Parish News

Items of news and photographs should be sent to corpus.oll.news@gmail.com
You can download a Gift Aid Form here to support the Parish.

New Icon of St Frideswide blessed by Archbishop Bernard
On Sunday 10 March, Archbishop Bernard celebrated the 11am Mass at Corpus Christi and blessed the new Icon of St Frideswide written by Sister Felicity of Baddesley Clinton.   The Archbishop was entertained in the Parish Hall afterwards to a Bring and Share lunch.  CLICK here for short account.

Revised Guide to Corpus Christi published
Following the installation of the Icon to St Frideswide in the Choir Chapel, a new edition of the Guide to Corpus Christi was published recently.  Copies are available at the back of the church – please take one.
Click here to download a copy.

Parishioner Joe reports on World Youth Day
Joe Georgekutty and his siblings went to Lisbon for World Youth Day – they had an amazing time.  Joe recommends that everyone should at least consider going to the next WYD in 2027.  Read Joe’s account here.

 

Parish Pilgrimage to Holy Land
Fr Mervyn led a wonderful pilgrimage to the Holy Land which made an enormous impact upon all participants.
Read Sharon Taylor’s account by clicking HERE.
Click here to download the Parish Pilgrimage Programme

 

Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Lourdes Word Cloud
What single words come to your mind when you think of the Parish?  This was the question posed at Mass last week and this is the result!

Click here for further explanation

Parishioners endorse Salina’s letter to World Bank
The Parish responded enthusiastically to CAFOD’s plea to Fix the Food System.  Parishioners queued to sign the petition to the World Bank supporting the request of small farmers to be permitted to save, use, exchange and sell their own varieties of seed.
Click here for full account.

Grace Community present cheque to CAFOD
On Friday 30 June, representatives of Grace Community Oxfordshire met in Corpus Christi to make a presentation to CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, the official development agency of the Bishops of England and Wales.
Click here for full account.

Parish Fete a wonderful success!
On Sunday 25 June, the Parish gathered in the gardens surrounding Corpus Christi for the Summer Fete.  It was a great community event – barbecues, games, raffles, cakes, etc etc. Click here for fuller account.

 

Our Lady of Lourdes welcomes St Mary the Virgin
On Sunday 28 May Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Wheatley will provide a temporary home to Anglican parishioners of St Mary the Virgin, Wheatley.  St Mary’s is being refurbished to create a more flexible space, enabling it to become a community hub for the village during the week as well as the Village’s Parish Church.  Our Lady of Lourdes is delighted to assist our Anglican friends.

Corpus Christi for a Fair World
Parishioners from Corpus Christi and CAFOD parishes across the UK were represented on a walk to Parliament to promote climate justice last Friday, 21 April. The pilgrimage started  with a service focused on  God’s good world and our treatment of it, with input from people from the Philippines and Kenya about the impact of climate change. Click here for further information.

Thursday Lunch Club Christmas Lunch great successOn Thursday 15 December the Parish Hall was transformed to entertain the Thursday Lunch Club members to a wonderful Christmas lunch.  New team members always welcome, particularly drivers – contact Katya Drummond katya@shotover.net or tel 01865 763161. 

Parish donates toys to Salvation Army Christmas Appeal
A shopping trolley overflowing with brand new toys donated by Parishioners from Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Lourdes was delivered to Major Sam Johnson on Monday.  She said, “Thank you so much to everyone at Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Lourdes for thinking of families in need. Happy Christmas and God bless you.” 
 

Parish Walk in Support of CAFOD Ukraine Appeal
Parishioners from Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Lourdes spent Sunday afternoon, 22 June, walking around Bury Knowle Park to express solidarity with the people of Ukraine.  Fr Mervyn led the pilgrimage with a prayer and members of the musical group led singing.  Click here for further details.

Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
POSTPONED until 2023
Fr Mervyn is leading a Parish pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Tuesday 5 July – Wednesday 13, July 2022. Click here for outline information.  Cost £1770 per person based on two sharing; (single supplement £365).  All inclusive price, flight, accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner.    Click here for booking form.

Sr Marie Ann Celebrates her Golden Jubilee
Today, 29 August 2021, on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession, we congratulate and thank God for Sr. Marie Ann and for all she has given and still gives to the life of the Parish.  Click here to read more.

 

Parliament in Your Parish
Parishioners from Our Lady of Lourdes, Wheatley, met with their constituency MP, John Howell, along with other parishes in the Henley constituency to lobby for rebuilding from the pandemic in a way that tackles the major global issues of our time, including climate change and unjust foreign debts.  Click here for full story.

Church reopens for Public Mass
Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Lourdes are again open for the public celebration of Mass.  Corpus Christi is open each day for private prayer from approximately 6am to 6pm; Our Lady of Lourdes is open only for the Vigil Mass of Sunday held at 6pm on Saturday evenings.

New lockdown 5 November – 2 December
The government has prohibited public worship during this period.  Mass will be available on live-stream only (click here for details).  Corpus Christi is open for private worship (click here for details); our Lady of Lourdes Church in Wheatley is closed through the lockdown.

