The Exaltation Of The Cross

Education Sunday

Education remains the largest charitable activity of the Church in this country stemming from the 19^th 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

Twenty-Second Week Of Ordinary Time

Changing Times

The change of Season was abrupt with a long awaited downpour just as September arrives. It marks the RETURN – getting back to normal after the summer break- starting the new school term, preparing maybe for Further Education and a range of new projects, meetings and opportunities . Do involve yourself with new energy and enthusiasm.

The Season Of Creation

This runs from September 1^st to the feast of St Francis of Assisi on October 4th. You can read a Statement from Bishop John Arnold on the environment and care for our common home at CBCEW (click)It also marks the 10^th anniversary of the Letter of Pope Francis with its teaching on the environment -Laudato Si. Pope Leo has also sent us a Message for the World Day of Prayer.

After a month when we have experienced some results of Climate change, heatwaves, wild fires, floods, drought water shortages we must be aware of what is happening and our need to take heed.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 31st August 10am 22nd in OT
Monday 1st September 8:15am St Mary’s House (Care of Creation)
Wednesday 3rd September 9:30am St Gregory The Great (Ena Cripps RIP – FM)
Friday 5th September 9:30am Therese Elliott RIP
Saturday 6th September 8:15am HMP Lewes
Sunday 7th September 10am 23rd in OT

Back To School

St Bernadettes Primary. Thursday

Cardinal Newman Secondary Thursday Years 7 &12

Beryl Cheeseman RIP

Died last Sunday, a well known parishioner of St Mary’s who looked after the clergy living there, a member of the Deanery Choir. May she rest in peace.

Monks In The City

Do view their planned activities on the noticeboard. Their website can be found here.

The Festival Of Hope

Celebrating the Jubilee of Hope and the 60th anniversary of the Diocese.

Saturday 20th September 10am – 4.30am at the South of England Showground, Ardingly.

We have been allocated 10 places and a coach will be taking us. We have been asked to register attendees. Please read the information on the noticeboard.

Yes be praised in all your creatures
Brother sun and sister moon
In the stars and in the wind
Air and fire and flowing water 
Laudato si, O mi Signore

St Francis.

Twentieth Week Of Ordinary Time

“Forget war, think of peace ” so spoke one of the veterans at Friday’s VJ Remembrance. The fervent hope of our prayers for Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. Cardinal Vincent has encouraged us to pray and if we are able to observe a day of fasting of some other form of self denial.

Preparedness is becoming a watchword and Sunday’s Gospel gives us an opportunity to reflect on how it may apply to ourselves.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 17th August 10am (20th in OT)
Monday 18th August 8:15am St Mary’s House
Wednesday 20th August 9:30am (St Bernard Abbot and Doctor)
Friday 22nd August 9:30am (The Queenship of Our Lady)
Saturday 23rd August 8:30am HMP Lewes
Sunday 24th August 10am (21st in OT)

Assumption Homily – Pope Leo

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today is not Sunday, yet we celebrate in another way the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, which changed the course of history. In Mary of Nazareth, we recognize our own history: the history of the Church, immersed in the common lot of humanity. By taking flesh in her, the God of life — the God of freedom — has conquered death. Yes, today we contemplate how God overcomes death — yet never without us. His is the Kingdom, but ours is the “yes” to his love that can change everything. On the Cross, Jesus freely uttered that “yes” which would strip death of its power — the death that still spreads wherever our hands crucify and our hearts remain imprisoned by fear and mistrust. On the Cross, trust prevailed; so did love, which sees what is yet to come; and forgiveness triumphed.

Read more here

Walking Pilgrimages

After a day of rest the diocesan walking pilgrimage continues. You may also wish to be involved in the Jubilee Pilgrimage to Nottingham a much longer journey. Read about it here.

Hospital Pager

My turn to cover emergency calls over the weekend!

We are grateful to Fr Celestine , the Catholic Hospital Chaplain for ministering to some of the parishioners when notified of their admissions.

Patcham Duck Fayre

Next Sunday on the Patcham High School Field -11am to 4.30pm. More details here.

