Parish Life

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP)

Mass at St Birinus

St Birinus's SVP conference exists to offer help and support in our parish. Our aim is to tackle poverty in all its forms with practical assistance to those in need — and need is broader than financial hardship, so visiting the sick, the lonely, those in prison or suffering from addiction is also part of our work. Our members, motivated by the Catholic Faith and inspired by the Gospel, seek and find those in need and offer them sincere friendship.

The group president is John Radice. We are always happy to receive new members — if you are interested, please speak to one of us or Fr John. And if you are aware of a situation where we could offer help, or would yourself like some friendship or practical help, please get in touch.

Our twinnage with Romania

As by God's grace we find ourselves in a wealthier part of the Universal Church, it is our responsibility to share what we have with poorer congregations. St Birinus SVP is twinned with the SVP conference of Our Lady of Tenderness in Turt, a town in north-west Romania in the foothills of the Carpathians, close to the border with Ukraine. Our regular subscription supports their work among the poor of their parish — food, firewood, school materials, after-school clubs and care for isolated older people.

The St Birinus Pilgrimage

Each July, Anglicans and Roman Catholics together commemorate St Birinus's sermon to King Cynegils of Wessex with a pilgrimage from Churn Knob in Blewbury to the Abbey church in Dorchester — a tradition recalling the very beginnings of Christianity in Wessex in AD 634. Details of each year's pilgrimage appear in the weekly bulletin.

Our Deanery and local Catholic churches

St Birinus Church is the oldest of the six churches in the Catholic Deanery of South Oxfordshire:

We are part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, under Archbishop Bernard Longley.

Catholic media and useful links