Would you be interested in being a small group leader, refreshment maker or prayer minister at our diocesan Young Adult retreats? The Diocese of Arundel and Brighton are looking to run Young Adult retreat days for those aged 18-35 across the diocese. Each will be a day of Faith, Fellowship, Formation and Food! But we need your help...if you are aged 18+ and are interested in supporting these events, please email the Diocesan Youth Project Officer, Bex Driver E : bex.driver@abdiocese.org.uk

Saturday 18 July 12 noon – 4.15pm , Church of Our Lady of Consolation & St Francis, West Grinstead, RH13 8LT. A pilgrimage for people across our diocese - the day includes Holy Mass, a personal Consecration to Our Lady, the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, Exposition, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Adoration and Benediction. There is no need to book, to find out more contact Linda C-Dominguez T:01273463463 or M:07944377252 or Jayne Lock M: 07816422851 or E: jayne.lock1@gmail.com . Please bring a packed lunch.

The Diocesan Vocations Team has launched a special month of prayer for vocations beginning this Sunday. As Catholics, we know that God has a plan for each of us and has called us by name through our baptism, to holiness. He continues to call out to us each day to be His disciples; some to the married life, some to the single life, some to religious life and some to the priesthood. In a Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Leo highlights the importance of daily prayer and cultivating a personal relationship with God: “We must urgently recommence our vocational ministry and renew our commitment to evangelisation” he said. “In light of this, I invite everyone –– in families, parishes and religious communities, as well as bishops, priests, deacons, catechists, educators and all the faithful –– to commit themselves more fully to creating conditions that allow this gift to be embraced, nourished, protected and accompanied, so that it may bear abundant fruit. “Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world. By embarking on the path that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, shows us, we come to know more deeply both ourselves and the God who calls us…  “Dear brothers and sisters, dear young people, I encourage you to cultivate your personal relationship with God through daily prayer and meditation on the Word. Pause, listen and entrust yourselves. In this way, the gift of your vocation will mature, bringing you happiness and yielding abundant fruit for the Church and the world.”

We are hosting this year’s service at St Peter’s, which has been prepared by the women of Nigeria and the theme is " I will give you rest, come..."  The service will be followed by light refreshments in the Parish Room afterwards. All are welcome.

Mass of Thanksgiving for Bishop Richard’s Ministry in Arundel & Brighton: 30 January, 6.30pm, Arundel Cathedral. People across our diocesan family are invited to join a special cathedral Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Bishop Richard, followed by a reception in the Baron’s Hall, Arundel Castle, by kind permission of His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk. All are welcome. Please leave extra time to park in the town as parking will be limited. To watch the Mass by livestream click here

Let us pray that praying with the Word of God be nourishment for our lives and a source of hope in our communities, helping us build a more fraternal and missionary church. Please also join the Cycle of Prayer for  Ordinary Time: Winter  Peace on Earth especially on the Day of Prayer for Peace (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time) and Racial Justice Day (3 Sundays before the 1st Sunday of Lent)  Christian Unity especially during the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity (18–25 January)  Victims of Human Trafficking especially on St Josephine Bakhita (8 February)  The Sick and those who care for them especially on World Day for the Sick (11 February)  The Unemployed especially on the Day of Prayer for the Unemployed (1 Sunday before the 1st Sunday of Lent)

