Category: Fr Rory Writes

“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.

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.

The New Life of Easter, Christ is Risen from the Dead.

Provides new energy to continue our journey,

to help us to bear our witness to the power of Christ living in us. 

Through our participation in the Liturgy of Lent we have shared in the life of Christ.  At Christmas we rejoiced a Saviour is Born, but now He has come to redeem us from a Kingdom of darkness.  Yes, evil is a reality and it was to confront this that Jesus went out into the wilderness to fast and to pray.

Now in faithfulness to the Father, he entered the Temple, humbly riding on a donkey.  The forces of darkness have had their hour.  Now we with the whole church rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus.  We bring this news, because we are blessed, guided and directed through the Liturgy of the Mass to share this with everybody.

Yes, Christ now risen from the dead our faith will never be in vain. 

Wishing you all a joyful Easter.             

Parish Leadership Group Update

Last week, Gerry Palmer and I attended the latest Parish Leadership Group meeting with Father Kevin and other representatives of our new parish. Significant progress has been made since our first meeting in January.

Over the next few weeks, we will complete an audit of all church organisational structures, which will enable us to assess consistency of approach and reduce duplication of effort. We also hope to launch a new parish website by the end of spring, which will help us communicate more effectively across all our communities.

Plans are also underway to centralise financial arrangements and meetings with all current parish treasurers will be taking place shortly.

The major focus for April, however, is the development of a new Liturgical Strategy. The current situation is not sustainable, given the limited number of priests available to carry out liturgical duties such as saying Mass and holding Adoration and Reconciliation services. The challenge lies in reimagining our provision of services based on the geographical boundaries of our new parish, rather than the existing church catchment areas.

Currently, there are four priests serving the Eastbourne hub, which covers seven churches. However, we must plan on the basis of having only three priests to ensure a sustainable workload, allow for rest days, holidays, and potential illness, and to reduce the risk of burnout.

According to Canon Law, one priest may celebrate no more than three Masses across Saturday evening and Sunday. This means our maximum capacity for weekend Masses across the hub is nine. An audit will therefore be carried out across the seven churches to determine how best to reduce the number of Masses accordingly.

Importantly, this assessment will also consider factors beyond just attendance—such as the spiritual and community significance of individual Masses.

The next step is to prepare a draft proposal, which will then be shared for consultation. This process will allow all  congregations to provide input before any final decisions are made.

Returning from the meeting of the Parish Leadership Group – 1st April 2025

Most important:          The Devine life of God,           Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

             Fr Kevin began the meeting with ten minutes of silent prayer focused upon the message of Pope Francis:

Evangelii Gaudium 28

If the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be “the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters”. This presumes that it really is in contact with the homes and the lives of its people and does not become a useless structure out of touch with people or a self-absorbed group made up of a chosen few. The    parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration. In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers. It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a centre of constant missionary outreach. 

‘Another step in the right direction’

On behalf of Fr Kevin Dring, Jackie met with some of the parish secretaries on Monday at Our Lady of Ransom.   This first meeting was to establish what jobs are currently undertaken and to try and put a plan in place so that we can all work together as one, sharing and helping each other in various tasks.  The meeting went well and we will communicate any further information as and when it is available.

Alongside this, preparation for both our communities are progressing well.   St George’s community had an excellent meeting after mass on Sunday and plan to have four meetings each year, or what ever meets the good purpose.  Equally St Wilfrid’s had their meeting and plans in place to fulfil its purpose.

The reality is that the new dispensation is on its way and we can do our best to make the most of it.

“Rejoice and be glad”                       

Well it was not St Patrick’s Day, but it was St Patrick weekend; the celebrations after the 10.30am mass were well fit for purpose, truly enjoyable.  There is a human streak that would say, “but where was the bacon and cabbage”, which some of parishes will say “well we had it”.  The food was truly excellent, and again I have a most grateful heart for all the times our caterers come up trumps.  They are brilliant and we are so blessed to have such a parish group.  Gary O’Brien added the extra touch; providing his guitar and musical skills for the occasion.   Better than that he is at work providing a music ministry for the 10.30am mass.  Rehearsals have started on a Saturday morning, 10am to 11am in St Wilfrid’s Church Hall, and now provide a platform for some young people to join.  With flexibility and goodwill, this will be a great blessing and bonus for our liturgy.

All good news coming from St George’s church last Sunday.  They had their meeting after mass; it was a very fruitful setting in place,  plans and progress to be made.  Certainly all are prepared to do their very best, and we have to rely upon the leadership providers so that we can bear fruit, fruit that will last, by the fruit that shall know them, they are my disciples.

Fr Rory Writes:                            “Life Goes On”       

Actually it was Gerry who was responsible for my piece last week.  So it is a good sign that we are singing from the same page, and it is really important to recognise this.  There is a reason why we are in our present situation, and we did not have a meeting of our Parish Finance Committee that was scheduled.

The Parish Pastoral Plan was launched over a year ago, with plans for our new parish, “Eastbourne and St Leonards,” set to begin in November 2024, led by our parish Moderator, Father Kevin Dring from OLR.

In January, Father Kevin introduced a Parish Development Plan outlining the goals for the next six months. A Parish Leadership Group, including clergy and lay members, was formed and began meeting in February. For administrative purposes, the new parish will be split into two leadership hubs: Eastbourne (seven churches, including St George & St Wilfrid’s) and St Leonards (eight churches from Battle to Rye). At this level we looked at developing the goals up to June.

This is a long-term process, and all parishioners are encouraged to contribute. Father Kevin opened last week’s PLG meeting with a reading from Ephesians: “Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your  hidden self to grow strong.” Let’s all grow strong together to make this plan a success.

Parish Pastoral Plan Update

The Parish Pastoral Plan was launched over a year ago, with plans for our new parish, “Eastbourne and St Leonards,” set to begin in November 2024, led by our parish Moderator, Father Kevin Dring from OLR.

In January, Father Kevin introduced a Parish Development Plan outlining the goals for the next six months. A Parish Leadership Group, including clergy and lay members, was formed and began meeting in February. For administrative     purposes, the new parish will be split into two leadership hubs: Eastbourne (seven churches, including St George & St Wilfrid’s) and St Leonards (eight churches from Battle to Rye). At this level we looked at developing the goals up to June.

This is a long-term process, and all parishioners are encouraged to contribute. Father Kevin opened last week’s PLG meeting with a reading from Ephesians: “Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your  hidden self to grow strong.” Let’s all grow strong together to make this plan a success.

From having heard the greetings from the Kelly’s; our communities response:-

Good to hear from the Kelly’s and the greetings.

Community is going to be more important as we move forward and we all need to support one another in this time of change.   The activities in the life of our parish are very important to us and what is best for our future.  In a time of change and so much that is not known what the future will being, activities keep us together as a parish and make us stronger in our faith. 

Nourishment is always important, and a special opportunity comes with Lent and the Jubilee Companion Booklet is a good start.