March 11, 2026- Passion narratives in Matthew (Palm Sunday readings) and in John (Good Friday readings): Fr Richard Ounsworth OP Why are there profound differences — alongside striking similarities — between the Passion narratives in Matthew and John? Does it matter that both evangelists were disciples of Jesus, eyewitnesses whose memories were shaped not only by the events themselves but by years of proclaiming the risen Christ? This talk will explore what each Gospel writer chooses to emphasise about the death of Jesus when writing in the light of the Resurrection, offering insights to accompany us as we enter the solemn and grace-filled days of Holy Week. Fr Richard is the Prior and Parish Priest at Holy Cross in Leicester, and teaches Scripture at Blackfriars, Oxford. His published works include 'Joshua Typology in the New Testament' and 'When the Son of Man Didn't Come'.

March 18, 2026- Growing in Christ, Confessing in Hope: Lent and the Sacrament of Reconciliation: Fr John Church OP 'The glory of God is a human being fully alive'. The call to repentance that we hear at the beginning of the Gospel is a call to just this: to be made alive in Christ, growing into the children of God we were created to be- and to face our sins with honesty and courage. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered to us as a gift on this journey, an invitation to become fully alive. This talk will explore the sacrament, looking at what it is, why it is required of us, and how it is an expression of hope. Fr John was ordained in July 2025, and is currently assigned to Holy Cross Priory, Leicester. He is the Promoter of Dominican Young Adults and co-ordinates the Dominican’s social media apostolate. He first encountered the Dominicans while studying Classics at Oxford and entered the noviciate in 2018.

March 23, 2026- How can the Church love the poor and the vulnerable during Lent, amid so much conflict in our world? Fr Richard Finn OP In his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te, Pope Leo reaffirms that love for the poor is not optional but lies at the very heart of Christian life and mission. Across the centuries, this love has taken many forms, shaped by the needs and crises of each age. Rather than binding us to the past, this tradition invites us to draw inspiration from it — and to imagine, with courage and creativity, how the Church might respond anew to the suffering of our own time. Fr Richard is based at Blackfriars Oxford and has written on almsgiving and asceticism in the Early Church, and more recently on the history of the English Dominicans. He is a former Director of the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice. A keen walker, he has for many years served as Chaplain in Holy Week to the Midland Leg of Pilgrim Cross.

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Parish Reconciliation Service
Lent is the time of the year when God asks us to prepare our hearts for Easter. Confessions will be heard on Wednesday 1st April from 7pm. at St Thomas’.