From ‘ Right to Life’

Although much work done in the church is on a voluntary basis, we still have to follow health and safety requirements, which in turn, applies to voluntary ‘lone workers’. If you are doing any jobs in the church, flower arranging, metal polishing, general cleaning, etc. etc. and you will be doing so alone, YOU MUST make sure that someone knows! It is therefore a good idea to tell someone you are coming to the church to do some work, the time at which you anticipate arriving at the church and when you expect to return home; if needs must, give them your phone number or that of the parish. Furnishing someone with such information, should something untoward occur, the person you have informed can then make enquiries after your well-being, if you have not arrived home as you had anticipated. ADDITIONALLY, it is always a good idea to call at the presbytery so that there is an awareness of your presence.  Under no circumstances, should anyone climb portable ladders / steps or stand on a chair (which we should not do, anyway) without someone else being present. THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN AND CONSIDERATION.

Diocesan Festival of Hope at Ardingly Showground on 20th Sept 2025: Firstly, celebrating the Jubilee Year of Hope designated by the late Pope Francis, secondly the 60th anniversary of the Diocese, and thirdly our renewed call to mission as laid out in Bishop Richard’s Pastoral Plan. As a parish we have been allocated 12 tickets for the event, coach transport is being organised so that people are collected and dropped back locally, anyone under the age of 18 is to be accompanied by an adult who will take responsibility for them across the day. If you would like to attend, mindful of the small number of tickets, please speak to Fr. Ian, who will be able to advise further.

We need at least two people to help as catechist for First Holy Communion for the next academic year; a weekly commitment from late October to June is required to help our children to prepare for this wonderful Sacrament. If you are willing and able to help, please speak to Fr. Ian FIRST HOLY COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION 2025 /2026:- Application forms for next year’s respective programmes will be available shortly. If you have a child in year 3 or above (First Holy Communion) or in year 9 or above, (Confirmation) then, provided that you and your children are in regular attendance at Mass you and they will be able to join the programmes. The deadline for returning application forms is mid-night pm on Sunday 5th October 2025, once this deadline has expired for both programmes, no child will be accepted onto either the First Holy Communion or Confirmation programme until the following year, 2026/2027.

Application forms for next year’s respective programmes are available at the entrances to the church. If you have a child in year 3 or above (First Holy Communion) or in year 9 or above, (Confirmation) then, provided that you and your children are in regular attendance at Mass you and they will be able to join the programmes . The deadline for returning application forms is mid-night pm on Sunday 5th October 2025 , once this deadline has expired for both programmes, no child will be accepted onto either the First Holy Communion or Confirmation programme until the following year, 2026/2027. If you know of families where children and young people should be preparing for these sacraments, PLEASE encourage them to be coming along to Mass and practicing their faith by joining with the rest of the believing community! Mass is not as complete as it should be when people are not there…..’I ask you, my brothers and sisters….’

ROSARY CIRCLE FOR PRIESTLY VOCATIONS As we enter into the month of July there is a new ‘Rosary Circle Chart’ on the noticeboard, to encourage us all to pray for vocations to the Priesthood. The ‘Chart’ lists the 20 decades of the Rosary and a number of columns for people to put their initial or a tick in a box to indicate they will commit to praying the particular decade each day for the month of July, and hopefully, this will create a number of ‘circles’ praying for this intention. This is a very simple spiritual exercise many of us could join in with; at least 20 people praying one decade of the Rosary each day, so the whole of the Rosary is prayed for this particular intention, thus creating a ‘Rosary Circle’. Let it be said, however, that anyone can join the Rosary Circles at any time. PLEASE BE PART OF A ROSARY CIRCLE PRAYING FOR PRIESTLY VOCATIONS FROM THE PARISH! Thank you Prayer for vocations to the Priesthood: ( Dropped in through the presbytery letter box, so a ‘thankyou’ to the courier) God our Father, look in love upon our homes, our families and our communities. Raise up from amongst us worthy priests to preach the Gospel to all people, to minister at your altar and care for your flock. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and make us faithful and inspiring witnesses to your Kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

SUMMER HOLIDAY:- The school year finishes soon and for many it will be a holiday time, but we should take a moment to reflect on what holiday means! If we change the letter ‘I’ in ‘holiday’ for the letter ‘y’ then we get the real sense of the word, a holy day! We also talk of holidays as being a time of recreation, of being RE-created, which would suggest that we may have become ‘uncreated’ or more likely, pulled in a thousand directions by so many demands on our energies and time. Holidays should therefore be an opportunity to be recreated to the image and likeness of God, to become, once again, children of God, and this will only happen if we make holy time in our holiday. The holidays should enable us to more readily make time for prayer, for being with God, for being in the presence of God and basking in the sunshine of His love. The ancient understanding of prayer has been that it is ‘the raising of the mind and heart to God’, however, Pope St. John Paul II added ‘with joy!’ If we are to be recreated to our true image and likeness as children of God, we need to make time for prayer, for raising our minds and hearts to God with joy, and every family member, or whoever it is that we are having our holiday with, should be afforded the opportunity to pray. So, young people, if you are on holiday, please do your bit to allow your parents /guardians the opportunity to have a holiday; help with the domestic chores, be on time for things, volunteer rather than waiting to be asked or presuming that someone else will do ‘it’! That way, others too can have a holiday because the workload is shared! Parents/guardians, allow your children to help with the various tasks around the home, they may not do things in the same way as you do, or to your exacting standards, but at least things will be done, and it doesn’t really matter if the tea towels are not folded in exactly the way you want them done, or that the forks are in the knife section of the draw! We should all decide on when is a good time for us to pray, whether together or perhaps individually, perhaps earlier in the day rather than later, which could mean going to bed a bit earlier the night before if a day trip is planned, in this way time can be given to prayer early in the day, before going off on the day trip, because everyone is up that little bit earlier for prayer.

 Adoration/prayer group meeting in the church : This month adoration will be on Thursday 17th July from 7 to 8pm. Everyone is welcome to come along, even for a short time. .

ADULT FORMATION / RCIA: The programme will continue this Monday, 7th July at 7 pm . This week we look at the Sacrament of the Sick, also known by too many, as ‘the last rites’ which is a bit of a misnomer or incorrect title. Everyone is welcome to attend (those under 18 need to have a parent or guardian with them).

Catholics seeking guidance: In light of recent coverage, some references to help and guide:  Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2277 Catechism of the Catholic Church - IntraText The Code of Canon Law: Code 227 Code of Canon Law - Book II - The People of God - Part I. (Cann. 208-329) The Code of Canon Law: Code 915 Code of Canon Law - Book IV - Function of the Church Liber (Cann. 879-958) followed by the commentary from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Text (24/06/2000) Declaration of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts which clearly outlines the responsibility of priests towards the People of God entrusted to their care.