The Seventh Week of Easter

Invitation time

As we approach the Feast of Pentecost it is a time of promise and invitation as we await a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Before his departure into glory the risen and ascended Lord foretold the gift of the Spirit to be our Helper and Advocate along side us as the Spirit of Truth and Understanding. The days before next Sunday prepare us by prayer and waiting with the call ‘Come Holy Spirit!’ We will recall with all the active words the action of this great gift.

World Communication Sunday

Pope Leo in his message calls us to preserve human faces and voices in the way we use means of communication. “We must value artificial intelligence, in as far as it can be of benefit – but be careful not to lose our sense of our own personality and humanity.”

Bishop John Arnold, Bishop of Salford and Lead Bishop for Communications for the Bishops’ Conference, has spoken ahead of the 60th World Day of Social Communication about the opportunities and pitfalls of AI. You can hear what he has to say by playing the audio file below.

There is a second collection to support the work of communications in the Church in this country.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 17th May 10am 7th of Easter
Monday 18th May 8:15am St Mary’s House
Wednesday 20th May 9:30am St Dunstan – Julie Hilton RIP
Friday 22nd May 9:30am
Saturday 23rd May 8:30am HMP Lewes
Sunday 24th May 10am Pentecost Day

This Week

Monday. Clergy Welfare visit
Tuesday Brighton & Hove Clergy Team Meeting
Wednesday Annual Lightning Conductor inspection
Thursday City Pre- Pentecost Day of prayer for Christians
Friday Tribunal Judgement

Prayer for Vocations

In this 7^th Week we pray for more priests who will celebrate the sacraments of healing with the living and the dying.

Our Works of Art

With the Brighton Festival week underway it seemed an appropriate time to remember for history the works of Art , Fr Edward Fooks the builder of St Thomas More’s Church opened in 1963, commissioned. On entering the church there is the carved wooden statue of our Patron, St Thomas More,

Lord Chancellor and Martyr -Statesman , Scholar and Saint. On the base you will see the signature of Arthur J. J. Ayres. He was born in 1902 and died in 1985. Sculptor and teacher, noted as a distinguished carver. Studied at the Royal Academy Schools and the British School in Rome. Some of his works are held in the Bolton Art Gallery and others exist in the Tyburn Shrine to the Martyrs – a carved wooden crucifix, a statue of St Aidan of Lindisfarne in East Acton, stone works on Westminster Abbey – where his memorial service took place and the Adelphi building. An artist to research further. His wood carving was mainly in lime wood.

Come Holy Spirit, dance

Within our hearts today

Our earthbound spirits to entrance

Our mortal fears allay

And teach us to desire

All other things above

That self-consuming holy fire

The perfect gift of love.

Seventh Week Of Easter

The Fifty Days are nearly over and having heard the promise we now prepare to welcome the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Traditionally from the Ascension we have a novena of inviting the Spirit to renew us and give us energy in living our Christian lives. What we learn is described with signs – breath, fire ,enthusiasm and with effects -insight, understanding and outward “fruits ” – joy, peace and hope. Remembering that from our Baptism when we were given God’s Spirit , ,to our Confirmation when we received the fullness of the Spirit -“receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”, we in turn invite in prayer and song the Holy Spirit to be active within us – Come Holy Spirit!

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Reflection

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

At this time of the Church’s year, we are in Ascensiontide, having celebrated that feast on Thursday. Jesus has returned to the Father and the Apostles are waiting in expectant hope for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

We, of course, have received the Spirit – in our baptism and in our confirmation. Indeed, at present, we rejoice in the great number of our young people who are receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at this time of year. All are coming to the Cathedral – making a pilgrimage to the mother church of the Diocese in this Holy Year and in our 60th year.

Those being confirmed hear the words of the prayer: that the anointing of Confirmation conform them more fully to Christ, the Son of God. The more closely we are conformed to Christ, the more effective we shall be in our witness to Him.

St Stephen, whose martyrdom forms the text of the first reading this Sunday, was so closely conformed to Christ that he was ready to shed his blood in witness to Him. The word ‘martyr’ means ‘witness’ – so being a martyr in the broadest sense is the call for every Christian.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear Jesus tell us that through our witness, the world will come to believe in Him. This is the mission the Lord has given to each and every baptised person. Wherever we are – whatever we do – our lives must speak to others of the wonder of the Lord’s love for us and His call to every person, of every age, to life in Him.

