Pastoral Letter from Bishop Richard January 2025
Webmaster • January 10, 2025
PASTORAL LETTER
for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
12th January 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Preface of today’s Mass offers us a clear reminder that the Lord Jesus has been sent by the Father to bring good news to the poor. Jesus, the Word made Flesh, God-with-us, was born among us so that all may have life. The good news of Salvation is, therefore, the message that the Church is tasked to bring to the whole world.
Just as the Holy Spirit was present at Jesus’ baptism by John, “declaring Him” the Son of the Father, so the Holy Spirit dwells in those who are baptised, guiding the mission that is given to us all through our baptism – our sharing in the mission of the whole Church.
We are called to nothing less than living every moment of life caught up, as it were, in the love that exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptism brings us to life lived in the love of the Blessed Trinity. It opens for us the way to a relationship with God, in and through Christ, so close that nothing, as St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, can separate us from this love. Just as Isaiah states in the first reading today, the Lord gathers us in His arms, carries us close to Him and cares for us with the greatest gentleness.
Baptism opens for us the way to the other Sacraments, most especially the Eucharist. Let us not forget that there is nothing more wonderful in this life than our meeting with the Lord in the Eucharist, as he nourishes us with Himself – He who is the Bread of Life.
All is gift: life in the love of the Blessed Trinity, closeness to the person of Jesus, the abiding presence in our lives of the Holy Spirit who prompts our actions and prays within us when we cannot find the words. So much is given that we cannot fully describe its wonder. As Jesus reminds us, to those who are given much, much is expected.
How, then, are we called to respond to God’s gift? As Christ offered Himself, must we not offer ourselves to be the Lord’s instruments in bringing good news to the poor?
As the Church we must witness to the good news in an ever-changing world and each and every living stone in the spiritual house that is the Church must take their place in this mission.
In this Jubilee Year, the Holy Father has called us to be Pilgrims of Hope. Our Hope is the Kingdom to which we look forward and it is this Hope, grounded in Faith and expressed also in Love, that is the Christian’s Mission – our gift to the world. It is nothing less than the proclamation of the Kingdom of Christ Himself.
This year is also the 60th Anniversary of our Diocese – surely a favourable time for us all to pray for increased openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our commitment to share the Good News of the Kingdom.
This call to mission is at the very heart of our Diocesan Pastoral Plan. Since Easter last year, conversations have been taking place in each of our present deaneries, setting our communities on the path to new expression, to a renewed journey of prayer, formation and mission that we may truly live as communities of saints – living in Hope, Faith and Love in proclamation of Christ Who is our Way.
There is much in these conversations, it is true, that is about structure. While this is necessary, we must not allow ourselves to be absorbed solely in these matters. The renewal of our parish structures is for the very purpose of enabling us all – lay faithful, religious, deacons, priests and bishop – to take our proper place in the great mission that the Lord has given to us.
Ever-deeper conversation and sharing across our communities, together with a sharing of resources will, in time, open the way to renewed mission as our focus shifts to greater cooperation and effectiveness in the proclamation of the Good News.
The new model of parish will enable us to live as “communities of communities” – bringing strength and renewed life as communities join together in prayer, in formation and in the mission that will develop from these foundations.
These initial steps may not always be easy. We must learn to work together in new ways and I take this opportunity to thank those priests who have accepted the leadership role of moderator. I ask everyone to allow them the time and give them and the clergy teams the support they will need for these early stages in this new way of living out our mission.
There will be much work ahead, especially for moderators and the clergy and lay faithful who will be called to serve on leadership teams. Let us all come together in our “communities of communities” for prayer, formation and the renewed mission for the world the Lord calls us to serve.
With every Blessing,
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
More than 80 pilgrims from across the Diocese joined Bishop Richard on a special Jubilee Year Pilgrimage to the National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady at Walsingham last weekend (6-8 June). The pilgrimage, which saw many people travelling to Walsingham for the very first time, brought Catholics from parish communities across Surrey and Sussex together, offering enriching opportunities for prayerful reflection and fellowship in one of England’s most cherished places of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Bishop Richard celebrated two Masses at the National Shrine during the pilgrimage. Preaching to an international congregation for the celebration of Pentecost on Sunday, he highlighted the “quiet revival” of the Church and emphasised the importance of sharing the good news: “When we, according to our different vocations and circumstances, proclaim Christ, we proclaim the Word that the world can not contain. Let us never underestimate the power of the Gospel message to a world that is in so much need of it.” “The renewal that we are seeing in the life of the Church in recent times is a result of people experiencing the ‘Living Water’ of Christ. Let us open our minds and hearts to the presence of the Holy Spirit, that strengthened by it, we bring hope to our world.” You can see more photos from the pilgrimage weekend on the diocesan Flickr site
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
www.mothersprayers.org Calling all Mothers, (Including spiritual mothers, godmothers and grandmothers) Come and pray for our children. Mothers prayers group starting Friday July 4, 10 -11 am in the Parish Room at St Peter’s. On the first Friday of the month thereafter (except August). You are all welcome to join us for tea/coffee and prayers. See poster and flyers in the church porch
It’s now been confirmed that MPs will debate and vote next week – on either Tuesday 17 or Wednesday 18 June – on extreme abortion up to birth amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill. These proposed law changes represent the most serious threat to unborn children since the Abortion Act was introduced in 1967. The disability rights group, Not Dead Yet UK, is asking people to contact their MP using a new tool on their website. It explains exactly why this Bill would be a disaster for people with disabilities. Please take action now and contact your MP. It only takes 30 seconds. You can read more including a statement from Archbishop John Sherrington (Lead Bishop for Life Issues) here: Opposing the Decriminalisation of Abortion - Catholic Bishops' Conference
When we contemplate the beginning of things and the whole created order, as we do in the scriptures today, we are brought to silence and awe. The Wisdom of God and the love of God made manifest in everything we see and can even imagine. We also consider the beginning and end of life and the wonder of our own being. God who brings us into existence and knows our end. It is all too much for us. It would be easy to see such a God as remote and distant. Yet there is not a cry He doesn't hear or even hair on our head He doesn't count. This God of ours is a God who saves. The movement of love in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit overflows to us in Jesus. God made flesh. God who is spirit is made visible and lives among us and in us. It really is a "wondrous mystery", but it is the "true faith". Everything we do is in the name of the Trinity from the sign of the cross at the beginning of Mass, to the Doxology at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer to the blessing before the dismissal. God the Holy Trinity is our beginning and our end. From baptism to commendation our hope is in God and our "hope does not put us to shame." With my prayer for you all. God bless you, Fr Graham
Saturday 5th July , 12pm-4.15pm,Church of Our Lady of Consolation & St Francis, West Grinstead, RH13 8LT. With Mass, personal consecration to Our Lady, Rosary, Adoration, Chaplet, Benediction and opportunities for Reconciliation. Bring a packed lunch. For details, contact Jayne by email .