Category: Uncategorized

Thirty-third Week In Ordinary Time

Nearly there – that is the end of Liturgical Year C when we have heard St Luke’s Gospel. Next Sunday Christ the King is celebrated before we commence a new season. There is an end of time feel to the readings, but no necessity to pack up except to be prepared.

Get together, catch up, info

Do join in after Mass next Sunday for an informal gathering with tea and coffee. Pre-advent with no mince pies.

The Bishops of England and Wales Plenary Conference

The Bishops met last week for their Autumn Conference. They not only lead their Diocese but also have responsibilities for national pastoral items.

Bishop Richard is no exception – he is the Lead Bishop for matters of the Criminal Justice system. Watch him being interviewed about his work by following this link.

World Day Of The Poor

Quoting Psalm 71 “you are my hope” Pope Leo sends a Message for the Day in which he encourages the development of policies to combat forms of poverty evident in our society. Take time to reflect on the news and the forthcoming budget.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 16th November 10am
  • Monday 17th November 8:15am St Mary’s House – St Hilda of Whitby
  • Wednesday 19th November 9:30am Kitty Tucker RIP (FM)
  • Friday 21st November 9:30am Presentation of The Blessed Virgin Mary (int Patrick Duncliffe RIP FP)
  • Sunday 23rd November 10am Our Lord Jesus Christ Universal King

Retiring Collection

Your donations to the Retired Priests’ Fund will be very welcomed. Thank you.

B&H Parish Website Proposal

There will be a meeting on Tuesday afternoon meeting to consider proposal for a website covering the whole area.


In your coming and going God is with you
He will keep you in safety night and day.

Hymn no. 370

The Dedication Of The Lateran Basilica

Of the four basilicas in Rome this is the most important, being the Pope’s cathedral as Bishop of Rome. The name originates form the  Lateran family which owned the land and that the Emperor Constantine bought from them. On the front of the present building there are fifteen colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and twelve Doctors of the Church. It is said that its title has changed during the centuries from St Saviour’s to St John and they could not decide which John so they included the two.

Its dedication is celebrated as a feast because it is regarded as the mother of all churches, the parish church of all Catholics.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Message

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

For many of us, when we think of Rome, we think of St Peter’s Basilica. In a Jubilee Year such as this, the entry through the Holy Door of St Peter’s is a high point of any pilgrimage. It is from the Apostolic Palace, next to St Peter’s, that the Holy Father makes his Angelus addresses and it is there that the public audiences take place, as well as significant celebrations in the life of the Church: canonisations, the inaugurations of new popes and the requiem Masses for deceased popes.

Yet it is the Lateran Basilica, built originally by the Emperor Constantine, that is described as “the mother and head of all the churches of the City and the World.” It is the Cathedral Church of Rome, and popes lived in the Lateran Palace for hundreds of years. It is the Pope’s Cathedral, for he is the Bishop of Rome.

It is for this reason that the whole Church celebrates this feast. It is a celebration of our unity with the Holy Father, the successor of St Peter. 

This Sunday’s first reading, the vision of Ezekiel of the Temple in Jerusalem, speaks of the water that flows from the Temple bringing life to the desert. So it is for the Church. The waters of baptism – in which, as St Paul tells us, we die and rise with the new life of Christ – bring us to live our lives in the love that exists in the Trinity, as members of Christ’s Church.

The celebration of the dedication of any Church is a reminder, as St Paul tells us in this Sunday’s second reading, that the Church is made of the living stones of the baptised. We are the Church, called to reflect the wonder of the Gospel to the world around us. This is the mission that we have been given through our baptism – the mission that calls others to share in the wonder of the Church’s life, the life of Christ.

The Lateran Basilica, the “mother of all the churches” stands as a witness to the world and a reminder to us, who are the living stones, of the mission to which we are called, in union with Pope Leo, the successor of Peter.

