Public worship resumed on July 4.

Our clergy are now able to offer ten public Masses per week (two of which will also be streamed) and two streamed private Masses. Pattern of worship Details for this week are shown in the sidebar and the Calendar.

The Sunday obligation remains suspended and you can attend any Mass or make a Spiritual Communion via a streamed Mass. Any Catholic can attend any Mass, but these liturgies are primarily intended for the people of the Ordinariate and the parish of Christ the King with St Joachim, to whom our clergy have particular responsibility.

Our Lady of Ransom is now celebrating six or seven Masses per week and has a much larger capacity including an overflow into the hall for Sunday Masses (and the Saturday vigil). Their Masses are primarily intended for the people of the parish. The “1m+” distancing in operation means face coverings are required at OLR.

Churches are also open for private prayer and devotion.

Do visit to be with the Lord present in his Holy Sacrament of the Altar. The layout in each church and where you might sit or kneel may have changed from usual, and even include separate entrance and exit doors. It will be very different: but it is now possible. St Agnes’ Church is open from around 3:30pm on Sundays, prior to Mass: please consult other churches’ websites for details of their opening times, which may vary from week to week.

The diocese’s stipulations for how its churches may be opened are quite stringent. One requirement is for volunteers to be stewards, whose duties will include marshalling and ensuring hygiene is maintained. If you can help in the churches of Our Lady of Ransom parish, please contact the OLR Parish Office; or if you can help at Christ the King or St Joachim, please contact the CTK Parish Office. Needless to say, you must neither be suffering from, nor particularly susceptible to, the covid-19 coronavirus.

First Holy Communion and Confirmation groups are still deferred and will resume as soon as possible. We have a page of video of our streamed Masses both in church and elsewhere: they were streamed on YouTube and continue to be on Facebook, subject to availability. Do subscribe on YouTube or follow on Facebook, and keep an eye out for updates. We’ll also continue to publish homilies here.

Sunday, 9:30am
Novus Ordo  NO 
from St Joachim’s

Christ the King

Sunday 4:00pm
Divine Worship  DW 
from S Agnes’ Church

Facebook

Monday 10:00am
Divine Worship  DW 
from the presbytery

Facebook

Wednesday, Friday, 10:00am
Novus Ordo  NO 
from St Joachim’s or the presbytery

Christ the King

While things get back to normal, our page entitled Liturgy in a Time of Crisis may still be useful. Please make use of the resources available. In the sidebar here, there are links to Offices from the Liturgy of the Hours through the day: perhaps you can call a friend who is self-isolating and say the service together. WhatsApp will allow calls between up to eight people, and many people are now used to getting together with Zoom. There are other apps too; and there’s always a simple phone call.

In an emergency which requires the sacrament of anointing for the dying, a priest will be available whatever the circumstances. Other pastoral visits can take place outdoors. Sacramental confession is available where appropriate social distancing and safety can be observed. If you’re shielding and this isn’t possible for you, do make use of an Act of Perfect Contrition.

At a time when most of the country is returning to something like normal, it is imperative to continue to think of the most vulnerable — who may now be less noticeable — and continue to have a eye for our neighbours.

If you can help in any way, please do ring the office phone or Fr Neil’s mobile. And if you need help yourself, do not be afraid to call.

This sticky post was continually updated until 5 August 2020.