Bishop-elect Stephen shared this message for diocesan parishes on 2 July 2026: Dear friends in the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton, dear brothers and sisters, I’m so happy to be appointed as your new bishop, and I am really looking forward to meeting you and getting to know the Diocese – the priests and deacons, those in consecrated life, all the lay faithful, and so many others. I’m really looking forward to visiting our parishes and schools, and all the other communities that make up our Diocese. I’m just sorry that I can’t get back to be with you at this time because we have our diaconal ordination in Rome this weekend. As you can imagine, the news came as a complete surprise to me. The first thing I did after being told on Tuesday morning was to visit St Peter’s Basilica. I prayed at the tombs of St Peter and St John Paul II for you all and offered Mass for the Diocese. There are many challenges ahead, but I am full of hope. I’ve seen so many times what God can do when people pray and work together, and when they put their trust in him. If we listen to one another, and to the Lord, then he will show us the way forward. You have been very blessed to have Archbishop Richard with you over these years. I keep being told what a wonderful diocese it is and how lucky I am to be going there! Which I certainly am. I want to thank Canon Jonathan Martin as well, for looking after things so well in this interim period. Let’s pray for each other, and for our Diocese. Please pray for me and for my intentions. I put all my trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in his Church, and in his mother Mary. His love is so powerful. There is so much to be grateful for, and so much to do. I pray that we can grow in holiness together, be of service to those around us, and help all people to know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ and the message of the Gospel. With every blessing, Fr Stephen Fr Stephen’s Biography Fr Stephen Wang was born in London in 1966 and grew up in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. He read Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge University from 1986 to 1989, before undertaking priestly formation at the Venerable English College in Rome from 1992 to 1997. Ordained on 3 January 1998, he worked in parish ministry in Dollis Hill, London, from 1997 to 2001. From 2001 to 2005 he studied for a PhD on the subject of human happiness at Cambridge University, assisting at Fisher House Chaplaincy, based at the University, for two years. He lectured in Philosophy and Theology at Allen Hall seminary in Chelsea from 2005 to 2013 and was Dean of Studies from 2009 to 2013. During this time, he was also a visiting priest at Wormwood Scrubs Prison, White City, and a confessor at Notting Hill Carmel, a cloistered convent of Carmelite nuns located in St Charles Square. From 2013 to 2021, Fr Stephen served as Senior University Chaplain in the Diocese of Westminster and was Catholic Chaplain at The London School of Economics. In 2014, a group of young people led by Fr Stephen developed ‘Sycamore’, a video-based Catholic faith formation programme that explores the Christian faith through short films and guided discussion. Designed to make Christianity more accessible, Sycamore is now used by Catholic parishes, schools, and university chaplaincies across the world. Following three years as Vocations Director for Westminster Diocese, Fr Stephen was appointed Rector of the Venerable English College in 2021, where he served for five years.

The new Parish Leadership Team (PLTe) met recently and developed two potential Vision Statements for our new Parish, from which another was developed, (using a Large Language Model), that amalgamated the two. Here are the three candidate Vision statements. Please read them and pray over them, asking the Holy Spirit to help us discern which of the three is most in tune with the Pastoral Plan and best for the new Parish. Statement 1 Our vision is to be a vibrant, joyful, Christ-centred Catholic parish where all are made welcome, find a place to belong, grow in faith and work together with other faith communities to make a difference through our new parish. Statement 2 Our vision is to be a family of churches and communities where everyone is welcome: • Inspired by God’s message of compassion, love, and inclusion of all with Christ at the centre; • Caring for the vulnerable and those in need; • Building a sense of shared community, growing in faith, and nurturing each other’s talents. Statement 3 (created by amalgamating the above two statements) Our vision is to be a vibrant, joyful, Christ-centred Catholic family of churches and communities where everyone is welcome and finds a place to belong. Inspired by God’s message of love, compassion, and radical inclusion, we grow together in faith, nurture each other’s talents, and care for the vulnerable. Moving forward as a new parish, we seek to collaborate with other faith communities to build a deeply shared community, working together to make a difference for all.

Despite all the difficulties that people face, there is a hunger for truth, for meaning, for beauty, and it’s leading many of them to Jesus, to the Bible, to the Mass, and to the Church. The real question is this: are we ready to welcome them and to lead them deeper in their journey of faith?

A parish relies on so many people to thrive. Many volunteers give time and energy behind the scenes to ensure we are a safe and welcoming parish. We will be inviting you over the next few months to consider being part of this team of parishioners. But volunteering is not really the right word. It would be better to see it as service - service to God. We can show our love for God in many ways. Parishioners have commented that when they serve God and the Church in this way, they relish the extra time with Jesus in the Church, and it becomes a prayer and a blessing not a burden. We all grow closer to Jesus when we serve Him.

Now that the Bill will be voted on again on 11 September it is essential to contact your MP to urge that they vote against the Bill, even if you contacted them last year. Dr Dominic Whitehouse (consultant in End of Life Care) will explain what the current position is on 5 August from 7 to 8.45pm in the Hall at St Michael’s Catholic Church, 19 Hayling Rise, Worthing, BN13 3AL. All welcome.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people of Venezuela after two devastating earthquakes near Caracas. Many people have been killed or injured, and buildings, including churches, seminaries and Caracas Cathedral, have been damaged. CAFOD’s trusted Church partners in Venezuela are already helping the survivors of this crisis with emergency water, food and shelter. Thank you for your support. You can also donate online here: www.cafod.org.uk/Venezuela .

Thank you to all who have donated to our Summer Foodbank Campaign. Here is the category for the next two weeks: 19 & 26 July – Breakfast & Picnic Time: Cereals, crisps, cereal bars, assorted drinks/juices, biscuits, packed lunch items etc SVP Summer Raffle tickets will be available from 26th July

Congratulations to our young adult parishioners, Aiden, Aleya, Amelia, Daniel and Senna, who are to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at Arundel on Sunday. Please pray for them. May they have the faith and the courage of Saint Maria Goretti, a young girl, when she was martyred. Her relics are embedded in the altar at St Peter's in Shoreham. Her photograph is just outside the confessional door. Her feast day is on Monday.

In addition to the First Friday mass, celebrated for our collective Parish Prayer intentions, we now have two prayer groups on the First Friday of the month:  10.00am-11.00am Mothers Prayers, in the Parish Room at SP  4.00pm-5.00pm: Prayers for Peace, in the Divine Mercy Chapel at SP  Thank you to the organisers. All are welcome.