With every blessing,

+Richard

Remembrance Sunday

Having celebrated the 80th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War earlier in the year, memories have been refreshed. In the nation there are occasions of remembrance, in moments of silence, parades, assemblies and in prayer for those who have died in wars and armed conflict – it is an opportunity too to be as the Beatitudes reminded us – Peacemakers. At this moment there are parts of the world where violence and destruction continue. Pope Leo reminds us to pray for peace.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 9th November 10am Dedication of St John Lateran and Remembrance Sunday
  • Monday 10th November 8:15am St Leo the Great St Mary’s House
  • Tuesday 11th November 11am Requiem Mass for deceased clergy who have served the churches of Brighton and Hove
  • Wednesday 12th November 9:30am St Josaphat
  • Friday 14th November 9:30am
  • Saturday 15th November 8:30am HMP Lewes
  • Sunday 16th November 10am

Blessing of Graves

Sunday afternoon from 2:30pm – prayers of Remembrance. Pause at the military graves.

Barbara Hatton RIP

The Funeral Service will be at Woodvale North Chapel at 2pm this Friday the 14th November. Remember David in your prayers.

Get Together. Catch Up. Information

Do gather in our hall on Sunday 23rd. Christ the King Sunday. Offers of help and nibbles welcomed, teas and coffees.

So long thy power
Hath  blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen
O'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn
Those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, 
and lost awhile.

St John Henry Newman


The Thirty First Week In Ordinary Time

Another unusual peculiarity of the 2025 Calendar. The solemnity of All Saints is a Holyday of Obligation but like other such Days in England if it falls on a Saturday or Monday it is transferred to Sunday – which is always a Holy Day of Obligation. So we will celebrate All Saints on Sunday and as a result All Souls (The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed) is moved to Monday.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Reflection

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday we celebrate the beautiful feast of All Saints. This day reflects the full wonder of the family of the Church. Throughout the year, we celebrate the feasts of those who, through canonization, are set before us as examples, teachers and guides – those who through their martyrdom, their teaching, the witness of their lives inspire us on our pilgrim journey. We seek their intercession in our need. 

Today we remember the countless numbers of people – “a huge number, impossible to count, from every nation, race tribe and language” as St John described them in today’s first reading, who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. They are our family members, our friends, fellow parishioners, people we have known and loved, people we have never known. They too, like the canonized saints, pray for us. They have attained the destiny that the Lord won for us through His passion, death and resurrection – that live in the love of God in its completeness for all eternity.

In the second reading, the same John who wrote the Apocalypse – this time in his first letter – offers us this wonderful hope: “What we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is that when it is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he really is.” To know God in his fullness, to be LIKE Him – this is the hope of a love beyond anything we could possibly know in this life, for it is completeness, wholeness, peace and utter joy.

St John also reminds us in the letter that we must, in this life, prepare ourselves for this destiny-beyond-description. The beatitudes of today’s Gospel provide a sure guide for our pilgrim journey. Reflect on these words of Jesus: poverty of spirit, gentleness, acceptance of sadness, desire for all that is right, mercy, purity, striving for peace, acceptance of persecution and difficulty on account of our following of Him. This the way we are called to follow.

Let us rejoice, then, in all those who share the wonder of heaven and, enriched by the gift of hope, follow the way that leads to life. Let us become a community of saints.  

With every blessing,

+Richard

The Month of November

By custom during this month we remember our deceased Family members and Friends in a number of ways –

Recalling what they meant for us and how we grieved their loss, visiting their graves if possible, having a Mass offered for them, attending the blessing of graves on Sunday 9th November in the cemeteries of Brighton and Hove at 2.30pm.

Envelopes for Mass Intentions are on the table in the Entrance.

If you can listen to Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius , Faure’s’ Requiem or other composers’ settings of the Requiem.

The November Word of Life

The monthly leaflet to accompany you in your prayer is now in the Entrance for you to pick up.

The Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 2nd November 10am The Solemnity of All Saints
  • Monday 3rd November The Solemnity of All Souls 8:15am St Mary’s House, 9:30am Saint Thomas More
  • Wednesday 5th November 9:30am
  • Friday 7th November 9:30am
  • Saturday 8th November 8:30am HMP Lewes
  • Sunday 9th November The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (St John’s)

This Week

  • Monday 3rd November Diocesan health and safety visit
  • Tuesday 4th November Brighton and Hove clergy meeting
  • Thursday 6th November Clergy safeguarding training at AMEX stadium 9am to 4pm
  • Friday 7th November (PM) St Bernadette’s planning

Next Week Brighton and Hove Parish

  • Requiem for deceased clergy who have served the area
  • Tuesday 11th November Mass at 10:55am to include the National Minute’s Silence at St Thomas More’s Church. All welcome

Noticeboard

Do check this for details of forthcoming events

St John Henry Newman, Doctor of The Church

Pope Leo declared St John Henry Newman the 38th Doctor of the Church on Saturday 1st November. It coincides with the Jubilee Celebration of Catholic Education and the publication of the Pope’s second Letter for the occasion.

You can read more about this here. 

Lead kindly light amid  the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on
The night is dark and I am far from home
Lead Thou me on
Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see
The distant scene - one step enough for me.
     
St John Henry Newman.

Parish Weekly

  • Seeking God in prayer
  • Growing together in faith
  • Reaching out in love

Calendars

Now is the time to find your 2026 diary or calendar so you know what date it is and what to plan. This comes to mind in that I have two hospital appointments – one in March and the other in August ! It may feel rather like the irritation some of you may have felt in that suddenly last Sunday was not the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time but the Solemnity of St Philip Howard. Similar moments are ahead. So a little explanation. There is a) The General Calendar of the Church b) The national calendar for England and Wales and c) The Diocesan Calendar for A&B – sometimes called the Propers. They regulate which feasts are to be observed, which ones take precedence or are transferred. This is where the annual Diocesan Directory provides guidance in the section Ordo for Liturgical Celebrations. Do ask if you want further information.

Bishop Richard’s Message

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Jesus’ parable that forms this Sunday’s Gospel reading teaches us on a number of levels. The first is that of prayer. The prayer of the tax collector has become what is often referred to as the “Jesus Prayer”, it is a text used especially, but not exclusively, in the Orthodox Church and, in its simplicity, enables us to place ourselves before the Lord as we truly are – sinners in need of mercy, conscious that the love of the Lord means He wants nothing more than for us to be totally His.  

The way in which the Pharisee presents himself is, in fact, not faithful to reality. He looks at himself in a way that is full of pride and compares himself to others, rather than being open to the relationship with God that is the focus for true prayer.

Prayer must always be honest. There is no need to be anything but honest, because God knows us better than we know ourselves. Why try to be someone else?  

Truthfulness and humility are deeply related. Michael Casey, the Australian Cistercian Monk and writer of a number of books, describes humility as “Truthful Living.” This is, surely, a very helpful reflection. In the parable, the tax collector is truthful about himself, honest before God. Our prayer – our lives – must be the same. Indeed, “Truthful Living” is a mark of the Christian, for real humility enables us to rely not on ourselves, but on Christ. This is the path to life, and to effective witness to the Gospel, for all around us.

With every blessing,

+Richard

Missio Annual Collection

You can still return your envelope next Sunday. Thank you for your card donations direct to HQ please use this link.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 26th October 10am 30th in Ordinary Time
  • Monday 27th October 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Tuesday 28th October 11am St Mary’s Church Requiem Mass for Maureen Fleet RIP
  • Wednesday 29th October 9:30am Int Fr Gerry Vann RIP anniversary
  • Friday 31st October 9:30am Carole Hastie RIP
  • Saturday 1st November 11am Requiem Mass for Dom Kevin Taggart OSB
  • Sunday 2nd November 10am All Saints’ Mass
  • Monday 3rd November 9:30am All Souls’ Mass

King Charles visits Pope Leo at The Vatican

Enjoy the coverage and pray for unity. Visit useful websites and search  Vatican News and the Conference of Bishops of England & Wales for reports.

