Deacon John celebrates his 90th birthday in May. A Mass will be held for him at St George’s on Sunday 11th May at 9.00 am, followed by a birthday breakfast in the hall. All are welcome to attend from both communities, but if you are attending from St Wilfrid’s, please could you let Jackie know so we have an idea of numbers for catering purposes. Thank you.
Please keep in your prayers Oskar, Raizel, Nathaniel, Chrish, Harvey, Grace and 60 plus others from our deanery who will be receiving their confirmation on the 3rd May at Arundel.
You are warmly invited to join our Parish Pilgrimage to Arundel Cathedral on the Feast of Corpus Christi, Thursday, June 19, 2025.
We will travel by coach with Lynns Travel, departing at 1:00pm from St George’s Church, Polegate (parking available in the church car park; the coach will leave from the bus stop opposite). On arrival, there will be time to view the stunning Carpet of Flowers inside the cathedral before the 5:30pm Mass, followed by the Corpus Christi procession and benediction. Return is expected at approximately 8:30pm. Cost: £20 per person.
Limited availability – those who have already signed up have been allocated places but please arrange payment. All other seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
To book your place, please provide the following with full payment by Sunday 18th May: Names of all in your party, a primary contact number, an email address.
Payments and details should be given to Jean (St Wilfrid’s) or Sandra (St George’s) or deliver in an envelope clearly marked Arundel Pilgrimage to the parish office.
We hope you can join us for this beautiful celebration of our faith at the heart of our diocese.
“Thanks be to God”
For all the prayers, services and experiences
of Holy Week and Easter in our churches.
It was truly good to be here. Special moments from it resonate deep within our being. Yes, there are crosses, trials and deep affliction within life, but these are the trials through which we triumph by the power of Him who loves us. The funeral service for Pope Francis was the icing on the cake.
Another person from our treasured memories, Anne Fielder, now from the long list with her husband Leon, gone before us, marked with the sign of faith. When I came here we were very blessed by members of our congregation who are faithful witnesses. There had been some good ecumenical sharing and one of the good fruits; The Link Centre, a place of caring and sharing and a place of comfort and support for adults in need of extra support and help.
Thank you to the readers, eucharistic ministers, flower arrangers, sacristans and music ministry at St George’s for enabling beautiful Masses during Holy Week. At a time when it is so important to work together as a community, supporting Fr Rory in his service to us, everything was accomplished and delivered with grace and respect. Parishioners enjoyed tea, cake and a natter together to celebrate our Patron Saint George a day early on Tuesday morning, to accommodate both our usual weekday Mass and the hall being available. A good time was had by all.
Carlo Acutis Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition, Our Lady of Ransom Church, Eastbourne:
This wonderful Exhibition runs from Fri 25th April -Wed 14th May. We’re extending an invitation for a special Exhibition Open Day on Wed 30th April, starting with Adoration and Mass, followed by 2 Sessions (11.30 & 1.00 start) with a brief presentation, time to view exhibition and ending with a short time of prayer. All are welcome …… invite a friend!
A big thank you to everyone who helped in anyway, what a great turn out, we were bursting at the seams!! A great service by Fr Rory, what a difference it makes when the church is so full. The altar servers, readers and especially our young children; who had loud and clear voices. The beautiful flowers everywhere, including the pots Lulu attends to outside the church, it was truly a magnificent service. Everyone enjoyed tea and cake in the hall after mass and the children enjoyed their Easter Egg Hunt with the warm and sunny weather sent to us from the Good Lord.
Please remember to pray for our 8 Communion candidates.
Tuesday 20 May in Our Lady of Ransom hall (6.30-8.00 pm) for the “Eastbourne communities including Hailsham & Polegate” of our New Parish – an opportunity for a detailed update on the practical developments towards our becoming a New Parish, and the ways everyone is invited to be part of this important work.
The Pope’s funeral will be celebrated on Saturday 26 April at 9am (UK time) and will be broadcast live on most major TV channels and on the Vatican’s YouTube channel. Following Mass in St Peter’s Square, the Pope’s body will be transferred to the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major for burial.
Bishop Richard is offering nine Masses for the repose of the Pope’s soul, including Mass at Arundel Cathedral on Sunday 27 April at 11am. The Dean of Arundel Cathedral, Fr Stephen Dingley, is also celebrating Masses for the Pope at Arundel Cathedral or Our Lady of England Catholic Church, Storrington.
With the help of our parish community:
In a statement issued on Monday morning, Bishop Richard said: “As we mourn the death of Pope Francis, we can also be deeply grateful for his life of service to the Universal Church. Bringing his experience of the Church in South America, informed and enlightened by his life as a member of the Society of Jesus, he called us all to simplicity of life, a renewed openness to the gift of mercy, a deeper understanding of the dignity of the human person and a respect and care for creation. The work of the Synod, that has marked the more recent years of his papacy, is sure to inform to the life and mission of the Church in the proclamation of the Gospel and his faithful dedication, even as he lived with failing health, is an example to us all.”
As we mourn the passing of Pope Francis we remember the holy, humble, ordinary man. He did not enjoy the trappings and riches of his position, he was a simple man. He spoke out for the vulnerable and marginalized.
