Welcome to the celebration of Holy Mass. If you are visiting our parish you are most welcome, do feel free to introduce yourself and join us for coffee/tea in the church hall after mass.
Please pray for the sick, housebound and those in the armed forces suffering mentally and physically from the effects of war: Deacon Bernard Curtin, Justin Family members & Jessica, Maureen McDonnell.
Recently Dead Fr Keith Enston RIP, Patrick (Pat) Hand RIP Pat’s Funeral is here at St Joseph’s at 2pm on Thursday 31st August. Ioana Heaton RIP. Ioana will be cremated at Abingdon on 4th September.
Confessions are available during exposition at St Joseph’s on Friday mornings, before weekday masses at Burford, at Bampton in the Lady Chapel 4.30-4.50, and of course on request
Church Choir Rehearsals 7-8pm on Tuesday evenings.
Sacrament of Confirmation We finished the preparation for this Sacrament this week. The date we have been given by Canon Paul is Thursday October 12th at 7pm. Please remember our younger parishioners who are preparing to take this important step in their lives of faith.
Devotion for August Traditionally August is devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The physical heart of Mary is venerated and not adored as is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, because it is united to her person and is the seat of her love, especially for her Divine Son, virtue, and inner life.
WALSINGHAM 2023 A small group of us shall be traveling to Our Lady’s Shrine in Walsingham August 28-30th. If you wish to send any petitions with us do let me have them asap.
Altar Servers Mass Saurday 7th October at 12noon. This mass will be celebrated by Bishop David Evans and is arranged by the Guild of St Stephen. It celebrates the ministry of Servers and Serving teams from all over the Archdiocese gather in their serving clothes all together in the Cathedral and there are refreshments after Mass. If our servers want to go please let me know!
Communion under both kinds at Holy Mass As you will have noticed over recent weeks we have reverted to offering communion under both kinds, (The Sacred Host and The Precious Blood of Our Lord) at Holy Mass. As always, it is entirely at your discretion as to whether you wish to receive communion under one or both kinds. I was asked whether it is permissible to receive under both kinds by ‘intiction’, that is to dip the host in the precious blood. This practice is not permissible under the present rules for the distribution for Holy Communion. That said, it doesn’t really fulfil the Lord’s instructions to us. The reason for receiving communion under both kinds is to enable a fuller participation in the Lord’s invitation for us to ‘take this all of you and eat’ take this all of you and drink’. We already receive Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Lord in the Sacred Host, so the only reason to receive (ie DRINK) from the chalice is to more fully fulfil the Lord’s invitation to take and eat and to take and drink.
Picnic at the Presbytery Next Sunday, 27th August, WEATHER PERMITTING I shall be hosting a Picnic at the Presbytery. This will be a sort of house warming now that the decoration and renovation of the garden etc. has more or less been completed. There will be an open house from 1.30pm. I will provide a selection of drinks, and if you could bring food then hopefully that will take the stress out of catering and guessing numbers etc. Bring what you’d like to eat and perhaps a little to share! It will hopefully be a lovely opportunity to meet one another informally and share food and fellowship. EVERYONE IS WELCOME!! See you there!
Friday 18 August 2023 marked the beginning of the Diocesan Novena to pray for the Canonisation of Blessed Dominic Barberi. The Novena of Prayer lasts for nine days and concludes on his feast day on Saturday 26 August. The annual Novena of Prayer for the Cause of Blessed Dominic Barberi is a moment to pause and to appreciate the work of this holy Passionist in our Archdiocese and to pray for his Canonisation.
Blessed Dominic arrived in the Archdiocese in February 1842. He spent the next seven years based at Aston Hall in Staffordshire, from where he celebrated Mass, preached Missions, heard confessions, and received many people into the Catholic Church, the most famous being St John Henry Newman in October 1845 at Littlemore. Blessed Dominic had a well known reputation for sanctity and holiness of life. He is also remembered for his love for the poor, and those in need of prayer and help.
In our Archdiocese his memory is held in special regard and each year we pray a Novena of Prayer asking God to grant a miracle of healing through the intercession of Blessed Dominic, which could further his cause for Canonisation.
Please pray the Novena during the nine days from August 18 until August 26. It can be prayed in the parish or at home.
Novena Prayer for the Canonisation of Blessed Dominic Barberi O God, who so lovingly raised Blessed Dominic
to the heights of holiness, learning and apostolic zeal
and made him a powerful minister of your mercy,
listen to our humble request.
We pray that you will in your goodness,
grant a miracle through the intercession of Blessed Dominic,
so that the Church may further honour him on earth
and that many more people will come to know
and invoke the help of this faithful servant of the Church.
We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Mary, Mother of Holy Hope, Pray for Us.
Saint John Henry Newman, Pray for Us.
Blessed Dominic Barberi, Pray for Us.
Comments are closed