The Catholic Children’s Society

See publicity from the society at the entrance. You can also follow this link.

Vaccinations

Flu in the left and Covid in the right arm. Have you had yours ?

The more affliction for Christ in this world, the more glory with Christ in the next.


St Philip Howard in The Tower of London 1587

World Mission Sunday

‘Missionaries of Hope among all peoples’ – this is the theme chosen by Pope Leo when pastoral communities around the world support the Pope’s Charity -MISSIO  – which is used for missionaries around the world in establishing clinics, schools, churches and pastoral projects. Remember he was a missionary in Peru and experienced the financial and moral support of MISSIO.

The envelopes handed out last week may be returned and you may have already contacted Missio.

Do take a copy of Mission Today

If you can, do take home a Red Box for any cash which may be spare.

St Philip Howard October 19th

Falling this year on a Sunday, we celebrate the Patron of the Diocese as a Solemnity His life story will be recalled. In Arundel Cathedral. The Bishop will be celebrating a Pilgrimage Mass with prayers at the Shrine 3pm .The Friends of Arundel Cathedral will be meeting after the Tea in the Cathedral Centre.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 19th October 10am Mission Sunday
  • Monday 20th October 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 22nd October 9:30am St John Paul II
  • Friday 24th October 9:30am St Anthony Mary Claret
  • Saturday 25th October 8:30am HMP Lewes
  • Sunday 26th October 10:30am (30th in O.T.)

In Memoriam

  • Dom Kevin Taggart OSB (Worth Abbey)
  • Fr John Horn (Retired)

Maureen Fleet RIP

The Requiem Mass will be on Tuesday 28th October at 11am in St Mary’s Church

October – The Month of The Rosary

The Mysteries of Light – Thursday

  • The Baptism of Jesus
  • The Wedding Feast at Cana
  • The Transfiguration
  • The Proclamation of The Kingdom
  • The Institution of The Kingdom

Clocks Go Back Next Week

They ‘fall’ back one hour at 2am on Sunday morning

St Philip and Prayer

“Unable to hear Mass or to receive to receive the other Sacraments for Years he took up the Rosary, a contemplative prayer; it was his sacrament an outward sign of the inward grace of peace and love, a veritable symbol of Catholic fortitude in his times.”

The Twenty – Eighth Sunday In Ordinary Time

Praying for peace

Persistent prayer seems to be paying off with a planned ceasefire and return of hostages. It is still to be prayed that Peace will be established and the conditions for living will improve. Ukraine must not be forgotten or the continuing destruction of property accepted as normal. Remember Pope Leo’s invitation to us to pray the Rosary during this month

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Message

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Prisoners’ Sunday falls on 12 October, and it takes place, too, in the Jubilee Year that was started by Pope Francis before Christmas last year. The theme of the Jubilee Year is “Pilgrims of Hope”, and so we might reflect this Prisoners’ Sunday, on the need to enable those who are serving sentences, all those affected by crime, and those who work in our prison system, to be able to re-find hope that they have perhaps lost.

I ask you on this Prisoners’ Sunday to pray very particularly for victims of crime, for those who work in our prison system and in our justice system, and to remember very specially those who are serving sentences, and those who are the hidden victims of crime, particularly young ones.

Keep them in your prayers, reflect on ways in which you might perhaps volunteer for Pact: perhaps become a prison visitor or volunteer with the chaplaincy in your local prison.

I encourage everybody to pray on Prisoners’ Sunday, especially during the celebration of Mass, and also for parishes, where they can, please, to hold a Second Collection for the support of Pact, the Prison Advice and Care Trust. Pact has the most wonderful history, and holds a very special place in care for prisoners and their families.


