Quick Links
Today's Bible Readings
In the First Readingthe prophet Isaiah tells King Ahaz the Lord gives him a sign: ‘Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel.’ The real fulfilment of this promise was not in the immediate political situation, but in the eventual birth of Christ, the long- awaited Messiah, from the Virgin Mary.
In the Second Reading St Paul explains that God long beforehand promised the Gospel, through his prophets in the Scriptures, .and that it is about his Son, descended from King David humanly speaking, and declared to be Son of God in power through his Resurrection from the dead.
In the Gospel St Matthew tells us that before Mary came to be together with Joseph she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. An angel from God appeared to Joseph in a dream to affirm that Mary has conceived by the Holy Spirit, as prophesied by Isaiah, and therefore he need not fear to take her as his wife. He also says that the child is to be called Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. When Joseph is awake, he is obedient to the command of the angel of the Lord.
Times of Mass and Devotions for the Week beginning Sunday 21st December 2025
Saturday 9.30am Mass
Advent feria 6.00pm First Mass of Sunday
followed by Confessions
Sunday 21st December 8.30 am Mass
4th Sunday of Advent 10.00 am Family Mass
11.30 am Solemn Mass followed by Confessions
6.30 pm Mass
Monday 6.00pm Mass followed by Adoration and Benediction
Advent feria
Tuesday 6.00 pm Mass followed by Rosary
Advent feria
Wednesday 6.00 pm Family Vigil Mass of Christmas with Nativity
Christmas Eve 11.30 pm Solemn Midnight Mass and Blessing of Crib
Thursday 8.30 am Mass of the Dawn
Christmas Day 10.00 am Family Mass
11.30 am Solemn Mass
Friday 12 noon Mass with Guild of St Stephen
St Stephen
Saturday 12 noon Mass
St John the Evangelist 6.00pm First Mass of Sunday
followed by Confessions
Sunday 28th December 8.30 am Mass
Holy Family 10.00 am Family Mass
11.30 am Solemn Mass followed by Confessions
6.30 pm Mass
Announcements This Week
IMPORTANT: Please note that our permanent phone number is: 020 7603 0814
The Parish Office is now closed for the Christmas break and reopens on Monday 5th January at 10am.
The next newsletter will be published on Sunday 4th January.
Please take a Christmas offertory envelope, if you do not already have one, and return it any time from now on – especially if you will be away at Christmas itself. The Christmas Offertory goes towards the support of the clergy.
Donation envelopes towards the cost of Christmas Trees and Flowers are also available, and any donations very gratefully received.
The Christmas Services leaflet gives full details of Mass times in the week beginning 28th December, On weekdays these are different times from our normal timetable.
Christmas Masses
- The Masses most suitable for families with young children are: on Christmas Eve the 6.00 pm Family
Mass of the Vigil with Nativity, and on Christmas Day the 10.00 am Family Mass.
- The Gospel of the Nativity is acted out by children at the Christmas Eve 6.00 pm
Family Mass of the Vigil. All young children are invited, if they wish, to come dressed
as angels or shepherds, and will be invited up at the appropriate moment to join
those acting out the story.
- The 11.30 pm Midnight Mass and the 11.30 am Mass of Christmas Day are more
solemn celebrations.
- The 8.30 am Mass of the Dawn is a quiet Mass without music
- The Crib in the Church will be opened in time for the 6.00 pm Christmas Eve Family
Mass, and solemnly blessed at the end of the 11.30 pm Solemn Midnight Mass.
- Crib offerings from Christmas until Candlemas, 2nd February, go to support the work
of the Catholic Children’s Society in our Diocese of Westminster.
Friday 26th December is the Feast of St Stephen, the First Martyr. He is also the patron saint of altar servers. The 12 noon Solemn Mass is attended by altar servers, and everybody is also welcome.
Next Sunday, 28th December, is the Feast of the Holy Family. There will be read at Mass a Pastoral Letter from Cardinal Vincent.
In our Diocese, the Holy Year of Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope, concludes on Sunday 28th December.
Thursday 1st January, a Bank Holiday, is the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God and World Peace Day. Mass at 12 noon.
Monthly Hour of Devotion: Saturday 3rd January 2026 at 2pm dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus, followed by 30 minutes of Adoration and Benediction. All are welcome
Tuesday 6th January is the Epiphany, a Holyday of Obligation. Mass at 9.00 am. Solemn Mass at 6.00 pm. Mass of the Vigil on Monday at 6.00 pm also fulfils the obligation.
