O God, whose servant Blessed John Juvenal
abandoned his training for the care of the human body
for the yet nobler care of the human soul,
that he might be spared on the day of wrath,
who blessed him with a particular love
for the service of thine altar
and caused him to reckon his life of no account,
if he should gain a single soul for thee;
who surpassed his virtue of humility,
only by his virtue of obedience;
and having raised him to the dignity of the episcopate
bestowed upon him the martyr’s crown in all but name;
grant us by his intercession and example
to be joyful,
to serve thee, O Lord, in gladness,
to forgive all who do us harm,
to do good and to suffer ill,
to persevere unto the end.

Jesus, sweet Jesus, with Mary give peace to our souls.

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Have you noticed that St Augustine and St Monica are directly opposite each other on our sanctuary? (Look for the lit candles!) But rather than facing each other, both of them gaze up prayerfully towards heaven. With Christ in the tabernacle at the centre, the scene becomes like one described by St Augustine in his ‘Confessions’:

“It came about that she and I were standing leaning out of a window overlooking a garden. Alone with each other, we talked very intimately, ‘forgetting the past and reaching forward to what lies ahead’ (Phil. 3:13). We were searching together in the presence of the Truth which is you yourself. We asked what the eternal life of the saints will be like, a life which ‘neither eye has seen nor ear heard nor has it entered into the heart of man’ (1 Cor. 2:9). But with the mouth of the heart wide open, we drank in the waters flowing from your spring on high, ‘the spring of life’ (Ps. 35:10) which is with you, so that sprinkled with this water as much as we could take, we tried in some way to think about such a great reality.”

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Congratulations to Jamie and Anna on their wedding day! Jamie and Anna will be known to many in the Oratory from all their help keeping the place running, from OYA to Oratory Outreach, from catechism classes to serving at the altar. We wish them every blessing as they begin their life together.

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Have you visited our re-vamped bookshop yet? We have a great range of specially selected books, cards and devotional items. In celebration of the Assumption check out our new range of items focused on Our Lady! #oxfordoratory #oratorybookshop

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Today is the anniversary of St John Henry Newman’s death — the day he left this world for heaven. It is a fitting day to receive a whole family into full Communion with the Church, following his steps into “the one true fold of the Redeemer”. Welcome and congratulations to the Wells family!

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August is one of our quieter months. While Masses and confessions continue every day, there aren’t so many special events to share photos of. So here is a picture from the archive of the church looking quiet in 1906.

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