With every blessing,

+Richard

Prisoners’ Sunday

The Catholic Charity PACT works with families of prisoners and operates in Prisons when there is a visit to a son or daughter. Do read the item about there work which is supported by the generosity of Catholics Card donations will be welcomed, and a basket is also on the table. Please click here for online donations.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 12th October 10am Prisoners’ Sunday
  • Monday 13th October 8:15am St Edward The Confessor King St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 15th October 9:30am St Teresa of Avila
  • Friday 17th October 9:30am St Ignatius of Antioch
  • Sunday 19th October 10am St Philip Howard, Patron of the Diocese

Mission Sunday

Next Sunday there will be the annual Collection for Missio, The Pontifical Missionary Agency.

This Week

  • 11am Tuesday Requiem Mass for Fr Alan Sharpe RIP . Towers Convent Chapel, Upper Beeding
  • Tuesday pm St Bernadette’s Governors Meeting
  • Wednesday 2pm Meeting at St Bernadette’s
  • Thursday 12 Noon The Downs Funeral Service for Greg Miles RIP
  • Thursday Parish of B&H meeting to refine Vision & Meeting Statement
  • Thursday Parish of B&H meeting to refine Vision & Meeting Statement

Maureen Fleet RIP

Requiem Mass Wednesday 29th October 11am

The Word Of Life

The October leaflet to assist with your daily prayer is now available for you to pick up from the table.   

St Edward The Confessor

King. Died January 1066. His shrine is intact in Westminster Abbey.

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

October is with us and activities are buzzing. For us as Catholics it is described as the month of the holy Rosary, when we reflect on the life of Jesus in the company of Mary. It is described as a contemplative prayer, a tranquil rhythm, a lingering meditation.

The various mysteries may be celebrated on the following days –

Sunday – Glorious

Monday – Joyful

Tuesday – Sorrowful

Wednesday – Glorious

Thursday – Of Light

Friday – Sorrowful

Saturday – Joyful

To join in the Rosary at the Grotto in Lourdes go the “useful websites “- the Sanctuary of Lourdes 2 pm BST.

A moment of history

175 Year ago Pope Pius IX restored the Hierarchy of Catholic Bishops to England and Wales after the Reformation. It meant that thirteen dioceses were created and Catholic Emancipation became a reality.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 5th October 10am (27 in OT)
  • Monday 6th October 8:15 am St Mary’s House (St Bruno)
  • Wednesday 8th October 9:30am (Our Lady of the Rosary)
  • Friday 10th October 9:30am (St John Henry Newman)
  • Sunday 12th October 10am (28 in OT)

St John Henry Newman

Pope Leo will declare him a Doctor of the Church on November 1st. This is to recognise his contribution to Theology .

This Week

  • Monday 6th October – Feast day of St Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian Order celebrated especially by the monks of Parkminster
  • Tuesday 7th October – Brighton and Hove clergy team meeting
  • Thursday 9th October 2pm – St Bernadette’s Harvest Festival

CAFOD

Thank you for your card donations. There will be a basket for envelopes and cash.

Pour forth we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts that we to whom the incarnation of Christ Your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by His passion and cross, be brought to the glory of the resurrection, through Christ, Our Lord. Amen .

(Concluding prayer of The Angelus)

Twenty-Sixth Week In Ordinary Time

Harvest Thanksgiving

The third Sunday of September is Harvest Thanksgiving when in the Season of Creation we express our gratitude for what has been grown and gathered in over these last few weeks. It is also an opportunity to share what has been received by making an offering which in turn will be passed to a food-bank to assist those who struggle.

Video And Photos Of Recent Events

49

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 28th September 10am 26 in O.T.
  • Monday 29th September 8:15am St Mary’s House Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Rafael
  • Wednesday 1st October 9:30am St Therese of Lisieux
  • Friday 3rd October 9:30am St John Henry Newman
  • Saturday 4th October 8:30am HMP Lewes
  • Sunday 5th October 10am 27 in O.T.

CAFOD – The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development

Friday may be observed as a Fast day when we restrict what we take in order to make a gift, Many will have had information through the post. There will be fundraising enveloped available.

The quickest way is to make your gift by card here.