Wedding

Friday 12:30pm St John the Baptist Church, Kemp Town. Ellen Higgins & Kane Webb. Congratulations and prayers.

Contactless Offertory

The machine is now working for your card donations which can also be gifted aided.

Spurious Websites

There are two websites which are not approved or accurate. Please visit the authentic version with the picture of the interior of our Church – if you are reading this you have come to the right place!

Hail Queen of heaven, the ocean star,
Guide of the wanderer here below
Thrown on life's surge, we claim thy care save us from peril and from woe
Mother of Christ, star of the sea 
pray for the wanderer, pray for me.

The Nineteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

August 15th

A date which surprises holiday makers in certain parts of the world when they find the locals celebrating, shops closed and churches in use. It is a Holy Day for Catholics and for blessing first fruits and crops in southern Europe. In the prayers we hear Mary to be the sign of hope and comfort on our pilgrim way – with Mary’s intercession because she gave birth to Jesus who became our Saviour. It provides us with an opportunity to deepen our devotion to Mary especially when we greet her the words of Gabriel and Elizabeth – Hail Mary, full of grace. She is a model of prayerful listening.

Annually, the date reminds us of another event and this year in particular of V.J.Day marking the end of the war with Japan, but also of the loss of life by the dropping of nuclear bombs, killing so many. The fear of such use of these weapons continues to this day – remember what you say “deliver is from Evil”

Mass Schedule

Sunday 10th August 10am 19th in OT
Monday 11th August 8:15am St Mary’s House – St Clare of Assisi
Monday 11th August 12 Noon Requiem Mass for John and Ann Nugent
Wednesday 13th August 9:30am
Friday 15th August The Assumption of Our Lady (Holy Day) Masses at 9:30am and 7pm
Sunday 17th August 10am 20th in OT

Community Event

Patcham Duck Fayre Sunday 24^th August 11am – 4.30am, the school fields of Patcham High School

Devolution

Our Hall is now booked for a date in May 2026 for use as a Polling Station for the election of a Mayor for a single strategic authority for Sussex and Brighton. Do keep informed of the developments in the months ahead. Read the Report on the noticeboard.

Thank You!

To Mike, Jim and Mark who have dealt with the weeds in the courtyard and driveway and the kind parishioner who removed the rubbish from the steps.

Jubilee Of Young People

During the Mass for the Jubilee of Young People at Tor Vergata, Pope Leo XIV reminds the young people that Jesus is our hope, and urges them to “adventure with the Lord toward eternity” as the Lord is “gently knocking” at the window of their soul.

Jesus is our hope, adventure with Him throughout your life, and let Him enlighten you…

Pope Leo XIV expressed this during the Mass for the Jubilee of Young People at Tor Vergata in Rome on Sunday, 3 August. You can read more here.

St John Henry Newman – Doctor Of The Church

There are some informative items about St John Henry Newman and his thoughts and writings that can be found here.

Walking Pilgrimage

This is now underway. Do have a look at the poster to see if you might join in a section. It will be under way for the next three weeks.

Happenings

The parish phone playing up.
Annual service of gas boilers completed Friday
Two horse drawn hearses for Monday’s Funeral.
The car passed its MOT
Over 30 crab apples thrown at the church by two lads
Happy holidays!

Holy Mary, Mother of God and queen

Lady of heaven and empress of the world below

Have mercy on us and Christian people.

Every generation will call me blessed for great indeed are all the things the Almighty has done for me!

The Eighteenth Week In Ordinary Time

When we hear the word ‘Doctor’ we immediately go into medical mode and wonder why the word is used in conjunction with, for example, last Friday’s Saint – St Alphonsus. It will be highlighted again in the recent news that Pope Leo will proclaim our English Saint John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Church sometime soon.

The title is given to a person whose teachings on the Catholic Faith has been of great significance to the Church. The person must be an example of sanctity and described in a formal proclamation.

Born in London 1801 and dying in 1890 in Birmingham he was beatified by Pope Benedict when visiting this country in 2010 and canonised by Pope Francis in 2019. He will become the 38^th Doctor of the Church and the second English Saint after Bede to become one.

