Oxford Catholic Chaplaincy Latest News
Message from the Chaplains
New students, welcome!
During the pandemic, please join us for our live-streamed Masses, follow our news, and register for our weekly newsletter.
Live-streamed Masses this week: Mon-Sat at 6pm, Sunday 11am and 8pm.
With good wishes and the promise of prayers from the Chaplains and Chaplaincy residents.
Returning to Lockdown
Public worship is still permitted, as is one one-to-one walk a day. If you are in Oxford, we do hope to see you at one of our Masses (please see details below) and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like a walk and a chat.
Newman Society’s Mass of Thanksgiving 2020 – homily by Fr Matthew Power SJ
How is it that you can, as a University Catholic Society, continue, in the coming year, to contribute to the mission of the Church, in its nurturing of the faith, in its building up of community, in its ecumenical and interfaith relations, in its championing of the right to life and the care of our common home, in manifesting the kind of openness and accountability that has, at times, been absent in Church organisations, most recently in the Church itself in relation in its response to child abuse.
Bishops’ Response to the IICSA report – Chaplaincy’s next steps
We wish to take the Bishops’ statement as an occasion to renew our efforts at the Chaplaincy to do all we can to safeguard children and the vulnerable, to support those who have been affected by abuse, and to ensure that as a community we are committed to best pastoral practice.
The Chancellor’s message on the occasion of the Academic Mass and Centenary of the Oxford University Catholic Chaplainy at the Old Palace
Catholics today play an important role in every aspect of our national life. There is a special responsibility on all of us who benefit from all that this great academy has to offer, to return to the community a little of what we ourselves have received.
Bishop John Arnold’s homily on the occasion of the Academic Mass and Centenary of the Oxford University Catholic Chaplainy at the Old Palace
Anniversaries are important in recognising and remembering the history of a place – and the people and events associated with it. And, for The Old Palace, it has been a story of success both in witnessing to the faith and in the mission of evangelisation.
Priority for the term – to stay open!
We know that if we do not remain a safe environment then not only will some of you stay away, but there is a strong likelihood that we will have to close for in-person events, either at our own initiative or at the request of the University or Public Health England.
In order to keep open across the term we need everyone to:
Building Community
The fruits of the five days we spent together are certainly a far better organised library and an array of pretty flower tubs on the terrace, but we would hope also a community that is praying together and working together to make the Chaplaincy the place of welcome and support that you will be enjoy and appreciate.
‘Newman’s Secret’
John Henry Newman was always eminently pastoral, attentive to the needs of human beings; and that is why the poor lined the streets for his funeral and that was why the Oxford undergraduates could not be prevented from attending his sermons. He was, above all, a man of the Spirit, and is an example to us of how to preach the gospel.
‘The Lord be with you’
We have a capacity for about 60 to 70 people in the Newman Room with an ‘overflow’ in the Chapel for 15.
Nice to meet you!
It’s been wonderful to be able to welcome students back to the Chaplaincy as we head towards the beginning of Michaelmas Term.