Below is a list of Advent Reconciliation services happening across our Deanery. Father Tony will be joining Fr Graham on Thursday evening (18th December) at St Peters to hear confessions.

Times of the Christmas masses at OLQP:

Bishop Richard issued a new Pastoral Plan for the Diocese The Word Who is Life: The Call to Mission in January 2024. The Plan marks an important new stage in the development of diocesan parish structures, with the 11 former deaneries of the Diocese becoming 11 new parishes. Two new parishes have been established this year; Brighton & Hove (14 September) and Guildford (29 November). Weybridge will be inaugurated on 7 December. To find out more about the Pastoral Plan, visit the diocesan website: www.abdiocese.org.uk/diocese/pastoral-plan .

Dear brothers and sisters, The Prophet Isaiah, writing some 800 years before the birth of Jesus, looks forward to a time when there will be peace and justice. His prophecy, which we hear in today’s first reading, speaks of openness to those gifts that we now recognise as the gifts of the Spirit, of mercy and justice for those who are oppressed, of total harmony for all of creation. In the Gospel this weekend, we find the last of all the prophets – John the Baptist – speaking out against the oppressors of his day and warning them of the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, whose message St Paul preaches to the Romans in a way that reflects the prophecy of Isaiah – for Christ has come that all may live in harmony. At a time in our own history when we see so clearly that this message of peace and justice, of harmony between peoples and across the whole of creation – itself, God’s gift to us – is in peril, let us pray fervently for a renewed openness to the gift of peace. Let us pray for the recognition of the dignity of every person, especially on the part of all those in positions of power. May the world hear the warnings of John the Baptist and be open to the gifts of the Spirit and the peace that is Jesus’ gift to us. With every blessing,  + Richard

Thank you for the generous support and welcome shown to Fr Hugh last weekend. If you missed the chance to donate, you can visit their website: www.missionariesofafrica.org.uk/donations , or you can make a transfer directly to their bank account: Account name: Society of Missionaries of Africa Account number: 82296731, Sort code: 60-21-07 Reference: OLQP Adur Valley, BN43 5WG

This Sunday, we encourage you all to come together at our SVP Christmas event, after the 9.00am mass, raising money for local people in need this Christmas. We have beautiful tote bags, quilt covers, table runners, stockings and Christmas gift bags of all sizes, all handmade by a craft group for us. Plus you can get a different Christmas outfit for the season, be it a jumper of glittery dress or other outfits for all ages, male and female, and a lot of these are brand new too. There will be a raffle, and cakes of all sizes, where you can buy a slice to take home or sit down and enjoy with your coffee. Scones, fruit crumbles and hot sausage rolls, all freshly made. All are welcome.

Dear brothers and sisters, This Sunday sees the Church begin a new Liturgical Year. The First Sunday of Advent heralds a time of preparation for our celebration of the Lord’s birth. It is, also, a "season of two parts." We begin with a focus on the coming Kingdom of God. The second part, beginning on 17th December, provides a more intense preparation for Christmas. In this first part of Advent, we reflect on our hope in the coming Kingdom. This carries a particular resonance this year, perhaps, as we enter the final month of the Jubilee Year of Hope. Advent calls us to be open to the gift of hope. Hope is a virtue. Hope is a gift. It is a mark of the Christian, for our lives are a preparation for the coming of the Lord. We proclaim, every time we profess our faith in the Creed: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” The Christian life looks forward all the time – in hope – to the wonder of the experience of total love in the Kingdom of the Father. This hope must inform our actions, our encounters with others, our words, our prayer. It is this hope that enables us to live our Christian life, sometimes in the face of opposition and not without suffering and difficulty, here and now – to be Christ’s people each and every day, as we await His coming.  May this season be a time of renewed hope for us all, bringing us to be ever more effective in the work of mission that the Lord has given to us as beacons of hope, witnesses to the coming Kingdom of Our Lord Jesus Christ. With every blessing, + Richard

We will be watching 'The Way', a film which has inspired thousands to walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Friday 5th December at 7:30pm Fish and Chips will be provided as an optional addition for £10. Please email moviectkchurch@gmail.com if you would like to pre order food. All are welcome

This weekend we are welcoming Fr Hugh Seenan. The Missionaries of Africa (a.k.a. The White Fathers), are an international team of priests, brothers and lay associates from Africa, Britain and many countries around the world. Any ministry which has a real relationship with Africa, no matter in what part of the world it may be, is considered by the Missionaries of Africa to be within the scope of the apostolate. Through parish work, building up small Christian communities, working with the media, involvement in justice and peace, agriculture, seminary training, education and social welfare the Missionaries of Africa aim to work in partnership with the Church in Africa . . . and above all else to help build up the leadership of the Churches.” There will be a 2nd Collection at masses this weekend to support their work. Alternatively to donate online visit their website: www.missionariesofafrica.org.uk/donations ,  or you can make a transfer directly to their bank account: Account name: Society of Missionaries of Africa Account number: 82296731, Sort code: 60-21-07 Reference: OLQP Adur Valley, BN43 5WG