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24th December Christmas Eve
25th December Christmas Day
THE LOURDES PILGRIMAGE BIG SING Worth Abbey, Saturday 26th October, starting at 2.00pm. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Lourdes Pilgrimage by raising your voice to sing
some “Lourdes favourites”. Entry is free with donations to the pilgrimage welcome on the day. See the Arundel & Brighton Diocese website to let the team know you are coming.
It is so good to be back among you again. I have had a truly fruitful and restorative sabbatical (even though it seems to have gone so quickly), and I look forward to living, once more, alongside each and every one of you, as together we seek to tell the story of Jesus to a needy world. I am, it goes without saying, immensely grateful to Fr David Osborne for his incredible ministry in the parish over the last year and I join all of you in wishing him well as he begins his time as parish priest of Bognor Regis. I also recognise, with deep gratitude, the energy, hard work, and commitment of our deacons, along with a great number of you, in the preceding twelve months. I pray that it has helped us all to recall that no parish priest is indispensable, and that life goes on perfectly well, regardless of the surprises with which we can find ourselves unexpectedly presented. At this stage, I do have one small request: please allow me the time to get back into the swing of things! No doubt, there will be various matters, across many areas of parish life, with which I can help, but it will inevitably take time for us all to adjust to being around one another again. Additionally, with my upcoming appointment as moderator of the larger parish unit (i.e., the current deanery), I will have to be prudent about what, realistically, I can and can’t do. Most importantly, however, I sincerely thank you for welcoming me home and, as always, I will seek, in my own fragile way, to serve you as best as I am able
This year’s Holy Family summer fayre will be on Saturday 6th July from 10.00am to 2.00pm in Holy Family Catholic Church Lancing. Raffle tickets are available after Mass. There is also a list in the Narthex for stallholders and donations. Thank you.
The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has produced a resource to help us to seek answers from all local candidates in the General Election to key questions of concern. As they put it, now is the time to get involved and speak out. Please see www.cbcew.org.uk/election24/ for more information. But before you do there is a difficult choice for Catholics, particularly when a change of government may lead to reduced rights of the unborn child, or an increased risk of euthanasia, both issues that Catholics are rightly concerned about. If you feel that no party represents you there are two single issue pro-life candidates in both Worthing constituencies: Kathryn Alexandra Attwood in Worthing West and Ivana Foreman in East Worthing and Shoreham. Both are standing for “Vote Life”. For more information see https://votelife.co.uk/.
On Saturday 6th July at 10.00am there will be recitation of the Holy Rosary. All welcome.
Fr Father Terry: As you know, our diocese is gradually moving to a system of moderated parishes. For us, this means that the different communities which currently form the Worthing Deanery will canonically become a single parish. At present, the deanery consists of the parishes of Worthing and Lancing, Adur Valley, East Preston, Goring, High Salvington, and Littlehampton and Rustington. The bishop will meet with clergy and laity in the new year to consider, with us, the implications involved in all of this. At first, the individual parish priests in each of the parishes will retain their status and role and will be supported and encouraged in their ministry by the moderator, who has a responsibility to foster communion and unity across the new look parish. In time, of course, when parish priests retire or die, the situation, in each case, will need to be considered and, where necessary, appropriate changes made. It is the role of the moderator,
working with the people and clergy of the various communities (and, of course, with the bishop), to oversee and minister that process. Thus, a moderated parish needs a moderator and Bishop Richard has appointed me as moderator for this area. I am excited about this invitation and opportunity. In time, there will be a formal induction of the moderator to set this new model in motion. Please pray for me and for the various communities that will, in due course, make up the moderated parish. There will be lots of opportunities to discuss this face-to-face when I return to the parish in mid September. On another note, I look forward to being with you all on 29th June to celebrate my Silver Jubilee of ordination.
From Fr Terry: “I am so looking forward to being with you all on Saturday 29th June at 11.30am, for the celebration of my priestly ordination anniversary. A jubilee is always such a special time for a priest. I simply cannot believe where all those years have gone. I am aware that many of you have been working hard to contribute to the celebration, and I can only say that I am hugely grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you. I’m sure that, with God’s good grace, it will be a wonderful time of joy and blessing. Do come to the Mass if you can and stay afterwards for lunch at St Mary’s School. Either way, please pray for me (I need it!) — and for many vocations to the priesthood for our diocese. Until then…”
Thank you to everyone who has offered to bring vegan food for the party. Please would you kindly bring all food (with the exception of freshly cooked food) to the hall of St Mary’s School between 4.00pm and 5.30pm on Friday 28th June. Freshly cooked food should be brought to the school between 9.30am and 10.45am on Saturday 29th June. Please do not bring food to St Mary of the Angels Church. If you have offered to loan a gazebo or canopy for the day, please would you kindly bring it to the school between 4.00pm and 5.30pm on Friday 28th June. Thank you
Steyning – Christ the King; Tuesday 19th March 10.30am
Goring by Sea – English Martyrs; Thursday 21st March 7.00pm
Shoreham by Sea – St Peter’s; Thursday 21st March 7.30pm
East Preston – Our Lady Star of the Sea; Friday 22nd March 6.30pm
High Salvington – St Michael’s; Sunday 24th March 3.00pm
St Mary of the Angels Worthing – after weekday Mass & Before 09.30 and 17.30 Sunday Mass & After Good Friday Liturgy & By appointment
Holy Family Lancing – After Wednesday weekday Mass & After 11.15 Sunday Mass & By appointment
Littlehampton – St Catherine’s; Tuesday 26th March 7.00pm
Rustington – St Joseph; Wednesday 27th March 10.30am