Choral Scholarships
We are excited to announce the opportunity for choral scholarships for up to 4 persons to help enrich the musical life here at St Dominic’s – The Rosary Shrine.
In addition to singing regularly at the Sunday 12noon solemn Mass, and once a month at 5pm for the Latin Dominican Rite Mass, as well as during Christmas and Holy Week, choral scholars will also have first choice to sing at other liturgical events in the course of the year, such as for solemnities that fall on weekdays, funerals, weddings, and other such occasions.
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of and to enrich the musical life of an active parish and diocesan shrine.
DOWNLOAD INFORMATION ON THE SCHOLARSHIPS
To apply, please email Rachael Shipard at rachaelshipard@gmail.com, copying in Martin Stacey (Director of Music) at festivaldirector@gmail.com, stating your interest and any background information about your experience to date.
Do you want to support music in our church?
These scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of donors who wish to support music-making at St Dominic’s – the Rosary Shrine.
If you too would like to support our rich musical culture, click here to donate.
Easter Week 2024
On behalf of all the Dominicans at St Dominic’s Priory, may we wish you and your families a joyful and blessed Easter!
Video: Fr Dominic thanks donors, shows new heated church floor
The Prior of St Dominic’s, Fr Dominic White OP, has recorded a special 2 ½ minute video to show off the completed underfloor heating and new stone flooring in our church, as a way to thank donors – especially those who live a distance away from our church.
We extend a big thank-you to all those who supported, including the hundreds of generous individuals, and the following grant-makers:
- Benefact Trust
- Catholic Charitable Trust
- Edith Bessie Gibson Trust
- Garfield Weston Foundation
Christmas Mass Times
Advent & Christmas Mass Times
15 – 23 December
The Filipino Simbang Gabi novena of Masses in preparation for Christmas will be celebrated at 7.30pm (6pm on Sat 16 & 23, & 3pm on Sun 17 Dec).
Sunday 24th December 2023
Sunday Masses
8.30am, 10am, 12noon, 2pm Dominican rite Mass (Latin)
Christmas Eve
5:30–6:15pm Confessions
6:00pm Vigil Mass of Christmas
11:00pm Confessions
11:30pm Service of Carols & Midnight Mass of Christmas
Monday 25th December 2023
Christmas Day
8:30am Dawn Mass
10:00am Family Mass with carols
12 noon Solemn Mass with carols
5pm Adoration & 5.30pm Solemn Vespers
6pm Dominican Rite Mass (Latin)
Schedule after Christmas
Boxing Day 26th – Friday 29th December
Mass at 6pm Only
Saturday 30th
10am Mass
6pm Vigil Mass for Sunday
Sunday 31st December 2023
8.30am Mass
10am Family Mass
12noon Solemn Mass
5pm Adoration & 5.30pm Solemn Vespers
6pm Dominican rite Mass (Latin)
Confessions at the usual times on 30/31 December
Monday 1st January 2024
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and New Year’s Day
5pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & Confessions
6pm Mass
7pm Marian Procession and blessing of new statue
The Dominican Friars here at St Dominic’s Priory would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a joyful and hope-filled Christmas, and every blessing for the new year.
Drawing by Br Augustine Chen, O.P. [2022]
“The shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”– Luke 2:15-16
IMPORTANT: Weekday Mass, Temporary Change of Venue
Owing to ongoing building works in the church, the 6pm weekday Mass will be held in the hall (not the church).
Temporary Daily Schedule
Morning | Mon, Fri | No morning Mass | |
Morning | Tues, Wed, Thu | 7.30 am Mass | Lady Chapel entrance |
Evening | Mon to Fri | No evening Holy Hour | |
Evening | Mon to Fri | 5pm Confessions | Church |
Evening | Mon to Fri | 6pm Mass (doors open 5.30pm) |
Parish Hall |
Good News! Fundraising for Heating Beats Target
Good News! Fundraising for Heating Beats Target
We are delighted to report that, just a few weeks since publicly launching our campaign – and soon after we began the works on the floor – we have not just reached our fundraising target, but gone beyond it! This means we can pay for all of the current underfloor heating works taking place in the church.
This is good new for the friars too, as any funds that are left over from the underfloor heating project for the nave of the church, will be put towards a heating solution for the seats either side of the main altar where the friars sit during Mass and prayers, currently unheated!
If you have not yet contributed, but would like to, we would welcome your gift, which will be put towards this extended need. Donate now.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of you who have given so generously towards this project. Soon we hope to be able to provide you with some warmth in church as well as a smart new floor.
Pew Restoration
We have received several enquiries about the restoration of the pews: yes, this is happening alongside the work on the floor. This will be an additional cost for us, and we are currently looking at allowing people to sponsor a pew in memory of a loved one, with a brass plaque. If you would be interested in knowing more about this, please contact the parish secretary, Iroma.
Photos of the Works in Progress
This weekend, discover the Friars’ mission in the Caribbean
Not many people are aware that our province of the Dominican Order has two houses in the Caribbean, in Jamaica and Grenada.
This weekend at our Sunday Masses, we are joined by our brother Fr Clifton Harris OP, from Jamaica, who will be speaking about the work undertaken by the Dominican friars there, providing aid to the poor and promoting education.
At www.english.op.org/missions you can find more information about our mission houses, including a 17-minute video explaining this work, featuring several local voices from the communities there.
Preview Clip (90 seconds)
Appeal for new Heating System bags nearly £8,000 in first weekend
Amid a timely snap of cold weather, last weekend we launched a public appeal for donations to help our parish to purchase a new underfloor heating system for the church.
This is because the current system, using gas burners all too close to our wooden roof beams, is now obsolete and cannot be safely turned on any more, leaving the church currently unheated. With works due to begin in early November, we are fundraising to ensure we can cover the costs (c. £220k)
The appeal was made after all Sunday Masses by Fr Dominic White, the Prior, and Fr Joseph Bailham, the Parish Priest, together with Mr Richard Brown, Development Director for the Dominican Friars.
Before this public appeal, personal fundraising approaches in the last two months had yielded the following (including Gift Aid)
- £90,000 from the Dominican friars’ parent charity (funds made available by the closure of their house in Newcastle)
- £38,000 in lead gifts from individual parishioners who had been contacted
- £3,500 from grant-making trusts
- £34,000 from US donors (via the Knights of Columbus)
This generosity meant that the appeal was now in the final stretch, with around £20k to raise.
A Powerful Response
The Mass-goers responded very positively to the appeal: nearly £8,000 was raised at the weekend, via the card machines in church, by cash and cheque, by bank transfer, and via the website. This leaves around £12,000 still to raise.
Could you help us to reach our target?
New Prior and New Parish Priest
Please pray for Fr Dominic White OP who has been elected by the friars to lead the Dominican priory here in London for the next 3 years. We look forward to welcoming him back to St Dominic’s!
Fr Joseph Bailham OP, who has hitherto been an assistant priest in the parish, now assumes the responsibility of parish priest of St Dominic’s and rector of the Rosary Shrine.
Having faithfully fulfilled his tenure as prior and parish priest, Fr Lawrence Lew OP will move sometime after October to Blackfriars, Oxford. We wish him well and thank him for the solid foundations he has left for his successors.
Parish Priest ‘Surgery’ Meetings
On a trial basis, Fr Joseph will have ‘surgery’ sessions during the week in case you wish to speak to him about sacramental preparation, form signing, volunteering, or any other matter relating to parish life. Surgery times will be from 9am – Midday on weekdays (except Thursdays).
Appointments can be made through the parish secretary OR directly at www.tinyurl.com/meetwithparishpriest