With every blessing,

+ Richard

World Communications Sunday

The late Pope Francis gave a Message to us with the theme -“share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts “. He picked up on the Jubilee Theme and the ever present problem of fake news which damages truthful communication. It is like the fault of rumour or gossip. Take time to read more here.

The Pastoral Plan

On Wednesday the Bishop is meeting with the Clergy of the area to help us take the next steps. There is information from the Leadership team on the joint bi-weekly newsletter.

Mass Schedule

Sunday 1st June 10am 7th Sunday of Easter
Monday 2nd June 8:15am St Mary’s House
Wednesday 4th June 9:30am
Friday 5th June 9:30am
Sunday 8th June 10am Pentecost Sunday

Sheila Jenner RIP

A regular member of the Parish coming to a Weekday Mass with her walking frame died last Wednesday. Like a good Catholic she has left instructions for a Requiem Mass at St Thomas More’s on Monday June 23rd at 10am.

May she rest in peace.

Angela McCulloch

Angela’s Requiem Mass has been arranged for this Thursday June 5^th at St Mary’s Church at 11.30am.Remember her son in your prayers and may Angela rest in peace.

A&B 60

You may have read that the town of Arundel had a power cut on Wednesday. This meant there was no power or light in the Cathedral so if you were tuned in for live streaming you would have seen nothing. That is until the Bishop commenced his sermon quoting Canon Law.
Canon 369. A Diocese is a portion of the people of God which is entrusted to a Bishop to be nurtured by him, with the cooperation of priests, remaining close to its pastor and gathered by him through the Gospel and the Eucharist in the Holy Spirit, in constitutes a Particular Church. In this Church, the one, holy catholic and apostolic Church truly exists and functions.
At this point the lights came on together with the PA system and eventually lunch was cooked!

Spirit of the living God ,fall afresh on us
Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us
Melt us mould us, fill us, use us
Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us.

The Seventh Week Of Easter

Following the celebration of the Ascension we enter a time of inviting the Holy Spirit to come to renew us and fill us with spiritual energy to be the followers of Jesus and to understand more clearly His message – what He has done and is doing for us. The Novena days ahead encourage us to invite the Holy Spirit to remind us of His presence first gifted at Baptism, then at Confirmation and subsequently in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Anointing and the Eucharist. Just focus on the times the Holy Spirit is invoked during Mass.

Bishop Richard’s Weekly Reflection

There is no video this week but Bishop Richard’s reflection can be found here.

World Communications Day

The Sunday after the Ascension is observed as a day with communications at its heart. Pope Francis has written a letter about one aspect of social communication – “Artificial Intelligence and the wisdom of the heart. Towards a fully human Communication”. You can read the Pope’s Letter here. You can watch the video below.

There is a second collection to support the Catholic media office which provides material for the Media in this country.

Impact Of The Criminal Justice Bill

Amendments attempting to decriminalise aspects of present legislation relating to abortion will be debated further endangering life of the unborn. Do read the response of the Bishops which can be found here.

The Word Of Life Leaflet For May

This leaflet is now available to use in your prayerful reflection during the month of May. The way to use it is to reflect daily on the scripture text, to read the commentary and to make it part of your Christian attitudes and action.

Praying For Vocations To The Priesthood

During the Seventh week of Easter we remember how the Holy Spirit “has been sent for the forgiveness of sins” words of absolution and we pray for more priests who will celebrate the sacraments of healing with the living and the dying.

2025 The Year Of The Jubilee

Pope Francis has addressed the Universal Church with a Letter introducing the 2025 Jubilee, described as Bull which describes the lead seal authenticating it a document from the Pope. You can read it here. There are also photographs of him at one of the doors of St Peter’s through which pilgrims will enter the Basilica.

Mass Schedule

Sunday May 12th Mass 10am
Monday May 13th St Erconwald, Abbot of Chertsey, Diocesan Proper. Mass 8.15am St Mary’s House
Wednesday May 15th St Matthias Apostle Mass 9.30am
Friday May 17th Ascensiontide Mass 9.30am
Pentecost Sunday May 19th Mass 10am

Novena To The Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful
And kindle in them the fire of your love
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be recreated
And you will renew the face of the earth.