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,
We welcome Fr John Boles, Regional Director of Columban Missionaries Britain, chosen as this year’s Diocesan annual Mission Appeal. There will be a second collection for their work. To read more, see their website: www.columbans.co.uk .
In a week when we remember the anniversary of the Shoreham air crash we are confronted with the tragic deaths of three members of one family in the sea off Shoreham Fort: Hassan, Zeina and Sara. Life is fragile and a gift to be treasured. Every moment is precious. It can all change so quickly. God is the giver of the gift. It is to Him that we look for strength, mercy, help and love. The life of faith is no less vulnerable and fragile. One moment Saint Peter gets it right and then he gets it wrong. In the gospel for this week Peter speaks with insight and with a revelation of knowledge from the Father that Jesus "is the Christ, the Son of the living God". The following verses (next week), with Peter basking in the elation of this spiritual gift, he plunders from the height of presumption after accusing Jesus that God has got it wrong! Jesus gives Peter and us the reason for his downfall: setting his mind of the "things of man" not of God. Jesus does not avoid suffering as He knows we cannot avoid it. In fact, Jesus uses suffering as a means to save us. He is not a remote or impervious God. He shares the fullness of our humanity that we might share in His divinity and have a life beyond death. We are not untouched by another's pain either. So we do more than remember or say empty phrases - we pray. We pray for all who suffer and have died. That is what God would have us do. With my prayer for you all. God bless you. Fr Graham
Do you have an old mobile phone surplus to your needs? If so, please consider donating it to a parish in Ghana. My close friend Fr. Gregory from Ghana is in the UK supplying holiday cover. He re-purposes mobile phones, giving them to people in remote parts of Ghana so they can make contact in an emergency, (spiritual or physical). Battery condition does not matter but they should have the sim card removed and be reset to factory default which wipes them clean, (I can help with this). I can collect them from St. Peters Shoreham, Christ the King Steyning or The Towers between now and August 30th (please note change of date). Many thanks Deacon Simon
26 September, 10am-6.30pm, St Wilfrid’s Church, Burgess Hill, RH15 9EN (Cost: £20). Young Adults (18-35) are invited to a jam-packed day of prayer, formation, friendship, and fun - praying to discover true peace within ourselves, to become peacemakers in the world around us, and to be renewed with an apostolic fire burning brightly within our hearts. Young Adults' Retreat Day (26-Sep-2026) · ChurchSuite Events
Calling all mothers, including spiritual mothers, godmothers and grandmothers. You are invited to come and pray for our children. First Friday of the Month, 10.00-11.00am, in the Parish Room at St Peter’s.
There will be two opportunities to attend the Deanery Marriage Preparation Course for those intending to be married in a Catholic Church in 2027 as follows. The first opportunity will be in November 2026, the first four Thursday evenings, 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th starting at 7pm - locations to be finalised in September. The second opportunity will be two consecutive Saturdays in 2027, 30th Jan, 6 th Feb. A morning session 10am-12 noon, and an afternoon session, 1pm-3pm on both days; locations to be finalised in September. Full attendance, at the four sessions that constitute each individual course, is required before permission to marry can be granted. Application forms will be made available in September when the locations have been finalised. Deacon Simon Wright, Worthing Deanery Marriage Preparation Coordinator.
Back in May we celebrated the ascension of Jesus bodily into heaven whereas today we celebrate the assumption of His mother bodily into heaven. The “assumption” is completely different to the “ascension” because one is passive (i.e. one is assumed) and the other is active (i.e. one ascends). But it is the same power that is involved, it is by the power of God that Mary was assumed into heaven, and it is by His own power, the power of God, that Jesus ascended to heaven. Hence Mary’s assumption points directly to the divine power of her Son. So why did God assume Mary into heaven? There are several reasons but for me her Assumption is closely connected with her Immaculate Conception. Mary’s soul was preserved from original sin, hence and her body was spared physical corruption or decay. In addition, it serves as a sign of hope for believers. It foreshadows the ultimate bodily resurrection promised to all followers of Christ at the end of time. Blessings, Deacon Simon
Please save the dates. We will welcome the Relics Tour and Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition of Blessed Carlo Acutis, in the Parish Room at St Peter’s this autumn. More details soon.
Many thanks to everyone who has donated items to our summer campaign. All the final donations will be delivered this week. We always have a box in the porch, so please continue to donate when you can. You can find their up-to-date wishlist on their Facebook page.
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.