St Anthony of Padua, Oxford...continue to struggle over the meaning and significance of hrists presence in the Eucharist. The Second Vatican Council, in The Constitution on the Sacred

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St Anthony of Padua, Oxford

115 Headley Way, Oxford OX3 7SS | Web: www.stanthonyofpadua.org.uk | www.facebook.com/saop.oxford

Parish Priest: 01865 762964 | Administrator: 07484 271876 | Email: [email protected]

14th June 2020 – Corpus Christi

Sunday Reflection from Father Pius. The Church commemorates the solemnity of

Corpus Christi, a Latin term that expresses the Body of Christ. Today’s celebration

invites us to ponder on the gift of Christ’s body and blood to us in the Eucharist

under the species of bread and wine. The first reading from the book of

Deuteronomy alludes to Yahweh feeding his people with manna as they made their

way through the desert to the Promise Land. The manna is only a foreshadowing or

prefiguration of the Eucharistic meal. In the second reading St Paul speaks of the

cup of blessing, which we bless and the bread we break as communion with the

blood and body of Christ. By sharing in this one bread and drinking from one cup,

we, though many, form one body. We participate in the life of Jesus who is the

living bread which has come down from heaven. The Holy Eucharist guarantees God’s care and kindness towards us.

It is God himself sharing and giving his life to and for us. It is a sacrament, a sacrifice and a thanksgiving. In fact, it is

the synopsis and central point of our liturgical celebration (Canon 246).

Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist for many reasons, among which are: as food for our souls and nourishment for

our bodies, “I am the bread of life, he who comes to me shall not hunger and he who believes in me shall not thirst”

(John 6:56); as a sharing in his divine life of grace; as a remission of sins (Mark 14:24). Sadly, many Christians

continue to struggle over the meaning and significance of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. The Second Vatican

Council, in The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium 7), clearly and emphatically reminds us

of the many presences of Christ in the Eucharistic gathering. Christ is present in others and in the Word in modes

analogous to the way he is present in the Eucharist sacramentally, in the elements of bread and wine. We are thus

challenged to revere and tend to others in the same way we revere and tend to the Eucharistic Christ. May the true

and active presence of Christ move us all to become the healing, reconciling and unifying community that is the

Mystical Body of Christ.

From the pastoral team. We wish you a happy Feast of St Anthony this weekend and hope you can participate

(virtually) in some of the events planned. Significant work has been done in the past week on the rather complex

arrangements required for re-opening the Church, initially for private prayer only, in adherence with Government

and Diocesan instructions and you will see more on this elsewhere in the bulletin. Volunteers to act as stewards and

cleaners will be essential for this to happen. In due course the Church building will open for Mass again but,

realistically, that is still some way off. We are, however, very pleased that our priests can now offer on-line masses

from the parish (see the Masses and Intentions table below). Let us continue to pray for all those in need, for the

Church and the World. Keep safe and have a good week. St Anthony of Padua pray for us, Our Lady of Oxford

watch over us.

St Anthony of Padua Feast Day: Saturday 13th June. See the separate flyer below and the parish web site

(http://www.stanthonyofpadua.org.uk/feast/) for details. Events include a live-streamed Mass at 10am, parish

Zoom social event and quiz at 7:30pm, followed by night prayer (compline) at 9pm.

Plans to reopen St Anthony of Padua for private prayer. As many of you will know, the government has given

permission for places of worship to consider re-opening for private prayer in the next week or so. The church will

NOT be open for Mass at this time. The archdiocese has issued strict guidelines as to how this might be achieved

safely. The main points are given in the attached information sheet. Fr Pius would like to thank especially Jane

Kennett, Penny Jenner and Dominic Smith for their hard work over a short timescale to help to make this happen.

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Masses and Intentions. Mass is celebrated privately each day by the parish clergy. Some masses are now being live-

streamed on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/saop.oxford. Details will be given on the parish web site when

finalised. Mass intentions are listed in the table below. New Mass Intentions or names of those for whom you would

like us to pray should be sent to the Parish Office address by email or phone 01865 762964 / 07484 271876.

Please pray for Jean Collard, Fr John Baggley, Ann Ashfield, Pat Hodgson and Margaret Wipp. Pray also for Kathleen

McDonagh, RIP, Melody Wilson, RIP and William Hudson, RIP.

