Category: Fr Rory Writes

“Alleluia, Alleluia”

I will not leave you as orphans, says the Lord. 

I am going away and I will come to you and your hearts will rejoice, Alleluia.

The readings this week are incredible, very much fit for purpose.  This Sunday, St George’s quarterly meeting takes place after their mass, and we have our regular meetings at St Wilfrid’s.  Important communication from Fr Kevin, who is tasked with a large responsibility he is carrying out to the best of his ability, (and very well at that), I am sure it is very stressful for him.  He has been in communication with us, and agrees it has become clear we share a common view that July would be too soon to commence the new time schedule.  He relies on a sense of urgency and willingness to get it right and has made suggestions that we will engage in.

Please take away the newsletter and get all the nourishment that is offered to us by Jesus at this most important and fruitful time.

Stephen from the Parish Council writes:

“In preparation for Pentecost”

As the 50 days of Easter concludes on Sunday 8th June with the feast of Pentecost, this can be seen as an invitation to all people to open their eyes to the mystery of life and love.

In Walking in the light of Christ, we frequently reach out and embrace the Holy Spirit, so who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity. God the Father is the First Person, and God the Son (Jesus) is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. It is the Spirit of God which fills all of creation, always present within us, guiding us towards goodness and truth

Pentecost is a celebration of a new beginning, a celebration of God’s New Creation. Pope Francis is the embodiment of how God’s love brings about freshness and newness of life, especially our spiritual life. Pope Francis put great emphasis on what we as individuals can do in order to bring the presence of God into our world

Jesus promised to send an advocate who would be with us always. The Holy Spirit is the fulfilment of that promise. the Holy Spirit gave the apostles the gift of languages, so they were able to proclaim the Good News about Jesus in languages that the people could understand. This Spirit is poured out upon all flesh, and wisdom is given in abundance, helping all to see, hear and understand what is said.

We might ponder about our own personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Asking ourselves, do I carve out special intimate time to share with the Lord, time for prayer, meditation and worship, being in God’s presence? Jesus spoke of having eyes to see and ears to hear.

So, on Pentecost Sunday, let’s give attention not only to the workings of the Holy Spirit in the Church, but likewise give attention to the promptings, the movements, and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in each one.

“A powerful moment for the church was when the day of Pentecost came”

As we now move forward with the plans that were presented to the diocese by Bishop Richard, for our future.  Fr Kevin is tasked with the responsibility to guide our parish in implementing these plans, so we should constantly intercede with the Holy Spirit for a very successful outcome.  At the latest meeting certain tensions were expressed and a true awareness of the need to be at ease with the implications of the decisions.  Fr Kevin acknowledged the need for more time to clarify; yet with confidence in the overall plan.  So there is a true awareness when there is a need to take time, Fr Kevin has sent a  clarifying directive to the team and it is very helpful.  So we must be prepared to work together with confidence and hope.

We are all united in one parish of Eastbourne and St Leonards.  The key element which Fr Kevin emphasises is that it is made up of communities of faith.  These distinct communities grow together.  Sandra King and Gerry Palmer have acted as great ambassadors for our community and the members of our parish, and good work is being done by the councils.  We have very important relationships in our communities at St George’s and St Wilfrid’s, and we are starting from a very good place with Jackie recognised as a blessing and is much appreciated for the work that she does.  So with the help of Gods blessing and the power of Pentecost, let us all hope and soldier on.  Special thanks for the events of last weekend.

“Thanks be to God for the life of Pope Francis”

We have a new beginning with Pope Leo XIV.  For this I am sure we can be grateful.

Each year we begin by lighting the First Candle; the Candle of Hope, and the new Pope is a great ambassador for Hope.  With the help of God, we can build on this and by the help of God, it will bear much fruit, fruit that will last.

Grace and peace.

“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.