Pastoral Letter from Bishop Richard
Webmaster • April 30, 2023
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
On the Wednesday of Holy Week, at the Mass of Chrism, the priests of the Diocese renewed their priestly promises and those present in the Cathedral, representing all the faithful of the Diocese, confirmed the commitment to prayer for our priests and to work with them in the mission the Lord has given to His Church.
Today – Good Shepherd Sunday, the entire Church focuses once more on prayer and reflection for priests and, specifically, for vocations to the Priesthood.
Every one of us has a vocation, a calling, given to us by God so that we can take our rightful place in the life of the Church and the world, bringing the message of the Gospel to those around us in accordance with God’s will for us as individuals and for all his people. This is a consequence of our Baptism – life lived in the love that exists in the Blessed Trinity.
Those called to the Ordained Priesthood commit themselves to the service of Christ and His people. The priest celebrates the Sacraments with and for the whole Church, specifically for those he is sent to serve. He preaches the Word in accordance with the teachings of Christ and His Church. He is a leader in the community – a leader through service. The promises of the Priesthood – prayer, obedience, celibacy – enable him to truly give his life in service and to be a sign of the Kingdom of God for the world.
To say that this is, for those called to it, the most wonderful vocation is an understatement. We become the people God calls us to be when we truly respond to his call. Every vocation brings challenges along the way, but also the greatest joy. For those called to Priesthood, this response enables them to find the fulfilment that God Himself desires for them. It is fulfilment found in the Eucharist, in prayer and in the service of all.
Those who have attended Masses of Induction for our parish priests will have heard me ask for prayer for our priests every day. I ask you today to pray for our priests every day, asking the Lord to strengthen and sustain them in service to all.
I ask you also to pray that those in our Diocese whom the Lord calls will be open to listen to His call and answer with complete generosity of heart. Pray for our five seminary students, for those in earlier stages of discernment and for those who have yet to experience the first stirrings of the call to Priesthood. For some – like myself – such reflections can begin at an early age, as a grace flowing from the Sacrament of Confirmation. For others, the awareness of God’s call comes a little later in life. The example of a priest, living Priesthood with joy and commitment is an almost universal element in the discernment of a priestly vocation. Like so many priests, I give thanks to God for the example of a priest deeply committed to the service of those in his pastoral care. When the thought of Priesthood is shared with others, it needs to
be met with gentle encouragement and prayerful support, especially from parents.
This Good Shepherd Sunday, I invite you to join me in a time of prayer for Vocations to Priesthood in our Diocese, leading up to Pentecost Day.
To assist us in this time of prayer, a leaflet has been produced, outlining an intention for each of the coming weeks and providing a ‘prayer itinerary’ for this journey to Pentecost. I am grateful to Fr Tristan Cranfield, our Vocations Director, for putting this together and I know that the prayers of all in the Diocese will bear fruit.
I ask also that, in every parish, a Mass for Vocations to the Priesthood is offered each week. This is already the practice in many places, as are times of Eucharistic Adoration especially for this important intention.
The Good Shepherd calls us to Himself and our priests, through their proclamation of the Word, through being the Lord’s instruments in the celebration of the Eucharist and other Sacraments and through their leadership and guidance, hold a necessary place in the mission of the Church that all may come to the sheepfold of Christ Himself.
May this Good Shepherd Sunday and the time that follows to our celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Our Lady and the Apostles, be a period of fervent and fruitful prayer for us all.
With every blessing,
+R
We are honoured to be the first parish in 2026 to host a visit of the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, along with the Relics of Saints Jacinta and Francisco. This is a wonderful opportunity to have an insight into Fatima. There will be mass, rosary, meditation, confessions, divine mercy, films and items to buy. 9.45am until 4.45pm (please bring a packed lunch; tea & coffee will be available). To learn more, email: patsydaniels@gmail.com , or see poster/flyers in the porch. If you are able to help on the day please speak to Fr Graham or email the office.