Saturday 13th June Solemnity of St Anthony of Padua For the people of the parish

Sunday 14th June Solemnity of Corpus Christi SAU RIP

Monday 15th June Weekday in Ordinary Time For persecuted Christians in the world

Tuesday 16th June Weekday in Ordinary Time For the sick and the housebound

Wednesday 17th June Weekday in Ordinary Time John Denning - birthday

Thursday 18th June Dedication of St Chad’s Cathedral

(feast) For all health and care workers

Friday 19th June Solemnity of the Most Sacred

Heart of Jesus

For everybody at St Joseph’s School and St

Gregory the Great Schools

Saturday 20th June Memorial of the Immaculate

Heart of Mary For all who have died from COVID-19

During the coronavirus crisis, in case of urgent needs due to illness or if you or someone you know in the parish

requires support, help with shopping or just a chat, please contact Penny Jenner (01865 762964 or 07484 271876;

[email protected]). For the latest NHS advice see: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-

covid-19/. For Oxford City Council’s local advice and information page: https://www.oxford.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Keeping in touch. We now send a weekly Bulletin by email (hand-delivered for those without on-line access). Please

let us know if you would like to join our email list, and pass this information on to anybody who may be interested.

We also have a WhatsApp group. Let Shalini Lalvani know (via the parish email address) if you would like to join.

Please like and follow our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/saop.oxford).

Offertory during lockdown. The Archdiocese has set up a web page which allows us to make offertory donations to

our own parish: https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/news/supporting-your-parish-financially. There is an

orange button that you choose for one or more single donations. During the subsequent steps you select the parish

you want from the “Donating to” drop-down menu (Oxford: St Anthony). Please choose the option to Gift Aid your

donation if you pay any tax (the government then gives us 25p in every pound on top of what you donate). If you

would like to make a regular donation by standing order just email the parish office and we will send you the

necessary details

Calling all young people! We invite all young people of secondary school age to join Fran, Bro Paul, his youth team

and young people from Greyfriars for a virtual youth group on Wednesday evenings from 7:30-8:30 pm. To find out

more, email Fran Walsh [email protected].

Maryvale Sacred Heart Novena. All are invited to join online for the Annual Novena to the Sacred Heart at the

Shrine of the Sacred Heart at Maryvale Institute. There will be a Mass, Sermon and Novena live streamed each

evening at 8pm from Thursday 11th June to Friday 19th June 2020 (Feast of the Sacred Heart). Archbishop Bernard

Longley will be celebrating Mass on Sunday 21st June at 11am (on the day the ‘physical’ Pilgrimage would have

taken place). It will be live-streamed from St Chad’s Cathedral. Full details, and how to access each event, are

available on the Diocesan website: https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/news/join-online-maryvale-sacred-

heart-novena and Maryvale Institute website: https://www.maryvale.ac.uk/novena-2020.html

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For all doctors, nurses, midwives, chaplains and others involved in healthcare (including students). On Thursday

25th June the Anscombe Bioethics Centre is holding an on-line conversation about how the coronavirus pandemic

has changed the landscape of medical ethics. Topics for discussion include mental health, epidemiology and public

health strategies, and caring for the elderly and the most vulnerable. Join them for this virtual dialogue session (on

Zoom) and share your thoughts and questions with their expert panel. Click here for details.

The Foodbank still needs your help. As a result of the economic pressures caused by lockdown, our local food bank

has seen a doubling in requests for food parcels, and is currently providing 500 parcels a month to families in need.

Please consider contributing non-perishable food goods (they are especially in need of tinned meat products, coffee

and tinned vegetables and fruit). If you feel you can help please take any donations to the back of St Francis’

Church, 226 Hollow Way, OX3 7JF (on Mondays or Thursdays between 11am and 1pm). If you would like someone

to pick up your donation from your home, please email [email protected]. Thank you.

On-line prayer and faith resources

There are a range of resources on our parish website www.stanthonyofpadua.org.uk:

Pray As You Go, a daily podcast created by the Jesuits with a Scripture reading and reflection.

The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales short order of service for use by families when mass is

unavailable.

Children’s Liturgy from CAFOD including links for a live children’s liturgy session.

Universalis is an app for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac, which provides the readings for Mass each day, as

well as the Divine Office.

EWTN – TV is a Catholic TV channel: https://www.ewtn.com/tv

Our sister churches Corpus Christi, Headington, and Greyfriars, Iffley Road, also have very informative

newsletters and web-sites with various resources, and details of live-streamed Masses:

https://corpuschristiheadington.co.uk and https://greyfriarsoxford.weebly.com

Parish Zoom meetings. The church is locked but there are still plenty of meetings going on! To access a Zoom

meeting visit https://zoom.us/join and type in the ID number given in the table. When using Zoom for the first time

you may be required to install a small app on your device which is straightforward. Please email the parish office if

you have any difficulties. You do not need to set up your own account to use Zoom.