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has today, 19 December, appointed the Right Reverend Richard Moth as Archbishop of Westminster. Ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Southwark on 3 July 1982, Archbishop-elect Moth has served as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton since 2015. Prior to that, he was the Catholic Bishop of the Forces from 2009 to 2015. Archbishop-elect Moth will become the 12th Archbishop of Westminster, succeeding Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who has served in the role since 2009. Cardinal Nichols will now become Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Westminster until Archbishop-elect Moth is Installed at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday, 14 February 2026. On hearing of his appointment, Archbishop-elect Moth said: "I am moved greatly by the trust that Pope Leo has placed in me, in appointing me to the Diocese of Westminster. As I prepare to move to the Diocese, I am so grateful for the support being given to me by Cardinal Vincent Nichols at this time. He has given dedicated service to the Diocese and will be missed greatly. "Serving the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton has given me the wonderful opportunity of sharing the Church's mission with lay faithful and clergy, and I give thanks for the many blessings of these last ten years. "My first task will be to get to know the priests and people of Westminster and I look forward, now, to serving them. With them, and building on the firm foundations that have been laid by so many down the years, I look forward to continuing the great adventure that is the life of the Church and witness to the Gospel." Cardinal Vincent Nichols said: "I am delighted at this news. Archbishop-elect Richard will bring to our Diocese many gifts and considerable episcopal experience from his years of ministry in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, and before that as Bishop of the Forces. I look forward very much to his Installation as our new Archbishop on Saturday, 14 February 2026. It is, of course, St Valentine’s Day, as well as the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, co-Patrons of Europe. "I remember being present in Westminster Cathedral on 29 September 2009 for the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Richard as Bishop of the Forces. So today I can say: 'Welcome back, dear Bishop Richard. You are most welcome indeed.'" Biography Bishop Richard Moth was born in Chingola, Zambia, in 1958. He was brought up in Kent and, after leaving The Judd School, Tonbridge, began formation for the Priesthood at St. John’s Seminary, Wonersh. He was ordained Priest for the Archdiocese of Southwark on 3 June 1982. He served as assistant priest at St. Bede’s, Clapham Park, before pursing studies in Canon Law at St. Paul University, Ottawa. In 1987, he was appointed assistant priest at St. Saviour’s Lewisham, during which time he also served as a Territorial Army Chaplain with 217 General Hospital RAMC(V). He served as Private Secretary to Archbishop Michael Bowen from 1992 until 2001, during which time he was also President of the Interdiocesan Tribunal of Second Instance of Southwark and Vocations Director. In 2001 he was appointed Vicar General and Chancellor of the Diocese. He was ordained Bishop of the Forces on 29 September 2009 in Westminster Cathedral and served in this capacity, until his appointment as Bishop of Arundel and Brighton on 21 March 2015. He is Chair of Governors at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, Chair of the Department for Social Justice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and Liaison Bishop for Prisons. He serves on the Standing Committee of the Bishops’ Conference. He chairs The Plater Trust, dedicated to the support of projects across England and Wales that put into practice the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. He is also a member of the Mixed Commission of the Bishops’ Conference – a body that brings together bishops and those living Religious Life. Bishop Richard has been an Oblate of Pluscarden Abbey for over 40 years and is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, travelling many times to the Holy Land. In 2020 he was appointed Prior of the Southern Section of the Lieutenancy of England and Wales. He is a Liveryman and Extra Court Member of the Skinners’ Company and a Freeman the City of London, serving the Company as Chair of its History Committee. He enjoys horse riding and walking. The Diocese of Westminster The Diocese of Westminster serves the London boroughs north of the River Thames, stretching from the River Lea in the east to Hillingdon in the west, and including Hertfordshire to the north and the Borough of Spelthorne to the south. Established by Blessed Pius IX on 29 September 1850, the diocese celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2025. Today, the diocese’s parishes and schools reflect a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. A key part of its mission is expressed through agencies such as Caritas Westminster who support those most at risk of exclusion due to poverty, disability, isolation, and exploitation. Further information will be shared nationally and on the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton’s website: www.abdiocese.org.uk/diocese/news Media Contacts Simeon Elderfield Head of Communications for the Diocese of Westminster E: simeonelderfield@rcdow.org.uk T: 0207 798 9030 or M: 07706 288913 Alexander DesForges Press Secretary to the Archbishop of Westminster M: 07983 704097 PDF DOWNLOAD OF THIS DOCUMENT HERE

Archbishop-Elect Richard will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving for his ministry amongst us at 6.30pm on Friday 30 January in Arundel Cathedral. The Mass will be followed by a reception in the Baron’s Hall in Arundel Castle, by kind permission of His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk.  If you are interested in attending the mass, please contact Antonia in the Parish Office: adurvalley@abdiocese.org.uk , so we can get an idea of numbers. There will be more details available soon.

Dear brothers and sisters, With the focus in Advent moving, from the 17th December, to the proximate preparation for our celebration of the Lord’s birth, this Sunday’s readings focus very clearly on the Incarnation. Isaiah’s message is clear: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call him Emmanuel – God-with-us. St Paul, in the first words of his letter to the Romans, is clear in his witness to the Saviour, from the House of David. Matthew’s account of the announcement of Jesus’ coming focuses on Joseph – of the House of David, and the angel’s words to this man of integrity, astounded at what he has been told, are those of Isaiah.  The One who is to be born is the fulfilment of the prophecies of old, of David’s line and coming to the world in simplicity and in wonder. As we prepare in these final few days before the celebration of Christmas, may our response be that of Joseph: wonder, reflection and – now that our salvation has been won for us – obedience to the Word made flesh, God-with-us. With every blessing, + Richard