Among the many visitors to Brighton, he is numbered as one who visited his Sister in Sussex Square.

The Word Of Life For August

The free copies are now on the table in the Entrance, The purpose is to take a verse from scripture with a paragraph of commentary to accompany you through the month in your prayer and your life.

A Festival Of Hope

Saturday 20^th September. We have been allocated 10 tickets for this planned Diocesan Event. Coaches will be going from Brighton to the South of England Showground Ardingly.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 3rd August 10am (18th Ordinary Time) Int. People of the Parish and Jubilee of Young People
Monday 4th August 8:15am St Mary’s House St John Mary Vianney (Patron of Parish Priests)
Wednesday 6th August 9:30am The Feast Of The Transfiguration Of Our Lord (Int. Therese Lelliott RIP)
Friday 8th August 9:30am Feast Of St Dominic (Int. Denis Tree)
Sunday 10th August 10am (19th Ordinary Time)

Recently Deceased

John Nugent and Ann Nugent. May they rest in peace.

Firmly I believe and truly
God is three, and God is one,
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.

St John Henry Newman no. 258

17th Sunday In Ordinary Time

Holiday time for many, catching up with family and friends, journeys far and wide and pilgrimages. In particular there is the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes this year with the theme -With Mary, Pilgrims of Hope. We may not be there in person but we can be there virtually.

To visit the Grotto using your Tablet, PC or smart phone by clicking here. You will then be at the Lourdes website to find the Grotto and also the Processions of the Blessed Sacrament, the Torchlight Procession and Masses. Remember France is one hour ahead of the UK – so the Blessed Sacrament and Blessing of the Sick commences BST 4pm.

Another way to participate is to find the Pilgrimage Prayer Book with lots of information and the daily programme by visiting this link. There is the link to the Prayer Book at the bottom of the page and you can turn the pages.

Bishop Richard Moth will be posting on social media during the pilgrimage. The diocesan X account can be followed here.

From The Diocesan Website

Our annual pilgrimage

Our pilgrimage to Lourdes is one of the most significant pastoral events in our annual diocesan calendar, with hundreds of members of our community of faith visiting the Grotto together each year.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 27th July 10am Ordinary Time (17)
Monday 28th July 8:15am St Mary’s House
Wednesday 30th July 9:30am St Peter Chrysologus – int. Therese Lelliott RIP
Friday 1st August 9:30am St Alphonsus Liguori – int. Terrence Sweeney RIP (Foundation Mass)
Sunday 3rd August 10am Ordinary Time (18)

First Holy Communions

Please keep in your prayers the six children who received Holy Communion for the first time last Sunday and their parents and family members.

For the poor, sick, afflicted
Thy mercy we crave
And comfort the dying
Thou light of the grave.
Ave! Ave! Ave, Maria!

Following Bishop Richard In Lourdes this week…

Here is a link to the official diocesan Instagram account – click here.

Sea Sunday

When we have a glimpse of the sea from one of the hills, or are braving the beach, we may see ships on the horizon or in Shoreham Harbour if we are travelling that way. You may wonder what is on the ships or when the fishing boats will set sail again. More to the point you may ask, “Who is crewing the ship?” or “When will the seafarers be back home to their families?” One thing to remember is that one of the pastoral activities of the worldwide Church is that of Stella Maris or of the Apostleship of the Sea. There is a collection on the Second Sunday of July for that purpose. There are envelopes if you wish to use one or you can donate by card directly. So if you are on a ferry a cruise or just looking out to the sea, say a prayer for those who go to the seas and help those who welcome them when they come to land.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Message

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday’s Gospel is the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This is a text that we know so well, that there is a danger that familiarity hampers a real listening to the proclamation of the Gospel. St Benedict, whose feast we celebrate on Monday 11^th, speaks of ‘Listening with the ear of the heart.’ This is so much more than hearing, it is more than listening at the level of the mind, it is a listening that brings the Word of God to the very core of our being, the place of love. This Sunday, with a Gospel we know so well, listening at that depth brings so many blessings.

