Oxford Oratory

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The entrance to the Oratory Church of St Aloysius Gonzaga (with the flag of the Vatican City flying at half mast the day after the death of Pope John Paul II).

Now known as the Oratory Church of St Aloysius Gonzaga (or Oxford Oratory for short), this church is the Catholic parish church for the centre of Oxford, England. It is located at 25 Woodstock Road. The church is presently served by the Congregation of the Oratory. The two other Oratories in England are the Birmingham Oratory and London Oratory. However, St. Aloysius' is historically known as the Jesuit (Society of Jesus) parish of central Oxford. Consecrated in 1875, the building of St. Aloysius' was an important step in the on-going refoundation of a Roman Catholic presence in Oxford. The parish was served by notable members of the Society for many years - including Gerard Manley Hopkins. The Jesuit parish also housed a notable collection of relics, destroyed in the waning years of the Jesuits' presence.

The Oxford Oratory was established in 1993. Before that, the church had been served by the Jesuits since the 1870s and by the Archdiocese of Birmingham in the 1980s.

[edit] Liturgy

It is part of the tradition of the Oratory in England to ensure that the liturgy is celebrated in a dignified and worthy manner. Most Masses are celebrated in English, though Mass is also celebrated every Sunday and Holyday in Latin, according to both the current Roman Rite and the Tridentine Mass form.