Meeting or activity When Zoom ID (password if needed)

Night Prayer / Compline

Monday to Friday at 9 pm for ca. 20 minutes

(please sign in a couple of minutes before the

start time)

753-7894-1695 (password

NP1306)

Women’s group Monday evenings from 8:30 pm. 974-1172-6590

Men’s group Thursday evenings. Please contact Dominic Vella ([email protected])

for details of the current program.

Parish on-line “tea, coffee,

juice and biscuits” Sunday after the 11am mass at Corpus Christi 929-5988-4912

Parish Clergy: Fr. Pius Duke, MSP; Fr. Vincent Omokpakpo, MSP

The Parish is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham: Registered Charity No. 234216

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Plans to reopen St Anthony of Padua for private prayer. As many of you will know, the government has given permission for places of worship to consider re-opening for private prayer in the next week or so. The church will NOT be open for Mass at this time. The archdiocese has issued strict guidelines as to how this might be achieved safely. These are not comprehensive, but the main points are:

No one should visit the church if they are suffering from any symptoms that may be due to Corona virus.

Strict two metre social distancing is to be adhered to (other than visitors from the same household).

A minimum of 2 stewards must be on duty to ensure that safety regulations are followed.

WC facilities will not be available. A frequent cleaning regime will occur with appropriate disinfectants.

In the first instance Father Pius would like to open the church three times a week, for two hours at a time. We plan that exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will occur in one session. Initially we feel that up to 20 worshippers could be accommodated at any one time. These days would be Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, between 11am and 1pm on each occasion. We are aiming to start on Tuesday 23rd June, but this date (and subsequent opening times), is totally dependent on having enough volunteers, both to steward the sessions and also to clean afterwards. If we do not have sufficient help, then sadly re-opening will not happen, or the days will have to be curtailed.

All volunteers must be under the age of 70 (archdiocese guidelines at present), and in good health.

Stewards will need to be present in church for the full two hour period, and there must be a minimum of 2 available at any one time to allow the church to open. They will be responsible for checking that visitors to the church do not have a fever or cough, directing visitors to the appropriate place to comply with the two metre rule, making sure that the “one way” system is complied with, and ensuring that hand sanitiser is used at the entrance and exit of the church. Appropriate PPE will be provided.

Cleaners will be needed for about 1 hour after each session that the church is open. Cleaning materials and appropriate PPE will be provided.

Once we know the number of volunteers, rotas for both the stewards and cleaners will be published.

If anyone feels that they can commit to these duties (or could do so if the days/times were different), or would like to know more about the responsibilities involved, please contact Fr Pius or [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you! God Bless.

As the Body of Christ, let us pray...

This weekend we celebrate on Saturday the feast of our patron saint, St Anthony of Padua,

and on Sunday our sister parish, Corpus Christi, celebrates its special day when we thank Our

Lord for the priceless gift of His body and blood in the Eucharist.

As we all come together in spirit to give thanks for the life of St Anthony and his loving care

of our parish we ask the Lord to strengthen our unity and to deepen out commitment to one

another in this difficult time. We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

We remember our fellow parishioners and friends at Corpus Christi and we pray that they too

will draw strength from the Lord’s eternal gift of Himself in the Eucharist as they celebrate in

spirit their parish’s special feast day. We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

As we remember Jesus’ words, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I

live in him,” we pray that the day will soon come when we can all unite in celebrating Mass

and receiving Holy Communion in our parish churches. As we wait for that day we ask the

Lord to come to us in spirit and renew His life within us.

We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

As we take the first tentative steps towards the return to normal life we pray for all leaders

across the world that the Holy Spirit will give them the wisdom and compassion to take the

right decisions for all in their care. We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

We pray especially for all those involved in every level of education that they will do all in

their power to enable the young people in their care to return safely to the stimulation of their

studies and the friendships that they are missing.

We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

We continue to pray for all those affected by the Corona virus: those who have lost their lives

and those who mourn them; health care workers who continue to care selflessly for those who

are ill in hospital or the community; and those who continue to work tirelessly to maintain

services for us all. We pray to the Lord. Lord hear our prayer.

We ask Mary our Mother, St Anthony and all the saints to watch over us wherever we may be

and to join their prayers to ours as we give thanks to God our Father for the priceless gift of

His son and His promise that all who eat His flesh and drink His blood will have eternal life.

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Sunday Plus. Edited by Denis McBride C.Ss.R. and Sr Janet Fearns FMDM. Copyright © Redemptorist Publications, Chawton, Hampshire GU34 3HQ, A registered charity limited by guarantee. Registered in England 03261721. www.rpbooks.co.uk. Printed on FSC approved paper.

