Dear Friends, As you can see from the photographs, the restoration work on the roof of the Cardinal’s Library and adjacent roofing is going at a fine pace. The lantern roof, which was in danger of collapsing, has been reconstructed using whatever elements of the old structure [...]
To prepare for Holy Week, the Fathers recorded a series of Lenten Lectures on each of the major liturgies.1. Palm Sunday2. Tenebrae3. Maundy Thursday4. Good Friday5. The Easter Vigil
Please note the revised times for Tenebrae (8pm), the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Maundy Thursday (6pm) and Good Friday Stations of the Cross (6pm). As usual, High Mass on Palm Sunday begins at the earlier time of 10am. There will be an additional English Mass on Maundy Thursday this year to allow for distancing. All Masses and offices [...]
The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed daily in church from the First Sunday of Lent until Holy Week: On weekdays, from 4.30pm to 5.15pm (followed by the Rosary and the evening Mass). On Thursdays, as above, with Benediction following immediately after Mass. On Fridays, as usual from 2pm to 5pm. On Saturdays, from 9.30am to 10.40am, concluding with Benediction. On [...]
Candlemas brings the extended Christmas season to a close. With Septuagesima the next season of our liturgical year is now already upon us. As we say farewell to the crib we start to prepare for Lent and Passiontide. The Presentation and the Purification were the remote preparation for Passiontide, both for the Lord Himself, and for His sinless Mother, and [...]
Today’s introit and epistle bid us always to rejoice in the Lord. Should we make this a daily resolution? “Today I’m going to be joyful.” No, that won’t work. We might resolve to be more charitable or more patient. Charity and patience are virtues, good habits. We acquire those virtuous good habits by repeating them over and over again. We [...]
The Birmingham Oratory parish is dedicated to our Lady’s Immaculate Conception and so we have the privilege of being under her special patronage. In order for our understanding of our Lady’s sinlessness to be more than merely theoretical, God has given us a way of approaching it that is personal and truly human. He has given us the beautiful devotion [...]
The Oratory's annual service of Nine Lessons and Carols will take place on Saturday 19th December at 7pm, with organ and choral music sung by the Oratory Choir. All are welcome. You are advised to arrive a little early to ensure a seat, in light of social distancing requirements. Sadly present circumstances do not permit congregational singing. [...]
The Oratory will be open as usual for Christmas Masses. This year we are increasing the number of Masses to ensure we meet social distancing requirement. In addition to our usual Masses, there will be an extra English Mass at 4pm on Christmas Eve, and an additional Missa Cantata (sung Latin EF) at 9pm. There will also be a [...]
We are told that four babies are born on earth every second. In the same moment, a comparable number of souls who have lived their allotted span in this world are leaving it behind as they are called to their final destiny in eternity. The flow of individual human souls in and out of this world is unending. New lives [...]