SVP Cake Sale: Sunday 1st March, CTK Cuthman Room (after 11am mass) All proceeds to our local SVP, supporting the elderly, homeless, refugees and those struggling financially in our area. See poster for details.
You are warmly invited to have some soup and bread in aid of ACN. Please contact elareeves57@gmail.com if you would like to come. We hope to do more.
Throughout Lent, please bring your personal prayer intentions to our Prayer Boxes (both at St Peter’s and CTK). At St Peter’s, we already have the Prayer Tree, located in the Divine Mercy Chapel, which is regularly used by parishioners and visitors throughout the day. We have added a Prayer Box here, and one at CTK (next to the votive candles). You are warmly invited to write your personal prayer intentions on a small card and place them in the Prayer Box. If you are unable to get to church, you can email them to the office for inclusion, or via the contact form on our website. The names and intentions placed in the Prayer Boxes and on the Prayer Tree will be offered at the First Friday Mass, united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. After this Mass, the Prayer Box will be refreshed for the following month. Please note that these prayer intentions will remain private. They will not be read aloud. The aim is to ensure that our intentions remain current and meaningful
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.
"Lent is the perfect time to work on our prayer lives!" Not my words but an invitation from another. Perfectly true though. The words are echoed by Pope Leo XIV in his Lenten Message for this year. Pope Leo goes on to reflect on the power of the words we speak, that can bring peace or harm: “I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbour.” It is always tempting to retaliate when someone hurts us or provokes us. We know where the temptations come from! Jesus shows us how to respond. Not only by His answers to the devil in the wilderness but also by the way He accepts His passion and cross. Sometimes words, sometimes silence, never harmful. Jesus trusts in His Heavenly Father, the authority of the Word of God and primacy of the worship of God. Jesus knows that everything has been put into His hands. That He will undo the disobedience of Adam by His obedience to God's will. He knows that through His death and resurrection grace will always outdo sin and death. When we are tempted to say a word that might harm or hurt, remember the words that were thrown at Jesus as He carried His cross and the silence that absorbed them. Abstinence is about the love of God and His authority over our bodies and souls. It draws our attention away from self and to a deeper and real relationship with God and our neighbour - be them friend or stranger. With my daily prayer for you this Lent. May God bless you. Fr Graham
We have spoken about preparing for Lent. We will be reminded about prayer, fasting and alms giving on Ash Wednesday by Jesus in the Gospel for the day. Alms giving is often misunderstood. It is not just about giving to charity but about justice. To give to those in need is to give them their right to live, to eat, to drink, to have somewhere to sleep, to be without fear. It is also for ourselves. As we grow in spiritual discipline we know we need forgiveness from God and others. The practise of alms giving is an act of love and love cancels many a sin. Our Lenten Alms collections and donations will be distributed equally between our local SVP project at St Charles Borromeo and also Let the Children Live, a priest helping Columbian street children, see here . Collections throughout Lent.
The singer is a local man who has visited St Peter’s before as Elvis. He is exceptional and we can promise you a great evening. Refreshments will be available to purchase at the event. It will be a great night and if you like Elvis’ music you really will not be disappointed. Tickets are £12.00 each. If you are interested, please email Liz Matthews at the school – office@stpetersshoreham.co.uk and advise how many tickets you would like.
Adur Valley Catenians Quiz Night in aid of 'Safe in Sussex', a women's refuge from domestic abuse Saturday 28th February, 6.30 for 7.00pm , at The Towers Buffet Supper / Licenced Bar / Raffle / Prizes for the winners / Teams of 4-6 people / £12.50 per person / £8.50 under 18s. Tickets from: info@adurvalleycatenians.co.uk . Or call Adrian on 07976-913774.
Tuesday 19th to Thursday 21st May 2026 . Full cost including meals and transport by coach will be £300. 25 rooms have been booked with a few spare ones to go. Friends from local parishes will be most welcome to join us. However, we must have definite names by Thursday 19th February at the latest. Please contact parish office for more information. 01903 785901.