Opening Corpus Christi for Public Mass
Following the publication of guidelines by the Metropolitan Archbishops (click here), Corpus Christi  and our Lady of Lourdes are open for Public Mass. Please read the Corpus Christi guidelines or Our Lady of Lourdes guidelines before attending for public Mass.  For Mass Times, click here.

Invitation to respond: Proposals for refurbishment of the Church
There are exciting new plans for the refurbishment of Corpus Christi Church for the worship and glory of God and to optimise the space as a gathering place for the people.   Click to read letter from Fr Mervyn
Click here for plans: 1 Sanctuary; 2 Decorations; 3 Elevations and Narthex alternatives; 4 Architectural Plan for Church.  Click here to respond by email

Valladolid Students run for CAFOD
Jonathan Henry, a seminarian from Valladolid currently assigned to Corpus Christi during the pandemic, will be taking part in a virtual relay race on Sunday, with each of the students running 2.6 miles to raise funds for CAFOD’s Coronavirus appeal.
Click here for full story

Prayers following Mass of the Lord’s Supper 
The lights of the Church were turned down as Parishioners, in their homes, joined Fr Mervyn, in the Church, to watch and pray after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
“Stay with me, remain here with me,
watch and pray, watch and pray.”

Parishioners decorate front doors for Palm Sunday
The Church was decorated with Palms to commemorate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Parishioners were invited to decorate their front doors with palms or greenery.
Our Lady of Lourdes entrance is shown on left.  There is still time to send photos to corpus.OLL.news@gmail.com.
Click here for more images of front doors.

Church closed for public Masses until further notice
In response to the instructions from the Bishops of England and Wales (click here for video from Cardinal Vincent Nichols), there will be no public Masses at either of the churches until further notice and both churches will be closed to parishioners at all times until further notice.  Weekend and Daily Masses (click Mass & Resources) will be live-screened and can be viewed on the website – click Mass Streaming.  Click here for video of Archbishop Bernard’s message to the Diocese.
Click for Readings for Fifth Sunday of Lent
Click for letter from Fr Mervyn to parishioners

Formal Presentation of CAFOD Live Simply award
On Sunday 9 February, Fr Mervyn formally received the Live Simply Award from CAFOD Trustee, John Guy.  It was a celebration of the parish’s 18 month journey to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor.
Click here for full story

Lectors at Mass Commissioned on Word of God Sunday
The Parish inaugurated Word of God Sunday with a wonderful display of Holy Scriptures set up on the steps of the Altar at Corpus Christi.  Fr Mervyn commissioned readers and presented each with a Bible.
Click here for all story

Mission to Oxford Introduction
The parish welcomed Brother Lorne OFM Cap, from Greyfriars, and Mrs. Natalie Orifice from the Diocesan Evangelization Office to talk about the Mission to Oxford (May 25th – June 14th 2020)and how we might be involved.
Click here for full story

Thursday Lunch Club Celebrates Christmas
The Thursday Lunch Club (TLC) celebrated Christmas on Thursday 19 December in the parish hall, with a magnificent lunch with all the trimmings, carols and mince pies. This was a free meal, kindly paid for by the Waitrose green token scheme.
Click here for full story

Parish achieves Live Simply Award
For 18 months, the Parish has been carrying out projects and activities to encourage us all to live more simply, sustainably and in solidarity with those in poverty.  The Parish submitted its report to CAFOD in the autumn and, following a testing assessment at the weekend, the award has been granted.
Click here for full story 

Parish donates new toys to the Salvation Army Appeal
A wonderful collection of carefully chosen gifts has gone from our parish to the Salvation Army appeal, ready to be distributed to local families where the children will have little or nothing for Christmas.
Click here for full story

 

Alumni of Venerable English College celebrate Martyrs’ Day in Exeter College
Canon Mervyn and alumni of the Venerable English College gathered in Exeter College Chapel for an historic commemoration of the 44 students of the VEC martyred in the 16th and 17th Centuries.
Click here for full story; click Martyrs Mass for text and music.

Parishioners say that Live Simply Campaign has made them more aware
As we move from campaigning to embedding Live Simply principles into daily life, read parishioners’ reactions.
Click Responses to the questions for full results.
Click What difference has Live Simply Made for parishioners’ free responses. 

Justice and Peace Group suggests questions to election candidates
There is still time to ask questions of election candidates.
Click here for link to questions on CAFOD website
Click here for link to Democratic Dashboard for list of candidates in your constituency

Parish supports Salvation Army collection of new toys
For the second year running, parishioners are invited to bring new toys and gifts for children who might not otherwise receive a Christmas present.
Click here for list of suggested gifts.

 

Bishop John Arnold launches Live Simply Book of Recipes and Tips
In another initiative in support of the Parish’s Live Simply Campaign, parishioners have collected a set of recipes and tips in support of CAFOD.  The Chairman of CAFOD, Bishop John Arnold launched it at the weekend.
Click here for full story

Parish Collects Trash for Cash to Care for the Planet
As part of the Live Simply Campaign, parishioners are gathering mobile phones, cameras and other items of value so that precious metals can be recovered and the proceeds donated to CAFOD.  
Click here for full story. Click Universe page for page from Universe.

