Deacons Scott Coleman and Gary Carter will be ordained to the Priesthood at Arundel Cathedral on 5th July at 12.00pm. All are welcome to attend the Mass. Those unable to attend are invited to watch the ordination on the cathedral's livestream.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus sends out the seventy-two and gives them a word for those they visit. This word, this message, is the message of peace – and peace is the first gift of the Risen Christ to the Apostles, spoken as He appears to them in the Upper Room. In the 4th Century, as monasticism began to develop in Egypt, Syria and the Holy Land, monks would go to their spiritual fathers and ask for a word by which they might be saved. The word that was given to them, although expressed in different terms, was often about living in peace, in harmony, and in the silence that opens our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit. Just as the seventy-two offered a "word", given them by the Lord, so these monks of earlier times did the same – and this practice continues in the spiritual accompaniment sought by so many in our own times. Openness to the word demands a spirit of listening, and we might reflect that the first word of St Benedict’s Rule is “Listen.” When the seventy-two went on their journey, Jesus told them that if the word of peace was not received, it would come back to them. Listening is just as important as speaking, for the word that is spoken must find a home to be effective. This message of peace is so necessary in our present world, and the need for the spirit of listening is equally necessary. May our word to the world be that of the seventy-two, for it is the gift of the Risen Lord: “Peace be with you.” May this message find a home in the hearts of all. Peace is the gift of the Risen Lord to those gathered in the Upper Room on the first Easter Day. It is in Him that true, lasting, peace is to be found, for the Risen Lord has won the victory over sin and death. He offers us the gift of His peace – it is something real and it is a reality to be accepted.  In a world where, in so many places, peace is not a reality, it is our task, always and everywhere, to offer that greeting of the seventy-two disciples and the joy that is the gift of the Risen Christ. With every blessing + Richard

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The celebration of Corpus Christi that takes place at our cathedral each year is a wonderful occasion. The celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass, the procession of the Blessed Sacrament and the Carpet of Flowers, laid in honour of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, is a high point in the life of the cathedral and diocese. It is a clear reminder to us all of the central place of the Eucharist in our lives. The absolute love of the Lord – seen in the feeding of the five thousand that is the gospel reading this week – is there for us every time we celebrate Mass. As St Paul reminds us in the Second Reading this Sunday, the sacrifice of Calvary is made present and the Lord feeds us with His very Self, for He is the Bread of Life. We find life every time we join in this celebration, together with our brothers and sisters. It is this life that sustains our every action – indeed, every moment of our lives. The Mass, the Eucharist, is a proclamation of our faith in the One who died and rose from the dead for us; it is the food for our journey and the source of all our action. We leave the celebration, as the dismissal at the end of Mass reminds us, to “announce the Gospel of the Lord.” Without our closeness to Christ in the Eucharist, this proclamation would be less effective. The sustenance of the Bread of Life Himself makes life and mission possible for us. In the Eucharist, we are in the Divine Presence, we are in the presence of Christ, who is a “priest for ever” as Psalm 109 reminds us. May this encounter with the person of Christ Himself – truly present in the Eucharist – be the wellspring of our every breath, our every moment, our every action, that all we do may proclaim to the world the wonder of all the Lord has done for us. With every blessing,  + Richard

There are several events organised by the Worthing Deanery Justice & Peace Group to celebrate Refugee Week 2025. Please put them in your diary and come along to one or all: • Faces of Resilience on Sunday 15th June 2-5pm at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church Hall, Vermont Drive. East Preston, BN16 1JU. Come and see photographs and listen to a ‘Living Book’, vividly telling the stories of Ukrainian women fleeing war and seeking refuge in the UK. Join us in prayer in the church at 3pm for refugees, people seeking asylum and peace in our world. See you there! • On Wednesday 18th June , there will be a Vigil for Refugees after the 10am Mass at Holy Family Church, Lancing. We are going to spend time together praying and reflecting on the plight of the refugee. • During Refugee week, please come and see Refugee photo exhibition "THE STATIONS" on display at both The Holy Family Church, Lancing, and St Mary of the Angels, Worthing. • "Welcoming the Stranger" - an evening of stories and sharing on Saturday 21st June 7-9pm at St Peter's Church Hall, Shoreham. Come and hear stories from Ukrainian refugees and those who support them in our local community, as well as information from the charity Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group and Refugee Tales. Please bring some snack food and drink to share! See the leaflet with the newsletter for lots more information! Download here

Photograph exhibition happening this Sunday 15th June

A statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks with clarity of the Father, Himself as the Son, and the Holy Spirit. His words express the unity that exists between the three persons of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit will speak what comes from the Son, who has all that belongs to the Father. We express this in the Creed when we speak about the Holy Spirit coming from the Father and the Son. The mystery of the Trinity is about relationships – the relationships that exist between Father, Son and Spirit, one God. The wonder of God, existing eternally – as we hear in the First Reading this Sunday – pours love into our hearts, as St Paul reminds us. It is truly wonderful for us to reflect that, through our baptism, we are brought to live our lives in the love that exists in the Trinity. We are enabled to live in relationship with a God who is all love and whose love we see and experience as it is lived between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As we rejoice in our relationship with the one God, three Persons, let us recall that it is God who gives us life and, in the coming days, pray very especially for respect for life in our own society as those in parliament prepare to vote on the “Assisted Dying Bill”. If you have not written to your MP, there is still time. May I thank all those who have written, for such action is a powerful witness to the wonder of life, given us by God. With every blessing  + Richard

Parishioners are warmly invited to an online webinar being run by Stella Maris on Thursday, 19th. June from 7:30pm to 9pm. You will hear about the work that Stella Maris has been doing with seafarers and fishers over the past year, including the use of the funds kindly donated on Sea Sunday last year. To attend this webinar, please sign up at: www.stellamaris.org.uk/thankyouwebinar

An update from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales about the Assisted Dying Bill ( download here )