One of the realities of the current public health crisis is the effect it has on the most vulnerable in our Oratory family. A large number of elderly and those with health conditions will have to self isolate, a number of whom will not have a family support network to hand. Much of the provision for homeless people in Oxford has been required to cease and such people are hungry and more in need that usual.

A number of people have asked if the Oratory can co-ordinate a response to these problems and so on an ad-hoc basis for the time being we are launching ‘Oratory Outreach’. We need your help to make this happen.
At present we need volunteers for the following activities:

Breakfast Run

Street Activity
Mon – Fri from 8:00am. This run serves hot drinks and breakfast items to those on the streets.
3-4 volunteers. Volunteers can help with delivery or simply making up supplies in the kitchen.

Sandwich or Soup Making

At the Oratory
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun afternoons. Making up sandwiches for up to 20 people to be distributed. Possibly making soup to distribute as well.
3-4 volunteers.

Soup Run

Street Activity
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun from 6:00pm. This run serves hot drinks, sandwiches or soup to those on the street.
3-4 volunteers. Volunteers can help with delivery or simply making up supplies in the kitchen.

Phone Support

Volunteer from Home
As needed. Keeping in touch with those self-isolating to check-in or offer assistance. Needs can then be referred to the team if necessary.
No limit to volunteer numbers.

Shopping / Pharmacy pick-ups

Out-and-about
As needed. Doing shopping or collecting prescriptions and delivering them.
No limit to volunteer numbers.

If you would like to volunteer your time please sign up here: volunteering sign-up form.

If you know of someone in need, please give us their details here: referral of someone in need form.

Those helping and those we serve at home must be parishioners of the Oratory, and their need must be because of the present crisis. We are sadly unable to help others at present.

For more information or if you have any questions please contact our team leaders at outreach@oxfordoratory.org.uk.

Revised opening hours

The church will remain open everyday for private and individual prayer. All other scheduled Masses and devotions, including Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary and Stations of the Cross are suspended, as are all groups, talks and catechism classes. The church will be open at the following times:

Monday–Saturday 8:30–19:00

Sunday 8:30–10:30; 12:30–17:00

These adjustments to our opening times will allow the Fathers to celebrate Mass in the morning, and a Mass on Sunday at 11am.

Social distancing in church

Please come in during these hours to light a candle, to pray in the church or one of the side chapels, and to be in the presence of Our Lord Jesus who dwells among us in the tabernacle.

When you are in the church during opening hours, please observe the government’s guidelines on personal hygiene, hand-washing, and social distancing: you must be at least 6 feet (2 metres) apart from the next person, and regrettably there can be no communal or group prayers in the church.

Masses

The Fathers will continue to celebrate Mass every day, for the whole Oratory family, for the Church, and for the world. The celebration of Holy Mass has not been stopped, only public Masses which would cause people to gather in numbers.

Mass will be said for any intention that has already been booked. Unfortunately, you will not be able to be physically present in the church for any Mass. We will create a facility to book further Masses via our website soon.

Confession & sick calls

The Sacrament of Confession will be available Monday–Saturday from 9:30–10:00 and 17:30–18:00, on Sundays from 9:30-10:00, or on call. The Sacrament of the Sick will be administered in emergency situations on request. We will be unable to continue to bring Holy Communion to the housebound except in emergencies. If someone you know becomes seriously ill, please still call a priest.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales have announced today that from Friday evening, all public Masses will be suspended indefinitely. The last public Mass for the time being in our church will be at 10am on Friday 20 March. Masses and confessions will continue as advertised in our newsletter until then.

Even after Friday, the church will continue to be open for private prayer each day. The Fathers will do their best to make confession available throughout this period.

There will be further information from us later today.

The statements from the Bishops’ Conference can be read below.

Public acts of worship in Catholic Churches in England and Wales

Liturgical Advice for the Bishops of England and Wales in the light of the COVID-19 Pandemic

If you are displaying any cold or flu symptoms, please refrain from attending Mass and other events at the Oratory. We would also advise those most vulnerable (the elderly, those with weakened immune-systems and long-term conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease) to refrain from coming to church. In such cases there is no obligation to attend Holy Mass on Sundays.

For the time being:

• There are currently no changes to scheduled Masses and confessions, except that there will be no music at the 9:30 Sunday Mass. In the event that we are required to cancel Masses, updates will be published here.
• Cafe Neri, all groups and all talks are suspended.
• Hymn books, Mass books and cards will not be made available as these can transmit the virus.
• The Sign of Peace is suspended.
• The Sunday collection plates will not be passed around the church. The collection will be taken as you leave. Please consider switching from cash to online donations, using the standing order forms provided.
• Please take newsletters home and do not return them as you leave the church.

As the coronavirus spread has worsened in our country, the Bishops have produced guidance for parishes, schools and Catholic organisations. This guidance will be revised as the situation changes.

It is paramount that everyone maintains good hygiene at Mass, other services and parish gatherings. Please make sure that you regularly wash your hands with soap and water or sanitising gel, and avoid touching common surfaces.

The NHS advises “catch it, bin it, kill it”:

• always carry tissues and use them to catch your cough or sneeze.
• dispose of your tissue as soon as possible, because germs can live for several hours on it.
• do not touch your face unless you have washed your hands with soap and water, because hands can transfer germs to every surface you touch.

The holy water stoups in the church have been emptied. Holy water is available from a container at the back of the back of church for personal use.

Hymn books, mass books and cards will not be made available as these can transmit the virus. Please take the newsletters home with you and do not return them as you leave the church. The 9:30 Sunday Mass will be a said Mass for the time being.

The Sign of Peace is suspended for the time being. The Sunday collection plates will not be passed around the church. The collection will be taken as you leave. Please consider switching from cash to online donations, using the standing order forms provided.

If you are displaying any cold or flu symptoms, please refrain from attending Mass and other events at the Oratory. We would also advise those most vulnerable (the elderly, those with weakened immune-systems and long-term conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease) to refrain from coming to church. In such cases there is no obligation to attend Holy Mass on Sundays.

For those who are able, fulfilling your Sunday obligation (which is a Precept of the Church) means attending Holy Mass, not receiving Holy Communion.

The Fathers will be very careful in distributing Holy Communion and will take extra measures to sanitise their hands. If you are concerned about the hygienic aspects of receiving Sacramental Communion, you can always make a Spiritual Communion. In Spiritual Communion, we express our fervent desire to receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and to be united with Him. The Church teaches that if you are in a State of Grace and make a Spiritual Communion, you will receive all the fruits of the Sacrament.

Changes to scheduled Masses, events and groups

There are currently no changes to scheduled Masses, except that there will be no music at the 9:30 Sunday Mass for the time being.

Cafe Neri and the Wednesday Morning Group are suspended for the time being.

All other talks and groups will continue as scheduled. In the event that we are required to cancel these, updates will be published here and on our website.