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.
Holy Communion under Both Kinds. Before COVID, there was the custom here at Sacred Heart for people to have the opportunity at Mass to receive the Precious Blood from the Chalice as well as the Body of the Lord at Holy Communion. I think it is now possible to reintroduce this as an experiment (if it proves that no one wants it we can go back). From the first Sunday in July at the 9.00 am Mass, there will be one person (the priest) giving out the Body of Christ at the front of the church in the centre, and there will be two Eucharistic Ministers, one each side with a Chalice. If you wish to receive from the Chalice after you have received the Host, move to one of the Eucharistic Ministers. He or she will offer the Chalice to you with the words, “The Blood of Christ”. You reply, “Amen”, take the Chalice and carefully take a sip. Then give the Chalice back to the Minister and return to your place in the church.
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. Today, 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. 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 this week. 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.
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.
Ordinations. Please pray for a local man, Deacon Jonathan Henry from St. Anthony’s Parish in Headington, who will be ordained a priest in St. Chad’s Cathedral on Saturday, 4th July, and also for Deacon Jithin Titto who will be ordained on 6th July and for Deacon Tenny Antony who will be ordained on 10th July. May God bless them all – Ad Multos Annos.
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.
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.
Ordinations. Please pray for a local man, Deacon Jonathan Henry from St. Anthony’s Parish in Headington, who will be ordained a priest in St. Chad’s Cathedral on Saturday, 4th July, and also for Deacon Jithin Titto who will be ordained on 6th July and for Deacon Tenny Antony who will be ordained on 10th July. May God bless them all – Ad Multos Annos.
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: A man was coming home from the pub one Sunday afternoon, rather the worse for wear, when he noticed a Baptismal service going on in the river, so hestumbled down into the water and stood next to the Minister. The Minister turned, noticed him and said, “Brother, are you ready to find Jesus?” The man looked back and said, “Yes sir, I am.” The Minister then took him by the neck, dunked him under the water and pulled him right back up. “Have you found Jesus?” the Minister asked. “No, I didn’t!” said the man. The Minister dunked him under again, this time for quite a bit longer, brought him up and said, “Now brother, have you found Jesus?” “No, I did not!” said the man again. Disgusted, the Minister held him under again, for at least 30 seconds this time, lifted him up and demanded, “For the love of God, have you found Jesus yet?!?!” The man wiped his eyes and pleaded, “Are you sure this is where He fell in?”
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 