Congratulations to the Family Mass Choir for the excellent Christmas Carol Concert last week, which raised an amazing sum of £1668 for Glass Door, the west London churches charity with whom our volunteers work to provide the weekly women’s homeless night shelter during the winter months. Thanks also to those who prepared the church, and the mulled wine and mince pies reception afterwards.
Thank you to the many people who have generously donated Christmas presents for needy children, which will be distributed by the Catholic Children’s Society,
Prayer workshop: Thursday 15th January at 2pm at Nazareth House Prayer Centre. All welcome.
Weekend Road Closure, 10th -11th January
The large office building at our near neighbours 43 Brook Green has been undergoing redevelopment for over a year. The large crane overshadowing it is being dismantled the weekend of 10th-11th January. This means that a short stretch of the road Brook Green will be closed to traffic on those days: between Windsor Way and Hammersmith Road. The road Brook Green will still be fully accessible, but only from the Shepherds Bush Road end. A map showing the resultant traffic diversions in the area is on the church noticeboard and here:
The new Sunday Missals for 2026 have begun. Please treat them with care as they need to last until this time next year! You may purchase your own copy from the parish office for £
Parents seeking a Certificate of Catholic Practice in connection with School applications, please contact Anja in the Parish Office who will send you a Priest Information Form to complete.
St Mary’s Primary School Applications are now open for Reception places for September 2026 via the E-Admissions portal: https://www.eadmissions.org.uk/ The deadline is 15 January 2026. See poster in the porch.
The next Prayer workshop is on Thursday 15th January 26 at 2pm in Nazareth House. All welcome.
SUNDAY EVENING MASS AND YOUNG ADULTS
We are delighted to see the growing number of young people attending our 6:30 pm Sunday Mass! After listening to your feedback and receiving offers to help with music at this liturgy, we have decided making this Mass more youth-friendly through Christian music led by young volunteers. All young people and young adults are warmly invited—and those who wish can meet at the pub afterwards for fellowship. The Mass is also of course open to people of all ages!
The Stewards at Sunday 10.00 am Family Mass do a great job in welcoming parishioners as they arrive, providing them with the necessary books, helping them find a seat, and answering their questions. We are grateful to them and to Erica their Co-ordinator. We would love to recruit some further volunteers to join the team – the more we have the less often each one would need to be on the rota. Please let the parish office know if you can help in this way.
Recruiting for our 10M Mass Choir: become part of our vibrant and sociable community of singers who lead the Sunday 10am Mass and other liturgies and perform regularly in concert. No choral experience required. Contact Laurence for details: familymasschoirhtbg@gmail.com.
Need a gift for someone who has everything? Why not book a Mass for their intentions? Masses can be booked in the parish office where you will also receive a beautiful card. Recommended donation £10.
Church Roof Repairs
Repairs were carried out in August to make the roofs watertight. The cost was £53,000 and any donations would be welcomed.
Major Repairs to the stonework of the Tower and Spire of the Church are urgently needed. Protective scaffolding has been erected and a detailed programme of the works required is being drawn up.
Two new illustrated booklets are available as a kind of guide to our Church building here at Holy Trinity: 'The Stained Glass Windows of the Church', and 'The Church Carvings and Paintings.' Researched and written by our parishioner Christopher Road, augmenting the Parish History he has also written: 'Little Rome – The Story of Holy Trinity Brook Green'. The booklets are £5 each, and the Parish History is £12.50. They can be purchased during office hours from the Parish Office. You can also purchase a PDF version of the two booklets by emailing the parish office.
Holy Trinity Cine Club: for children in Year 7 to Year 9, and Year 10 to 12 on a Friday evening once a month. Quality ‘surprise’ movie followed by discussion and pizza. All are welcome, suggested donation of £5 towards running costs. Contact cineclubbg@gmail.com. See poster in the church porch. The cine club will be back after the school holidays in September.
SACRAMENTS
Preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism: If you have a child for Baptism under 5 years old please email us for an application form. You will be contacted once the form has been received. A copy of one of the Catholic parents’ baptism certificate will be required. Baptisms can only take place on Saturdays at 11am.