in May campaign, praying for children worldwide who rely on a daily meal at school. Mary’s Meals UK has produced a range of free prayer resources. These resources help us reflect on how prayer can lead to hope and practical action for those most in need: https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/get-involved/churches-and-prayers/pray-in-may-resources
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.
Pentecost Prayer & Praise in the City Centre of Oxford on Saturday, 23rd May, from 12.30 – 2.00 pm. For the songs and more details please contact Eva on evasmithson1112@gmail.com Everyone is welcome!
Personal News. The Archbishop has honoured me by appointing me as a member of the Metropolitan Chapter of Canons of St. Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham. To be honest, I am fairly ignorant as yet to what it means, but it should make no difference to what I do in this parish, although once a month I shall have to go to Birmingham for a Chapter Meeting.
I shall be “installed” at St. Chad’s Cathedral during the 12.15 pm Mass on Tuesday, 2nd June. It is customary that a new Canon is able to invite up to a hundred guests to take part in this Mass and to share in a fairly simple celebration afterwards. If you would like to come with me for the service at St. Chad’s and then have a few hours in Birmingham, there will be a coach going from Oxford to St. Chad’s and back on the day. The cost will be £10 per person. There will be further details next week.
Tailpiece: An eight-year-old girl was telling her six-year-old brother all about the Christian Faith, as only a child can. When she finished, she said, “So David, when you die, where would you like to go? Would you like to be with Jesus and God and Our Blessed Lady and Mummy and Daddy and me? Or would you like to be with the devil and the bank robbers?” David thought about it for a while and then replied, “I think I’d rather stay here.”
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 