Pope Francis, in his encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti, uses the Good Samaritan as a model for every interaction – including the international stage. The going out to brothers and sisters, enjoined by the Lord in this parable, is the way forward for the world, he tells us. This may seem so difficult – even in our homes, with those closest to us, it can be hard. Yet we are reminded in this Sunday’s First Reading, from the Book of Deuteronomy, that the law given by God is truly possible, for the Word is IN us.

This is reflected again when we read the Parable of the Good Samaritan in a slightly different way – seeing ourselves as the one who is in the ditch and the Lord Himself coming to our aid. St Paul expresses this in his hymn at the beginning of the Letter to the Colossians (the Second Reading this Sunday), where he rejoices at the victory Christ has won. We need have no fear, the Lord has rescued us and now we – with the Word Who is Life in our hearts – can go out to our brothers and sisters, carrying out the work the Lord calls us to do in His name.

With every blessing,

+ Richard

The Pastoral Plan

At the Council of Priests, the proposal that the parishes of Brighton and Hove become a new parish made up of the existing parish communities of the deanery was put to a consultative vote for the Bishop. He has accepted the proposal and in September this will be enacted with Canon David Parmiter being the Moderator of the team of Clergy.

At Thursday’s meeting, the first steps at producing a vision statement commenced. Thank you for the reposes you are returning to the box in the entrance.

The Statement From The Moderator

In the third edition of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan: The call to Mission, Bishop
Richard wrote about the need to change the shape of deaneries and parishes.
Reflecting on the many discussions that had taken place and the needs of the
Diocese to enable her to carry out her mission, he wrote “…the groupings of
parishes that form deaneries currently, will themselves become parishes.” I am
pleased to say that the current Deanery of Brighton and Hove has in place now
the basic structures to become the new Parish of Brighton and Hove, which
Bishop Richard will inaugurate in September.
There is still much work to be done to develop fully as one parish. We will need
to undertake this work gradually and carefully, clergy and lay people together.
The overarching purpose of this change is that we work more closely together
in the mission of the Church. Bishop Richard describes the Church’s mission in
this way: “All are called to build up the Body of Christ, lead a holy life and
promote the growth of the Church.”
Each existing parish will become a community of the new parish and will
continue to be served by your current parish priest who, together with the
other parish priests, will also have responsibility for the whole parish
coordinated by a Moderator. The clergy will work collaboratively with the
Leadership Team and the Finance Committee for the mission. I look forward to
working with you all in the new parish.

Canon David Parmiter

Mass Schedule

Sunday 13th July 10am Sea Sunday Mass (15th in Ordinary Time)
Monday 14th July 8:15am St Mary’s House
Tuesday 15th July St Bernadette’s Leavers’ Mass 1:30pm
Wednesday 16th July 9:30am Our Lady of Mt Carmel
Thursday 17th July 11am Requiem Mass for Maura Mason RIP
Friday 18th July 9:30am
Sunday 20th 10am 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (First Holy Communions)

Eternal Father, strong to save
Whose arm doth bind the restless wave
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea

No. 243 The Seafarers' Hymn

Patronal Feast Day

It is good to celebrate Anniversaries – to remember and give thanks. As this Jubilee Year continues, we are pilgrims of hope. So it was 60 years ago when the Patcham, Westdene and Hollingbury areas of Brighton were being developed that Fr Edward Fooks of St Mary’s promoted a search for a site to build a Church for worshippers in the area. The Catholic population first had Mass in a Doctor’s house and then in the Patcham Junior School. Eventually a new Church was built and on Sunday 9^th July 1965 the Bishop of Southwark opened St Thomas More’s Church.

We think of our predecessors and benefactors who generously donated to the cost.

There are three works of art originating from leading members of the Brighton College of Art – the Carved statue of our patron, the Mother and Child statue and the Stations of the Cross. Bishop Cormac Murphy O’Connor consecrated the Church with the twelve crosses and the ambo, altar and baptism font decorated in green Cumberland Stone.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Reflection

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus send out the seventy-two and gives them a word for those they visit. This word, this message, is the message of peace – and peace is the first gift of the Risen Christ to the Apostles, spoken as He appears to them in the Upper Room.