The Season For The Care Of Creation

This concludes on Saturday 4th October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi. In Arundel Cathedral Bishop Richard will lead the Blessing of animals at 2.30pm. All pet owners welcome.

October – The Month Of The Rosary

Untangle your rosary beads and pray a decade a day. Pope Leo has urged all Catholics to pray the Rosary for Peace daily during the month of October.

A Sobering Message

The Cardinal and other Church leaders have a message regarding the use of Christian symbols in recent protests/demonstrations relating to immigration. More information can be found here.

“When I find it hard to pray and don’t know what to say, I pray very slowly the Our Father or the Hail Mary and these prayers help and make me feel better.”

St Therese of Lisieux

The Twenty-Fifth Week In Ordinary Time

The third Sunday of September, formerly known as Home Mission Sunday, now has the title of Evangelii Gaudium Sunday – the Joy of living the Gospel. This was the first of the messages of Pope Francis. The Bishop has sent us a Pastoral Letter for this Sunday and we are invited to donate to the support of the national body of the Bishops promoting the living of the Gospel.

The Inauguration Of The Parish Of Brighton And Hove

Last Sunday in St John the Baptist Church Bishop Richard in augurated the first of the new Parish arrangement by which the pastoral communities of the former Deanery will collaborate in fulfilling the mission of the Church. You can read about it here -Click to dioc.ebulletin.

The clergy meet for the biweekly meeting on Tuesday commencing with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Jubilee Of Justice

Bishop Richard introduces this week’s Theme in the Jubilee Year reflecting on the groups which work for justice Read more here.

The Season For The Care For Creation

Next Sunday is Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday and there will be the opportunity to bring to our Mass goods and produce which in turn will be passed to a local Food Bank.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 21st September 10am
  • Monday 22nd September 8:15am St Mary’s House
  • Wednesday 24th September 9:30am The Feast Of Our Lady Of Walsingham
  • Friday 26th September 11am Requiem Mass for Beryl Cheeseman RIP
  • Sunday 28th September 10am Harvest Thanksgiving Mass
To Our Lady Of Walsingham

Here journeyed on the Pilgrims' Way,
With Christendom in youth and flower
The faithful of a happier day
When all the land was Mary's dower
And after many a faithless year
Since not in vain the martyrs sowed
We, as God wills, to worship here.
Return along the ancient road.

The Exaltation Of The Cross

Education Sunday

Education remains the largest charitable activity of the Church in this country stemming from the 19th Century when many schools were established for poor immigrant children. Since then it has become the largest provider of secondary schools and second largest in providing primary schools. The Catholic community continues to support our Schools by providing Foundation Governors and encouraging young persons to train as teachers.

We pray today for those who have found their vocation in Catholic education in one of the many roles which it entails.

Our thanksgiving expressed this day is for the teachers and staff in St. Bernadette’s and Cottesmore primaries and Cardinal Newman Secondary & College.

Mass Schedule

  • Sunday 14th September 10am
  • Monday 15th September 8:15am St Mary’s House Our Lady of Sorrows
  • Wednesday 17th September 10am (NB not usual time) St Robert Bellarmine
  • Sunday 21st September 10am (25th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

The Inauguration Of The Brighton and Hove Parish

At St John the Baptist Church, Kemp Town today (Sunday 14th September) at 5.30pm All welcome.

The Word Of Life

The September copies are available in the Entrance to assist with your prayerful reflection during the month

Preparing For Holy Communion

For those 8 upwards who may have missed dates please have a word with Fr John

The Festival Of Hope

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Diocese and the Jubilee Year. This coming Saturday at Ardingly Showground 10.30am – 4.30am. Undercover. The Brighton coach is starting from St Joseph’s so you may prefer to travel by car.

Care For Creation

Despite any inconvenience the rain is a “godsend” so that our reservoirs can be replenished for our drinking water.

Lift high the cross

The love of Christ proclaim

Till all the world adores his sacred name.

Come Christians follow where our Saviour trod

O'er death victorious,

Christ the Son of God.             No 429