The Oxford Oratory Catholic Church of St Aloysius Gonzaga

Contract: Permanent, Part-time
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
Salary: on application

The Fathers of the Oxford Oratory wish to appoint a Director of Music from November 2015. The role presents an exciting opportunity for a suitably qualified choir director and organist to lead the musical life of the Oxford Oratory.

Closing date: Monday 2nd March 2015
Interviews: March/April 2015

For further details please write or send an email to:
Very Rev Daniel Seward,
The Provost and Prefect of Music,
The Oxford Oratory,
25 Woodstock Road,
Oxford OX2 6HA
Email: daniel.seward@oxfordoratory.org.uk

Fr Lawrence Lew OP is currently working to establish Scoutisme (French-style Catholic Scouting) in the UK through the Scouts d’Europe movement. The International Union of European Guides and Scouts — European Scouting Federation, to give them their official name, is the only international Scouting Movement recognised by the Holy See as an international association of the faithful of Pontifical Right. Its aims and history and structure can be seen on the Vatican website or the Movement’s own website.

We are currently looking for parents and families in Oxford who may be interested in supporting the formation of a Troop or Company in Oxford, together with St Gregory’s Parish and Blackfriars. Fr Lawrence will give a brief presentation on Saturday 31st January at 4:15pm. Come along if you might like to get involved, or if you want to find out more.

Fr Lawrence writes:

I believe that the establishment of Catholic scouting in Britain could be a great boon to the Church and can answer a need for our children and teenagers that they be engaged in the Faith and can be formed in virtue.

Anyone who has been on the Chartres Pilgrimage during Pentecost would know of the Scouts of Europe and seen what they’re capable of. Having had a chance to meet the lay leadership of the international Movement this past summer, I was very impressed by their grasp of the Catholic vision of the human person, of how they worked with children and led them in Faith, and a strong Eucharistic and Marian devotion. The individual scouts I have met are also deeply impressive as Catholic young men who are keen to serve the common good, and love the wonder of God’s creation.

As a Lay organization, the leaders of the Movement will have to be parents and families, but the Scouts d’Europe works very closely with the Church and every troop needs a priest to help them and guide them.

This video gives one an idea of what a Scout of Europe Camp is like.

The Holy Father this morning canonised the Apostle of Sri Lanka – the Goan Oratorian Joseph Vaz – before a huge crowd in Colombo.

We will celebrate the new Saint with Solemn Benediction on Friday at 6.30pm – Friday is the feast of St Joseph Vaz – and with a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving and the singing of the Te Deum on Sunday at 11am.

During the Mass of Canonisation:

The statue of St Joseph Vaz at the Papal Mass:

The famous “Miracle of the Rains” in Kandy, when the prayers of Fr Vaz brought an end to the drought:

Everyone dresses up to meet the Pope:

A series of films by St Anthony Communications in the Parish Centre — Saturdays 11am each followed by questions and discussion, starting on 17^th January with St Augustine (26 minutes).

The films vary in length — see the minutes after each title:

24^th January — St Mildred & Minster Abbey — (25 minutes)

31^st January — Faith of our Fathers — (114 minutes)

14^th February — Keys of the Kingdom — (40 minutes)

21^st February — Confession — (20 minutes)

28^th February — Powers & Dominions — (53 minutes)

7^th March — Prayer — (39 minutes)

14^th March — Hostia — (42 minutes)

21^st March — Arise once More — (33 minutes)

28^th March — The Last Things — (32 minutes)

Tea and coffee will be served beforehand.

Fr Richard is currently visiting Goa, with a view to helping a prospective Oratory there. He has sent us these photographs of Blessed Joseph Vaz’s birthplace, and the former Oratory in Goa. Joseph Vaz, the great Oratorian Apostle of Ceylon, will be canonized next week, during the Holy Father’s apostolic visit to Sri Lanka. Friday 16th January is the feast day of the soon-to-be Saint Joseph Vaz, and there will be Solemn Benediction at 6.30pm. On Sunday 18th January there will be a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving, with the singing of the Te Deum at 11 o’clock.

The house where Joseph Vaz was born:

The former Oratory Church in Goa:

Fr Robert Barron, presenter of the Catholicism DVD series that we showed last year, and founder of Word on Fire was in Oxford today to film in our church and the Chesterton library.

He is currently working on a new eleven-part series, Catholicism: The Pivotal Players. The parts filmed today will be included in the videos G.K. Chesterton – The Evangelist and Bl. John Henry Newman – The Convert.

On Saturday 20th December, the Companions of the Order of Malta, in partnership with the St Aloysius’ parish conference of the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Oxford Food Bank, cooked and served lunch for over 40 homeless guests and volunteers.

Preparations commenced in the Oratory parish centre at 8:30am, shortly after the end of the Advent ‘Rorate’ Mass, with the peeling of 22kg of potatoes, 5 kgs of sprouts, and 8kgs carrots (generously provided by the Oxford Food Bank) by chefs Mike and Michelle and their children.

Lunch was served at St Giles’ Church Hall between 12:30 and 1:30, with Fr Daniel Seward saying grace, and homeless guests and volunteers pulling crackers and tucking in together to roast chicken with all the trimmings.

The Companions of the Order of Malta (composed chiefly of students and academics from the University) run a drop-in project for the homeless every Saturday throughout the year, as well as distributing soup and sandwiches up to four nights a week to rough sleepers and those on the streets.

The SVP, as well as conducting its excellent work visiting the elderly and housebound, supports the Companions by providing soup and sandwiches for distribution, and extra hands when student volunteer numbers are low, such as in Vacation.

For more information about the work of the Companions, contact Brendan Brett at blessed.gerard.opn@gmail.com, or look at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/COMOxford

For more information about the SVP, speak to Ann Bailey or one of the Fathers.

The candles are extinguished just after this morning’s Rorate Mass:

CONFESSIONS

Before every Mass — and on Christmas Eve from 10:00 am–6:30 pm
Saturdays also 10:30–11:00 am, 5:00–6:30 pm

Wednesday 24th December, CHRISTMAS EVE

6.30 pm Vigil Mass with carols
The Church reopens at 11:00 pm
11:15 pm — Carols and Readings
Midnight Mass at midnight

Thursday 25th December, CHRISTMAS DAY

8:00 am — Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form)
9:30 am — Parish Mass, with Children’s Liturgy
11:00 am — Solemn Mass
5:30 pm — Solemn Benediction
NO EVENING MASS

Friday 26th December, ST STEPHEN’S DAY

Mass at 10.00 am only
NO EVENING MASS

Saturday 27th December, ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST

Mass at 10.00 am
Vigil Mass at 6.30 pm

Sunday 28th December, HOLY FAMILY

8:00 am — Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form)
9:30 am — Parish Mass (No children’s liturgy)
11:00 am — Solemn Mass
6:00 pm — Benediction (no Vespers)
6:30 pm — Evening Mass

Monday – Wednesday

Mass at 7:30 and 10:00 am, 6:00 pm

Wednesday 31st December, NEW YEAR’S EVE

11:00 pm Mass and Benediction for New Year

Thursday 1st January, MARY MOTHER OF GOD

Mass at 10.00 am only

Sunday 4th January, 2015 SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY

Saturday 6:30 pm — Vigil Mass
8:00 am — Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form)
9:30 am — Parish Mass, with Children’s Liturgy
11:00 am — Solemn Mass
5:30 pm — Solemn Vespers and Benediction
6:30 pm — Evening Mass

Saturday 10th January

3:00 pm — Children’s Epiphany Benediction in the Crib

Download these times as a PDF.