Corpus Christi • Divine Office Week III • Year A

SUNDAY PLUS14 June 2020

Feed the heartby Jimmy Mulgrew

Jesus fed the multitude on the mountain with only a few loaves and fishes. There were even leftovers. Some people had seconds and others took a carryout. Now that’s what I call a miracle!

It was a double whammy because then he spoke to them. He was feeding their bodies and their souls.

Food for the journey

“Faced with the needs of the crowd the disciples’ solution was this: let each one think of himself — send the crowd away!… But Jesus’ solution goes in another direction, a direction that astonishes the disciples: ‘You give them something to eat’.”

Pope Francis

Lord of life, teach me to appreciate the importance of receiving you into my life through the Eucharist. May I love you more and more each time you come to me. Help me to spread your love to everyone around me, especially to those whom I know and love. Amen.

his companions left Baghdad in search of freedom; these others yearn for a different sort of liberty.

Jesus reaches out to people experiencing spiritual starvation, promising life-giving soul-food and drink. He promises life that lasts “from the cradle to the grave” and then into eternity and beyond.

The Eucharist feeds us on our journey through life, in times of joy and sadness, boredom and excitement, companionship and loneliness, work and leisure. As Pope Francis declared, “Only if we journey together, will we be truly strong. With Christ, the Bread of Life who gives us strength for the journey, let us bring his fire to light up the darkness of this world!”Phil Ferguson is a former teacher.

Food for life

Today:Deuteronomy 8:2-3. 14-161 Corinthians 10:16-17John 6:51-58

Tuesday:1 Kings 21:17-29Matthew 5:43-48

Wednesday:2 Kings 2:1. 6-14Matthew 6:1-6. 16-18

Friday:Deuteronomy 7:6-111 John 4:7-16Matthew 11:25-30

Saturday:Isaiah 61:9-11Luke 2:41-51

Next Sunday:Jeremiah 20:10-13Romans 5:12-15Matthew 10:26-33

Monday:1 Kings 21:1-16Matthew 5:38-42

Thursday:Ecclesiasticus 48:1-14Matthew 6:7-15

by Phil Ferguson

Khalil and several other trafficked people travelled

for several days in a relay of trucks and a small boat from Baghdad to Tripoli and thence to Britain,

A Year of the Word

Image: © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk

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Going to MassFr Jim McManus

Fr Jim McManus considers how our understanding of who we are as people and as a community is expressed in our going to Mass.

not knowing where they were going and supplied with very little food and water. By the time the Coastguard and UK Border Force found them, they knew the meaning of hunger and thirst.

Khalil and his companions longed for food and drink to keep them alive on an unforeseen journey of horror. We can understand their fear, starvation and thirst, factors which are relatively easy to tackle with compassion and physical resources.

Yet there is also a second form of deprivation. Many people with well-nourished bodies experience spiritual starvation. Empty of hope, they feel imprisoned in life situations which seem to spiral out of control. Sometimes they suffer silently, feeling trapped and lifeless, scared to expose their internal desolation to others. Khalil and

Nothing more and nothing lessby Sr Janet Fearns FMDM

Have you ever heard of a thirteenth century nun by the name of Juliana of Liège? Possibly not, but to cut the story short, for about twenty years from 1208, in repeated visions, Jesus instructed her to ask the bishops to inaugurate a feast in honour of the Blessed Sacrament. Eventually, in 1246, the bishop of Liège ordered an annual celebration on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

In 1264, Pope Urban IV made this feast universal. It soon became so important that, today, 756 years later, a bishop is still obliged

At the Last Supper he blessed the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take eat, for this is my Body.” He then offered them the cup to drink to share in his Blood. We celebrate this and get closer to him when we take Holy Communion.

In the prayer he left us there’s a line, “Give us this day our daily bread”. When we say it we’re asking our Heavenly Father to look after not only our earthly needs but also our spiritual necessities.

Jimmy Mulgrew, a comedian and entertainer, is best known by his stage name, Jimmy Cricket.

to be in his diocese, “for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, except for a grave and urgent cause.” (Code of Canon Law, canon 395 §3)

Across the world, today, the Blessed Sacrament is celebrated in churches and in ways great and small.

Yet, however lavish or simple the occasion, the Eucharist reminds us that Jesus, as Pope Francis declares, “is in every human being, even the smallest and the defenceless.”

Sr Janet Fearns is a Franciscan Missionary of the Divine Motherhood.

What do Catholics do when we go to Mass? In this insightful book,