In the 4th Century, as monasticism began to develop in Egypt, Syria and the Holy Land, monks would go to their spiritual fathers and ask for a word by which they might be saved. The word that was given to them, although expressed in different terms, was often about living in peace, in harmony, and in the silence that opens our hearts to the promptings of the Spirit. Just as the seventy-two offered a “word”, given them by the Lord, so these monks of earlier times did the same – and this practice continues in the spiritual accompaniment sought by so many in our own times.

Openness to the word demands a spirit of listening, and we might reflect that the first word of St Benedict’s Rule is “Listen.”

When the seventy-two went on their journey, Jesus told them that if the word of peace was not received, it would come back to them. Listening is just as important as speaking, for the word that is spoken must find a home to be effective.

This message of peace is so necessary in our present world, and the need for the spirit of listening is equally necessary. May our word to the world be that of the seventy-two, for it is the gift of the Risen Lord: “Peace be with you.” May this message find a home in the hearts of all.

Peace is the gift of the Risen Lord to those gathered in the Upper Room on the first Easter Day. It is in Him that true, lasting, peace is to be found, for the Risen Lord has won the victory over sin and death. He offers us the gift of His peace – it is something real and it is a reality to be accepted.

In a world where, in so many places, peace is not a reality, it is our task, always and everywhere, to offer that greeting of the seventy-two disciples and the joy that is the gift of the Risen Christ.

With every blessing,

+ Richard

The Mass Schedule

Sunday 6th July 10am (Patronal Feast)
Monday 7th July 8:15am St Mary’s House
Wednesday 9th July 9:30am (Martyrs of China)
Friday 11th July 9:30am (St Benedict, Patron of Europe)
Saturday 12th July 8:30am HMP Lewes
Sunday 13th July 10am (15th Sunday OT)

Sea Sunday

Next Sunday is Sea Sunday. At Mass, there will be a collection for Stella Maris, the Catholic provider of pastoral care for seafarers and fishers. You can also make a donation here.

The Word Who Is Life

The July leaflet is ready for you to help with your prayerful reflection on the scripture and prayer.

St Benedict’s Week

Some information about prayer opportunities with the monks in St John the Baptist Church, Kemptown:

Monday 7th July 12-12:30pm – Community Prayer
Tuesday 8th July 12-12:30pm – Individual Prayer
Wednesday 9th July 12-12:30pm – Lectio Divina
Friday 11th July 12pm – 1pm – An hour of music, prayer, on themes from the Rule of St Benedict

Outstanding!

St Bernadette’s Primary School has achieved this status after the Catholic Inspection. Congratulations to the teachers and children and for the support of parents and carers.

The Pastoral Plan

We are approaching its implementation .

On Thursday Evening there will be a gathering to formulate a vision and mission objectives . Have a word with Fr John if you wish to participate in this process. The meeting will be in St Bernadette’s Hall 7-9pm.

Fr. Ray Blake RIP

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr Ray, former parish priest of St Mary Magdalene’s who died during the week.

Requiem Masses

Maura Mason (RIP) – Thursday 17th July 11am
Sonia Von Geyer (RIP) Wednesday 23rd July 11am

Soup and Sandwich

At Thursday 12 Noon in the church hall. All welcome

A Man For All Seasons

This play will be showing in Brighton from 22nd July to the 26th July – tickets are available here. As well as depicting the life of St Thomas More, the film version of the play earned Paul Scofield (who played the part of St Thomas More) an Oscar in 1966. Scofield, a baptised Catholic, attended Varndean Grammar School for Boys (1934-9) -the building is now Varndean College.

" Give me, good Lord , a full faith, a firm hope and a fervent charity, a love for the good Lord incomparably above love for myself, and that I love nothing to thy displeasure but everything in order to love Thee"

A devout prayer written in the Tower of London by St Thomas More.