Charity presents £400 to Parish
A new charity, Grace Charity UK, set up by parishioners and friends, has made a major donation to the Parish funds.  They also made a similar donation to the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Click here for full story. 


Update on Parish CAFOD Projects
We have been working on a number of projects over recent years.  The people of Sebeya have thanked us for the contribution we made to enable a new irrigation project to be completed, bringing them water all the year round.
Click here for brief update, here for letter from Sebeya.

Parish Masses to celebrate Ceation
This weekend, the Parish celebrated the gift of Creation, recognising the need for us all to take responsibility for the care of our planet and the gifts of creation, as part of the Live Simply Campaign.
Click here for full story.

Parish celebrates Pentecost with International lunch
Parishioners gathered in the Parish Hall after the 11 am Mass for a Bring and Share Lunch to celebrate the diversity of our community, reflecting the global nature of the Catholic Church.
Click here for full story.

Live Simply Book of Recipes and Tips
The Parish is producing a new book of Parishioners’ recipes and tips on how to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with those in poverty.
Send your recipes and tips to livesimplyrecipe@gmail.com.
Click here for further information.

 

Advance notice Curry Night
Saturday 22 June 2019, 5pm
To raise money for Corpus Christi and Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Heart Centre (CTCCU).  Tickets £10.
Click here Curry Night Information for full details – then click on the image to enlarge it.

Friday 1 March 2019
Parish launches Lent Plastic Challenge
In response to a film evening showing  Global Healing, on behalf of the Bishops of England and Wales on Pope Francis’s  Encyclical Laudato Si’, the Parish has launched a new Lenten Challenge.
Click here of full story

Monday 18 February
Parish to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight
Towards the end of 2018, Corpus Christi and Our Lady of Lourdes received recognised status as Fairtrade Churches by the Fairtrade Foundation.  The Parish has committed to using Fairtrade products where possible for refreshments and to promote Fairtrade Fortnight, which this year runs from 25 February to 10 March.

Click here for full story.  Click here for Fairtrade Foundation.

 

Wednesday 23 January
Parish thanked for Night Shelter Donations

Over the Christmas period, parishioners donated warm clothes, under clothes and toiletries to the homeless in Oxford through the Oxford Winter Night Shelter.  These have been gratefully received and further collections are needed.
Click here for full story.

Sunday 20 January
Parish celebrates the Feast of Santo Niño of Cebu.

On the third Sunday in January, the Church in the Philippines celebrates the Feast of Santo Niño, the statue of the boy Jesus believed to have miraculously survived in Cebu following conflicts in the 16th Century.  It represents the introduction of Catholicism to the Philippines.
Click here for full story.  Click
Santo-Nino-Video2 for video.

Thursday 20 December
Thursday Lunch Club Christmas Lunch
On Thursday 20 December, the Parish Hall was the venue for the Annual Christmas Lunch.
Click here for full story

 

Thursday 20 December
Parish collection for the homeless continues through the winter months
 “While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn.” St Luke’s Gospel
Click here for full story and list of items needed
Click here for link to Oxford City Council, What we do to tackle homelessness

Sunday 16 December
Corpus Christi Children’s Choir CD sells out!

The wonderful CD of Christmas music by the parish’s Children’s Choir sold out on the first weekend of sales.

Click here for full story
Click here for sound extracts from the CD (you may have to adjust volume)

 

Sunday 9 December
Parish donates toys to the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal – collection now closed
As part of the Live Simply Christmas Project, the toys collected by parishioners have been taken to the Salvation Army for distribution to local children in need.
Click here for full story

 

 Sunday 18 November
Parish Celebrates 50 years of work and ministry by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart (Saint Aubin)
It is 50 years since the Sisters moved into the Priory within the Parish – the Parish showed their love and gratitude with a celebratory lunch.
Click here for full story.

Click here for Sr Marie Ann’s Remembering 50 Years

Friday 28 September
Results of Parishioners’ response to the Live Simply Survey

For a chart showing results of the Live Simply Prompt sheet and parishioners’ suggestions of further ideas for the Live Simply campaign, click here: Prompt Sheet results

Friday 7 September
Fr Mervyn’s Address at Adoremus

Fr Mervyn’s opening address to the Eucharistic Conference in Liverpool.
Click here to watch video (NB 23 sec intro before talk)
Text of Presentation.

 

Wednesday 22 August
Parish Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

46 parishioners from Corpus Christi Parish are in the Holy Land, on a pilgrimage led by Fr Mervyn.

Click here for full story

 

Tuesday 21 August 2018
Parishioner Louise McCarthy raises money for Children’s Charity
Louise McCarthy is planning a 50 km Trek to raise £200 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Click here for full story

 

Tuesday 31 July 2018
Blue Plaque commemorates first Catholic Parish in Oxford
Bishop William Kenney, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham, unveiled a blue plaque on the former St Ignatius Chapel – the site of the first Catholic Church in Oxford after the Reformation. 
Click here for full story

 

Sunday 22 July 2018
91 Parishioners Shared the Journey
As part of the CAFOD Live Simply Campaign, parishioners walked to express solidarity with migrants and refugees.  
Click here for full story