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). Half-staff or half-mast describes a Flag flying approximately halfway up a flagpole or ship's mast (though anywhere from one-third to two-thirds of the way up is acceptable Pope

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. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is located at 25 Woodstock Road. Woodstock Road is a major road in Oxford, England, running from St Giles' to the south north towards Woodstock through the leafy suburb The church is presently served by the Congregation of the Oratory. The Oratory of Saint Philip Neri is a congregation of Catholic Priests and Lay-brothers who live together in a community bound together by no formal The two other Oratories in England are the Birmingham Oratory and London Oratory. Birmingham Oratory is a Catholic oratory and church, also known as Little Rome in Birmingham. The London Oratory is the home of the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in the Brompton Road London SW7 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. Gerard Manley Hopkins ( 28 July 1844 – 8 June, 1889) was an English Poet, Roman Catholic convert and 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. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Before that, the church had been served by the Jesuits since the 1870s and by the Archdiocese of Birmingham in the 1980s. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order

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. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The liturgical rite of the Church of Rome is called the Roman Rite. The Tridentine Mass (Missa Tridentina is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published

External links

• Map sources for Oxford Oratory
• Official website
• The Latin Mass Society of England & Wales
• Latin Masses in Oxford
• Images of England — details from listed building database (245940)