Saints Peter and Paul

These two have been in the news recently because of the happenings in Rome. The shrine of St Peter is in the Basilica of the Vatican where Pope Leo went to pray before his inauguration as the successor of St Peter. As Bishop of Rome he visited the Basilica of St Paul outside the walls. Both were martyred as witnesses to Christ.

We honour them as Founders of the Church, and they will be celebrated by the many Pilgrims of Hope during this Jubilee Year.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Reflection

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As we celebrate the solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, I invite you all to join me in prayer for Pope Leo, that he continues to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in his task as shepherd of the flock entrusted to him. As our Holy Father, he brings particular gifts to the Church through his experience in Peru, where he served with some of the priests of our own Diocese; his times of leadership of the Augustinian Friars, and his service in the Dicastery for Bishops.

He comes to the Petrine Office at a difficult time for the world. Let us join him in fervent prayer for peace – for which he has called so many times in these first weeks of his papacy. With him, and in the spirit of his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, let us continue to strive for justice and promote the dignity of every person at every moment of life.

St Peter, our first Pope, could not have imagined the steps he would be called to take in the service of the Lord. This is true of Pope Leo and, indeed, of every one of us. The life that is given to us in baptism – life lived in the love of the Holy Trinity – calls us to follow the Lord Himself, wherever he may lead us. As His disciples, we are called to learn from Him, to grow ever closer to Him, to be always faithful in our witness to Him. This is what it means to be a Pilgrim of Hope, for we journey towards the One who died and rose from the dead that we might have life – and whose first gift after the Resurrection was the gift of peace.

As Pilgrims of Hope, may we – with Pope Leo – strive to share that gift with the world.

With every blessing,

+ Richard

Clergy In-Service

This week we have two days away together to focus on “How do we live our vocation in the parishes of the future.” Say a prayer for us.

The Pastoral Plan

At the forthcoming Council of Priests the Bishop will hear from each of the existing Deaneries with the Moderators elect of the proposed New Parishes, made up of the parish communities, before he decrees their election.

The Vision Meeting

Thank you for those who have offered to participate in the Vision making process on 10^th July.

Your Questions

What do you consider the mission of the one Parish will be ?
What mission objectives do you consider important ?
What are your expectations for the new Parish?

Have a think and put pen to paper and return your response to the box in the Entrance.

Our Patronal Feast

Next Sunday we will celebrate the 60^th Anniversary of our Church , its consecration and St Thomas More. After Mass we will have a social gathering and celebratory drink.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 29th June 10am Solemnity SS Peter and Paul
Monday 30th June 8:15am St Mary’s House
Tuesday 1st July 9:30am Anniversary of Arundel Cathedral
Friday 4th July 9:30am St Thomas Apostle
Sunday 6th July 10am Patronal Feast Mass

Peter, blessed shepherd to you was entrusted the power of opening the gate of heaven,
Paul, teacher without equal, fashion our live aright and carry off our hearts with yours till faith is sole master of our hearts.

The Solemnity Of The Most Holy Body And Blood of Christ

We celebrate the great gift of Jesus in the Eucharist. For many, it is the one occasion of the bond of Jesus with his people. So what do you believe? Is it simply attending Mass, or is it something more nurturing? Our Gospel reminds us of the gift of food from Jesus and his advice to the disciples—“Give them something to eat yourselves”—and the example of generosity and abundance signified by the twelve baskets.

A diamond is an apt image to help us realize the richness of the gift of the Eucharist, with its many facets. One summary is that of St Thomas Aquinas in “O Sacrum Convivium”—O Sacred Banquet in which Christ is received, the memory of his Passion is recalled.

Our hearts are filled with grace, and we have the promise of eternal life.

We are prepared well for meeting Christ by his words shared with us in the Liturgy of the Word, and then, remembering His self-giving, before in communion we meet and are united.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Reflection

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

The celebration of Corpus Christi that takes place at our cathedral each year is a wonderful occasion. The celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass, the procession of the Blessed Sacrament and the Carpet of Flowers, laid in honour of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, is a high point in the life of the cathedral and diocese.

