23rd Sunday of the Year (B)
16th Sunday after Pentecost
There will be a special collection on behalf of the Catholic Education Service at all Sunday Masses.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
First Holy Communion classes start in October. Please choose either Wednesday at 5pm or Saturday at 11.30 for your child. Each class lasts 45 minutes. The course runs during term-time until June 2025, when the First Communion Mass takes place. Wednesday classes start on 2nd October and Saturday classes on 5th October. To download an application form, click here.
CONFIRMATION
The plan is for the Confirmation classes to be on Thursdays at 5.15pm starting on 10th October. If you are interested for your child, please complete the application form (download it here), and return it to Fr McHardy at the Oratory House.
ORATORY CATHOLIC ENQUIRY GROUP
The Oratory runs a course of instruction for those wishing to explore and learn more about the Catholic faith. The classes are principally intended to support those interested in becoming Catholic (whether or not already baptised), and those wishing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation as an adult. The course, which covers the basics of Catholic teaching and practice, begins on Tuesday 15th October at 8pm in St Joseph’s Hall at the Oratory, and meets weekly on Tuesdays at the same time. See also here.
ST THOMAS AQUINAS STUDY GROUP
The St Thomas Aquinas Study Group with Mr Dominic Sullivan will start again on Wednesday 18th September at 6.45pm (note the change in time). The classes will be held in St Joseph’s Hall every fortnight. This term the topic will be St Thomas’s treatment of the Irascible Passions. For enquiries, please email generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk.
ORATORY LATIN CLASSES
The Oratory Latin classes with Mr Dominic Sullivan will start again on Wednesday 25th September, at 6.45pm (intermediate) and 7.30pm (advanced). The intermediate course is a continuation of last year’s beginners’ group and would suit those with a basic knowledge of Latin. The advanced course is a continuation of last year’s intermediate group. The classes will be held in St Joseph’s Hall every fortnight. For enquiries, please email generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk.
TALK ON OUF LADY OF KIBEHO AT THE ROSARY SHRINE
Sister Marthe Marie, a Rwandan Sister of the Assumption, will give a talk on Our Lady of Kibeho on Saturday 14th September at St Dominic’s Priory (Rosary Shrine), Southampton Rd, NW5 4LB. Bus 24 (in the direction of Hampstead Heath) stops just outside the church (bus stop St Dominic’s Priory). Mass at 10am followed by Sister’s talk and the Rosary.
HELPING THE HOMELESS AND NEEDY IN OUR AREA
HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton) run a shelter to aid those who are homeless or in dire need at St Augustine's Church, 117 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP every Wednesday morning from 9am-12pm. They also run a laundry service for our shelter guests to be able to wash their clothes whilst they are attending shelter. If you would like to help in one of these projects (mentioning that you heard about this from the Oratory), please email: shelter@htb.org. You can also help them by buying from the HTB wish list on Amazon and sending your gifts directly to them to distribute: click on this link.
CHILDREN’S AREA
On Sunday mornings, St Gregory’s Library at the back of the Church is made available to parents whose children become restless during Mass. There are books and some toys. Entrance is through the Sacred Heart Chapel at the back of the church. Children must be supervised by their parents at all times. If you can spare a few hours on a Sunday occasionally to help, please contact David Campbell (phone 07768176848).
MASS INTENTIONS
CONTACTLESS GIVING AVAILABLE
Click here for more information.
You can still make a donation via Stripe (see here) or make a bank transfer. Our account details are:
Account Name: The Oratory
Sort Code: 60 04 04
Account Number: 18192947
Please add your surname and first name as a reference, to help our bursar.
The Oratory very much depends on your contributions, and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
GIFT AID – HELPING THE ORATORY
If you are a UK taxpayer, the Oratory can claim back from the Inland Revenue 25p of every £1 you give, at no cost or inconvenience to you. Setting up a Gift Aid arrangement helps the Oratory to increase its income (click here for the forms).
PRIEST REFERENCE FOR SCHOOL APPLICATIONS
Parents who wish one of the Oratory Fathers to give their child a school reference must register with the “Mass Attendance” scheme. Registration forms are available from the Oratory House.
UNABLE TO GET TO MASS ON SUNDAYS?
The Oratory runs a bus service staffed by volunteers to help the elderly and/or incapacitated attending the 11am Mass each Sunday. The minibus has a lift for wheelchairs and volunteers help passengers go to Holy Communion if required. The service is available to parishioners and those who live in the Fulham and Earl’s Court areas. Please email generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk or telephone 020 7808 0900 if you are interested in making use of this service, or if you would like to volunteer as a driver or helper.
PSYCHOTHERAPY AND LIFE COACHING
Wilfrid’s House is a BACP-accredited, registered charity based at the Oratory and committed to helping people cope with life’s challenges`. Through low-cost counselling and psychotherapy, they support individuals who are going through challenges such as anxiety, depression, inability to cope with daily life, relationship issues, and bereavement. Through low-cost life coaching, they support individuals who are feeling overwhelmed and unable to move forward with purpose. Whether you are struggling with change, big decisions or simply day-to-day life, coaching offers emotional and practical support, enabling clarity and structure and helping you achieve your goals. Further information at www.wilfridshouse.org.
For job vacancies in the Diocese of Westminster, see https://jobs.rcdow.org.uk/.
INFORMATION FOR MARRIAGE
If you would like to be married at the Oratory, we will need at least 6 months notice. For the initial enquiry please come to the Oratory House in person and ask to speak to the priest on duty (see Hours of Duty below). All subsequent meetings, bookings and arrangements will be done through him, so please make a note of his name! No wedding bookings will be taken over the telephone or by email.
If you do not normally worship at the Oratory, please state the name of the church where you usually attend Mass and give the reasons you wish to marry here (for instance, personal connection to the Oratory or one of our schools). It is important to approach the church first before making your plans for a reception venue. We do not have weddings on a Sunday.
There are various arrangements and legalities, both civil and ecclesiastical which need to be attended to. You will also need to undergo a course of preparatory instruction about the sacrament of marriage. Speak to the priest for more details.
Hours of Duty:
Monday-Saturday: 9.30am-12.00pm; 3.00pm-5.30pm.
INFORMATION FOR BAPTISM
According to canon law, “Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it” (Code of Canon Law, can. 867 §1).
Those wishing to have their child baptised should contact the Oratory House and ask to speak to the priest on duty. All subsequent meeting, bookings and arrangements will be done through him. It will be necessary to meet with the priest for a class on the sacrament of baptism.
Normally baptisms take place in the parish where a family is resident. If you do not live within the territorial boundaries of the Oratory parish but have a good reason for wanting to have your child baptised here, please explain that to the priest on duty. In such cases your own parish priest will need to give permission for the baptism to take place at the Oratory.
The choice of godparents (sponsors), who are to help the baptised to live a good Christian life and faithfully to fulfil the duties inherent in baptism, is an important one. “There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each” (Code of Canon Law, can. 873). A godparent must be a Catholic of not less than sixteen years of age, who has been confirmed and who lives a life of faith that befits the role to be undertaken. A baptised person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted in company with a Catholic sponsor as a Christian witness.