Author: Jacky

20th September 2024

Fr Rory’s Birthday celebrations and CAFOD Harvest Appeal:

Come and join us in celebrating Fr Rory’s special birthday next Sunday, September 29th. We all give thanks that he has chosen not to retire, just yet! 

We are encouraging all parishioners to sponsor Father Rory as he walks between our two parish churches, departing from St Georges, Polegate at 3pm. Or, if you are able to join him along the walk, please collect your own sponsor forms and cheer him along. Sponsor forms are available at the back of the church. Following the walk, we will celebrate with a birthday tea and musical entertainment in St Wilfrid’s hall from 4pm. If you are joining us for the walk or coming along to the birthday celebrations, don’t forget to add your name to the list at the back of church. This will help us to cater for everyone’s needs. 

CAFOD Harvest Appeal:  CAFOD’s Harvest Family Fast Day is on Friday 4th October, a day we can pray, give, and eat simply in solidarity with our global family. Thank you for your support of previous Fast Days and thank you for your generosity and prayers for our sisters and brothers in this Harvest Appeal. This year’s appeal is focusing on supporting people like Daniel, a young man in Democratic Republic of Congo.  Daniel’s family didn’t always have enough to eat, despite both of his parents working. There was no money to send him to school. Now Daniel is carving a better future for his family with carpentry skills he learned in a CAFOD-funded training centre. Give to CAFOD today and you’ll fund training, tools, equipment and safe spaces so more people like Daniel can learn new skills and fulfil their God-given potential.
 
 Please share the link with your family and friends and help us to reach our target of £500 for the CAFOD Harvest Appeal

Well Done

Well done St George’s parishioners on an excellent fire drill last Sunday.  Evacuation took 1.5 minutes  which is well within the guidelines of 2.30/3 minutes. Thank you everyone for following instructions. It will keep everyone safe going forward. A huge thank you to the fire stewards – a vital part of the evacuation procedure and to the Children’s Liturgy Leader for ensuring the children understood the drill and safely left the hall to join their parents at the evacuation point. During the coming months there will be a reminder during our parish notices of how and where to evacuate so it remains fresh in our minds.
 

Healing Mass

Service of Healing with Anointing of the Sick

Sunday 13th October 3pm—St Wilfrid’s Hailsham

Everyone, especially those with responsibilities for sick and/or elderly Catholics, living within Polegate/Hailsham/Willingdon and surrounding areas, may wish to bring loved ones to our healing Service, with the Anointing of the Sick, so that they may be commended to the Lord and strengthened with the Sacraments. Please pass this notice on to all who should consider attending.

Christ the King & St Joachim Parish

Christ the King and St Joachim parish is organising a Pantomime for January 2025 and would be happy if any of our parishioners wanted to join them as cast/crew. If you are interested there is a meeting Today, Sept 22nd at 3.00pm in the hall at CTK Langney. If you can not make the meeting but would like to be part of the show email Sandra [email protected]
 

Harvest Mass September/October

St Wilfrid’s Sun 29th September:  During the family mass we will be led by our children’s liturgy in celebrating the harvest and give thanks to God for our food, our farmers, and all who produce and supply it. Please bring your offerings of fresh harvest produce to the church, at the Friday mass or on the day of the harvest mass. We will sell fresh produce afterwards to raise further funds for CAFOD. Gifts of tins & packet foods are requested during the month for Foodbank, please leave them in the labelled box in the porch as soon as possible. These will form part of our display. Most needed item list is at the back of church. 

St Georges Sun 6th October:  Same format as above except fresh produce donations requested by 8.45am at Sunday mass.

Thank you for your generosity.

Fr Rory’s 75th Birthday

Fr Rory celebrates his 75th birthday on September 24th and what better way to   celebrate this than by joining us for a sponsored walk along the Cuckoo trail on Sun Sept 29th? You may recall that Fr Rory had hoped we would all walk with him along this trail that links our two churches together as part of his golden Jubilee celebrations.  Sadly, this event was postponed due to the closure of the Cuckoo trail for that weekend.  We will set off at 3pm from St George’s Car Park Polegate and walk via the Cuckoo Trail to St Wilfrid’s Hailsham (approx. 3miles). At St Wilfrid’s we will be greeted with warm hospitality and a delicious birthday tea.  Sponsor forms will be available soon at the back of church. Please gather as many sponsors as you can from friends and family.  We are raising funds for CAFOD. If you are unable to walk please come and celebrate the birthday tea with us at 4pm . 

23rd August 2024

“Another Outing”

Last week I shared our experience of a visit to see Elizabeth Robinson, which was a great moment of grace amidst all the adversities of life.  She was a blessing and a joy to visit.  Reminiscing on moments from the past, and the special contributions of Peter and Sophie from confirmation preparation, plus treasured memories from our past.

This week I am about to set out on a much longer venture, when we will visit Fr Jerry Twomey in York.  He was ordained with me at Thurles in June, fifty years ago.  We joined the seminary together, six years earlier.  I look forward to sharing with him treasured moments from that time.  We were very blessed with aspects of our experiences, and one of the professors was a true treasure that can never be taken away.   Other aspects were fit for purpose, and we looked forward to a rewarding time of ministry in the church.

I am afraid that was not sadly how it turned out and continues to be echoed in the times we are living.  The seminaries are closed (a sign of not fit for purpose) some will not be pleased by the reminder.  Fr Jerry’s health has let him down, so he has made the decision to retire.  I am really looking forward to our time of sharing.  I am hoping and praying that this visit will be equally rewarding as the one with Elizabeth.  In fact I am sure it will be a great help and I am looking forward to it.  Please God, it will help to open my eyes to see the beam in my own eyes before attempting to take out the splinters in other peoples eyes.  Also, help me as I look forward to our future following on the moderated plans in Fr Kevins letter, laying out the focus for our future.  Please continue to give the letter the care and attention that it requires.

St George’s Hall

Mon 26th August 10am – 5pm – Board Games Enthusiasts Fair.  This is a group who enjoy all board games from across the decades.  They have an annual fair where like minded people meet play and buy/sell games.  They are holding the fair as a charity event for Demelza, the children’s hospice.  All welcome.