It is a clear reminder to us all of the central place of the Eucharist in our lives. The absolute love of the Lord – seen in the feeding of the five thousand that is the gospel reading this week – is there for us every time we celebrate Mass. As St Paul reminds us in the Second Reading this Sunday, the sacrifice of Calvary is made present and the Lord feeds us with His very Self, for He is the Bread of Life. We find life every time we join in this celebration, together with our brothers and sisters. It is this life that sustains our every action – indeed, every moment of our lives. The Mass, the Eucharist, is a proclamation of our faith in the One who died and rose from the dead for us; it is the food for our journey and the source of all our action. We leave the celebration, as the dismissal at the end of Mass reminds us, to “announce the Gospel of the Lord.” Without our closeness to Christ in the Eucharist, this proclamation would be less effective. The sustenance of the Bread of Life Himself makes life and mission possible for us.

In the Eucharist, we are in the Divine Presence, we are in the presence of Christ, who is a “priest for ever” as Psalm 109 reminds us. May this encounter with the person of Christ Himself – truly present in the Eucharist – be the wellspring of our every breath, our every moment, our every action, that all we do may proclaim to the world the wonder of all the Lord has done for us.

With every blessing,

+ Richard

Assisted Dying

Cardinal Vincent Nichols responds to the Third Reading Of Terminally Ill Adults (End Of Life) Bill

On Friday 20th June, Cardinal Vincent Nichols issued the following response after the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons by just 23 votes:

‘The vote in the House of Commons in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is a watershed moment in the history of our country. It fundamentally changes society’s long held values and relationships on matters of life and death.

‘The task is now clear: every effort must be made to limit the damage that will be done by this decision. This duty lies both on the House of Lords and on His Majesty’s Government. The list of challenges is long. It has been well rehearsed in recent weeks by responsible bodies and distinguished individuals, including the Public Commission on Palliative and End-of-Life Care whose recommendations have yet to be discussed. The appeal to personal autonomy, so much at the centre of the Parliamentary debate, cuts both ways: the provision of a choice to die cannot exclude the provision of properly resourced care for those who choose to live until a natural death.

‘As Catholics we will continue to play our part in the building of the common good. The decision of Parliament does not change our firm belief in the sanctity of life, never simply a burden, but always a gift of God, given and received. Our duties are clear: to live by the teaching given to us by God; generously to accompany with care and compassion those facing disability, isolation and suffering; to continue to put forward, with respect and clarity, the objective norms that inform our firm beliefs on how to live, and to die, well.’

Cardinal Vincent Nichols
President
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Your Ideas For The New Parish Of Brighton And Hove

No date has yet been fixed by the Bishop. It is likely to be in September, Can you imagine how the existing Parishes will become pastoral Communities in the larger Parish ?

One or 2 questions to think about –

What do you consider the mission of the one Parish will be ?
What mission objectives do you consider important ?
What are your expectations for the new Parish?

There will be a box in the entrance for your replies.

Thank you!

Our Patronal Feast

The Sunday nearest July 9^th each year is observed as a Solemnity. It recalls the Opening of the Church in 1965,

Its Consecration by Bishop Cormac and the original date of St Thomas More’s Feast. Do come along to celebrate on Sunday July 6^th for the 10am Mass and for a drink afterwards.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 22nd June 10am The Solemnity Of The Most Holy Body And Blood Of Christ (Int People of the parish
Monday 23rd June 8:15am St Mary’s House
Monday 23rd June 10am Funeral Mass for Sheila Jenner RIP
Wednesday 25th June The Birth Of John The Baptist (Int Therese Lelliott)
Friday 27th June 9:30am The Sacred Heart Of Jesus
Friday 27th June 2pm Funeral Mass for Margaret Perrin
Sunday 29th June 10am Saint Peter and Saint Paul

Please Pray For

Maura Mason RIP
Gema Rosado RIP

Soup And Sandwich

Thursday 26th June at 12pm in the Church Hall – all welcome!

Lauda Sion Salvatorem

(Sung in Lourdes during the Blessed Sacrament procession. Join daily at 4pm -click here)

Praise O Sion, praise your Saviour
Praise your captain and your pastor
With hymns and solemn songs